Comments on: Mahindra: “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Jeep Nameplate”

By: TaxedAndConfused

TaxedAndConfused — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:57:22 +0000

These used to hold the record for the slowest 0-60 time in Europe – something north of 30 seconds I seem to remember.

By: PeteMoran

PeteMoran — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:50:24 +0000

T2: Groan!

By: rashakor

rashakor — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:42:11 +0000

Furthermore, if I remember correctly, the engine in that baby is a prehistoric Mercedes-Benz OM616 (turboed).
There is unfortunately because of the archaic technolgy (albeit, bulletproof…) no chance in hell we’ll ever see this in the USA.

Cross your finger, maybe we see them in mexico.

By: no_slushbox

no_slushbox — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:14:55 +0000

miked:

re: “To bad US trademark laws would never let this be sold here. Same reason we couldn’t get the old BJ series Land Cruisers.”

Mahindra is an Indian company, not a Chinese company; companies in the largest democracy in the world actually pay for the designs they use.

Even if the original licensing agreement prohibited US sale that would not be an issue now; any design or engineering patents on this Jeep have long since expired. It couldn’t say Jeep, and it might not be able to have a seven bar grille, but otherwise it would be in the clear.

It is not sold here, for better or worse, because of EPA emissions requirements and NHTSA safety regulations.

If you like the basic concept try to find a clean, well kept used Suzuki Samurai.

By: Robstar

Robstar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:38:14 +0000

Wow that is the best looking “Wrangler” I’ve ever seen. Sweet!

By: Geotpf

Geotpf — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:12:36 +0000

Mahindra & Mahindra plan on selling small, bare bones, heavy duty, diesel, work pickups in the United States starting next year. They currently sell farm equipment here, and apparently such is well regarded from American farmers (I’m not a farmer, so who knows?), so that’s their initial market-farmers who actually need a work pickup.

http://www.mahindrana.com/

They are using their own brand and starting their own dealer network. I doubt they want castoffs from Detroit, although they have been a licensee of Jeep for many, many decades back in India as already mentioned.

By: T2

T2 — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:46:43 +0000

Neo-Willy ? More like Chili Willy if they intend introducing an open roof design at this time of year. No matter, being an Indian company I am sure they will come up with the ingredients to curry favor with American consumers.

By: polpo

polpo — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:25:05 +0000

threer: Mahindra & Mahindra got their start after WWII by assembling CKD Jeep kits imported from the US. In 1954 they started manufacturing their own version. This is not a new thing at all.

dean: The seven-slot grille on the Hummers comes from AM General, formerly part of AMC along with Jeep.

By: sellfone

sellfone — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:23:57 +0000

Mahindra has built and offered LICENSED “Jeeps” for almost 50 years. They are not illegal knock-offs. I think they even bought tooling and manufacturing equipment from [the owners of] Jeep decades ago.

Selling Indian made Jeeps in the US market, however unthinkable that was when the licensing agreement was established in the 1950’s, may be a different matter though. Even back then, I would not be surprised if the licensing agreement included language that prohibited the sale of the Indian made Jeeps in the US market.

By: dean

dean — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:11:50 +0000

I don’t know… Trademark laws didn’t help Jeep in keeping a very Jeep-like grill off the Hummer H2.

Of course, this thing is nearasdamnit a dead ringer for the entire Jeep, not just the grill, so maybe there would be some recourse.

By: AJ

AJ — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:59:32 +0000

I’m fine with our trademark laws protecting owner’s rights. But hey, if they want to buy Jeep, go for it.

By: Edward Niedermeyer

Edward Niedermeyer — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:58:40 +0000

pete: Indeed that is what I meant. Thanks.

By: miked

miked — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:53:29 +0000

To bad US trademark laws would never let this be sold here. Same reason we couldn’t get the old BJ series Land Cruisers.

By: pete

pete — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:51:09 +0000

Just a nit – I think you mean 250 Nm not 250 nm.

By: threeer

threeer — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:41:58 +0000

What…is Cerebus so cash-strapped that they’ve decided to dust off their old prints to sell to the highest bidder? What next? A Tata variant of the Aries? Maybe Dongfeng will buy the rights to the Rampage…