For 2007, Land Rover's global sales increased nearly 18%, due mostly to increased sales in new markets Russia and China, and according to the carmaker’s managing director Phil Popham it’s “strongly in profit at the moment".
Jaguar, too, has turned around its dismal performance record and should be close to turning a profit this year. "In 2008 we are expecting a much stronger year in terms of sales," Mike O'Driscoll, Jaguar managing director, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show.
Despite the recent strong performance of both Jaguar and Land Rover, Ford, as part of its own turnaround plan, has decided to focus on its core brands and thus is offloading the two British marques. It will be interesting to see what cash-rich Tata Motors will be able to do with the brands once it takes control.