Tata considering Daimler Motor Company revival

Posted Mon Jul 28 2008 2:51 PM by Nelson Ireson

As part of the purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, finalized in June, Tata Motors secured the rights to the UK-based Daimler Motor Company name. That opens the door for Tata's revival of the marque and a new super-luxury brand to crown its range, even as it pushes Jaguar toward new heights.

If Tata does indeed revive the Daimler name for a line of super-luxury cars, it already has a running start in the form of the Daimler Super Eight, an ultra-luxury version of the XJ that sits at the head of the current Juagar range, and is the only car built under the Daimler badge at the moment. It's still too early to tell if Daimler will be part of the company's recently announced plans to take Jaguar even further up-market as well, eclipsing the £100,000 mark, according the the UK's Times newspaper.

Bringing the marque back would mean a wider range of cars than the current Super Eight, and could provide the vehicle necessary for Jaguar's cars to break into the luxury stratosphere. One the other hand, simply rebadging, upgrading and changing some trim pieces on a Jaguar and selling it for twice as much may not be an ideal business model. It's not clear yet what direction Tata will take with the project if it decide to move forward, however.

Gottlieb Daimler, a brilliant German automotive engineer around the turn of the 20th Century, is the namesake for both the German Daimler AG and the British Daimler Motor Company, but the Coventry, England-based Daimler Motor Company owns sole rights to distribute cars under the name. Daimler AG, the German company, only owns the rights to the name for use as the title of a trading company, a trade name or a corporate name.

Reader Comments

Mon Jul 28 2008 3:17 PM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says

I wonder if Tata Motors has seen this website? http://www.myds420.info/newlimo.html
Mon Jul 28 2008 3:21 PM
admin says

Let's just hope that Daimler doesn't become to Jaguar what Maybach is to Mercedes.
Mon Jul 28 2008 3:43 PM
www.mywheelsonwalls.com says

Admin- Very true but I think the industry has learned that rebadged sub 100k cars works and rebadged 300k plus limo's do not.

Also I must admit when you see a Maybach parked next to a Phamton its beyond me why you would buy the Maybach I have never seen such an ordinary looking car in my life!!!

I dont care what options its filled with its just that the box Maybach presents their product in is just plain old oridinary.
Mon Jul 28 2008 8:36 PM
NoNameDenton says

Admin, I had the same thought when I saw the article.
Mon Jul 28 2008 10:09 PM
Hammy says

The point of a Maybach is discreet elegance
Mon Jul 28 2008 11:00 PM
NoNameDenton says

Yeah, so discreet that it is bleeding money for Mercedes, while Bentley and Rolls continue to see great success.
Tue Jul 29 2008 3:13 AM
Paul says

Worst economic time ever to consider another luxo-barge.
Tue Jul 29 2008 12:33 PM
Jim says

mywheels, great website

Isn't it nice to read posts on investment in Jag and how to expand its reach?
Tue Jul 29 2008 8:00 PM
christian says

most exectuives have custom made suburbans and escalades anyways, bad market to consider entering.
Wed Jul 30 2008 1:09 AM
Edward says

I really see no reason for the existance of Daimler as a Jaguar subsidiary. Jaguar founder William Lyons bought Daimler mainly for its plant in Coventry. Design wise, Daimler did serve to inspire Lyons' Jaguar XJ.
Fri Nov 14 2008 2:05 AM
thomasr says

Lets hope Tata revives a real Daimler, a car with style. As said earlier, the Maybach must be the ugliest so-calles luxury car on the planet. As one editor put it: the Maybach never made it any further than into the rapper videos.
Sat Mar 7 2009 7:59 PM
I h8 China says

The Maybach is not exactly handsome but it certainly looks better than the Phantom.

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