Isuzu Quits US Market
Isuzu is gone or at least will soon be. One of Japan’s smallest 
automakers is quitting the US market, citing a lack of new products from partner GM as the reason for its leaving.
Although the company sent their own cars and trucks to the US for many years, Isuzu has in recent years relied on General Motors exclusively for their US product line up. The Isuzu Ascender SUV and the i-290 and i-370 extended cab model pickup trucks are re-badged GM products; GM has signaled that they will not be updating or replacing these models anytime soon.
First introduced stateside in 1980, Isuzu was known for producing the Rodeo SUV, I-Mark compact, and a host of edgy truck-like vehicles. Isuzu first abandoned sending automobiles to the US in the 1990s then stopped selling their own trucks a few years later. GM had a 49% stake in the company before selling out in 2002.
In a message fromTerry Maloney, President/COO of Isuzu of America, the company has promised to service and maintain Isuzu vehicles for years to come.
Ford To Counter The Dodge Sprinter
The Dodge Sprinter has been a successful commercial van for Chrysler LLC thanks to its partnership with the newly renamed Daimler AG company. Back when Dodge was a division of DaimlerChrysler, the Sprinter was brought in to replace Dodge’s previous full sized vans which were bulky and outdated. The Sprinter is sold as a Mercedes-Benz model in Europe.
Ford and General Motors have been relying on older engineering as the backbone for their cargo van fleets and now it appears that the Ford Transit Connect will be imported to the US to fill an important void in its truck line up.
According to published reports, announcement of the Turkish-built vehicle’s export stateside will be made at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. The Transit Connect’s appeal is likely to be more for caterers and other small business people while the larger vans, which will remain in production, will continue to serve plumbers, electricians, and do duty as transit vehicles.
The Transit Connect is powered by a 1.8L 16v I-4 engine and has a 5-speed manual transmission. Diesel versions are available in the European market, but there is no word whether that engine will be optional on this side of the Atlantic.
Photo copyright/courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.
Tata Likely To Gain Full Jag, Land Rover Control
The Economic Times of India is reporting that the Ford Motor Company will not hold a minority stake in Land Rover 
and Jaguar once the two luxury British brands are sold to Tata Motors. The unions representing 16,500 Jaguar and Land Rover workers in the UK had insisted that Ford retain a minority interest in the automakers as part of agreeing to the deal, but indications are that Ford wants to completely sell of the brands.
Ford had long been rumored to be interested in selling both Land Rover and Jaguar, particularly after the successful sale 
of Aston Martin last year. This past fall, Tata Motors, Mahindra and Mahindra (a competing Indian automaker) and private equity company OneEquity, expressed interest in the British brands with Tata considered to have an upper hand when negotiations heated up in December.
Ford is asking $2 billion for the two companies and Tata’s bid appears to have won out. Initially, Ford was concerned about Tata’s ability to bring new Jaguar products to market and the company’s ability to meet stringent European emissions standards.
Industry sources expect that a final deal will be announced by the end of February 2008.
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