Haven't heard this on the news yet:

September 18, 2006

Ford buys Rover

Ford has agreed a last-minute deal to buy the rights to the Rover marque, blocking the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation's plans to take it to China.

Shanghai agreed to buy the brand for £11m from BMW five weeks ago, but the sale was subject to the agreement of Ford, which had negotiated a veto on any sale when it bought Land Rover in 2000.

A spokesman said Ford has no plans to start building Rover cars, but decided to secure the brand to protect the Land Rover brand.

Good thing really - we know Ford has its financial problems, but we're not sure a Fiesta-based Metro comeback is the answer...

the X-Type will become a Rover then ....  
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Hmmm....

£11m for nothing but a brand ... I wonder if Ford will do anything useful with the plant... 

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name u mean not plant... 
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they will wrap the brand of landrover in loads of legal litigation stuff, to make sure nothing can touch it/harm it.. and will probably hold rover for a short while and flog it at probably a small markup to the chinese.. and will ultimately probably sell LR to raise some revenue.... it says it was done as a protective move, so they probably will just secure their other interests properly and sell rover on with loads of terms and conditions involved..

Ford have only exercised their option on the Rover name, they've not bought any designs, plants, land, machinery etc etc Like this site? Buy some RRSPORT goodies to show your support!

Ford paid 1.8 billion pounds for Land Rover...11 million pounds is chump change (0.6%) to protect the brand by securing the future of the Rover name. Arguably, packaged with LR it makes the whole division more valuable by removing a potentially damaging loose end. 2006 Range Rover Sport TDV6 HSE, Java/Ebony/Cherry, Privacy, Sunroof, PTI, Premium Sound, SatNav, Cold Climate, Tow kit, CarStyle coded grill and vents, Tasmods, Stormers, JE Exhaust, Autobiography badge