THE TATA FACTOR!
By ATWadmin On January 6th, 2008Did you see that after years of secret preparation, the world’s cheapest car will be unveiled in Delhi this week – delighting millions of Indians as much as it is horrifying environmentalists.
At 100,000 rupees (£1,290), the People’s Car, designed and manufactured by Tata, is being marketed as a safer way of travelling for those who until now have had to transport their families balanced on the back of their motorbikes. Ratan Tata, 70, chairman of the family-run business, who has spearheaded the race for a cut-price car, wrote on the company website: ‘That’s what drove me – a man on a two-wheeler with a child standing in front, his wife sitting behind, add to that the wet roads – a family in potential danger.’
Admirable sentiments and a great example of capitalism in action. But the Green Lobby is horrified at all these extra emissions. Indians don’t care – they see the advantages that this car brings and millions are predicted to buy it. Good for them I say. Of course here in car-hating Britain, I’m sure we will visited with future green taxes to offfset the Tata factor! Maybe Tata should come to the UK?
Tata is very nearly in the U.K. already, as the ‘preferred’ bidder for Land Rover & Jaguar.
Trouble is, the very ideas which doomed both companies are built into the purchase contracts for both companies, with emphasis on retaining their ‘British Factor’ as part of the deal.
I presume by ‘British Factor’ that Ford USA means sloppy workmanship, inattention to detail, a prevalence for ‘sickies’ and ‘time off’; and a total inability to learn from their betters. By the by, when I talk about ‘betters’ I refer to the single most successful car plant in Europe, namely Nissan in Washington, near Sunderland in the North-East of England.
Tata is already in the UK. They have a major share of the IT business.
Could this be the same make of car we hired in India? Reliable, cheap to run and fuel, and pretty comfortable.
Good on the Indians. A holiday there makes it clear to all that the population wants what we have in the West, without being beholden to the fascistic Green lobby.
Good on ‘em!!
it’ll accelerate the consumption of oil. an expensive and seemingly scarcer resource these days.
High quality public transport together with new car technology would ensure that the standard of life continues to imporve without increasing the relaince on fossil fuels.
I notice that the Greens have now decided bio-fuels are evil. Another eco nut lie to ensure that they continue to get their jollies screaming "thou shalt not" at everybody.
Daytripper,
OK – so tell me what you think is the answer to the problem that Ratan Tata describes?
First, I am glad Adrian doesn’t have to walk around anymore.
Second: What is wrong with trying to make a more fuel efficient car? Or does continuing to fund the Arab Oil Cartels seem like a good idea?
600cc is a mid-range motorcycle engine size anyway.
So what’s the bother of putting a shell around the outside and calling it a car?
The Indians are good businessmen and very entrepreneurial. Look how they transported the Royal Enfield motorcycle company from Reddich to Madras, and now re-export it back to us!
They are way ahead of that dreadful, useless, failed state of Pakistan.
I used to drive Tata in spain, bloody big tank it was and cheap as chips to run. It is very easy for us Western folk to sniffy when we already have everything -and the alternative to everything- at our fingertips, but I am sure for many Indian families this will be a complete blessing,
OK – so tell me what you think is the answer to the problem that Ratan Tata describes?
and dont have one, and i dont object to this. infact we should all be moving to smaller more efficient transport. not for ecological purposes, but to reduce consumption of a dwindling resource. the environment will benefit by default.
i imagine though that serious alternatives to oil will spring up in the next decade. after all as one oil sheik put it, "the stone age didnt end because we ran out of stones".
watch the "end of suburbia" on google video. i think its on there now.
Read an article today how in the US, only 2% of cars are deisel, whereas the figure in Europe is 50%. Seems deisel is 20% more effecient.
Tripper is right though. India coming on line with autos of any sort will put upward pressure on oil.
But, as always, us Yanks will find an answer!