An ironic announcement came from Ford today concerning its possible sale of its remaining premium brands, Jaguar and Rover. An Indian company, Tata Motors, Ltd., which makes the cheapest new car available is the most likely buyer, although it is not a done deal at this time. Tata is to reveal its $2,500 vehicle at an auto show in New Delhi next week. The sale price for both companies hovers around 1.5 to 2 billion, although Ford paid 2.5 and 2.7 billion for Jaguar and Land Rover, respectively.

“Ford Motor Co. named Tata Motors Ltd. the top bidder for its Jaguar and Land Rover brands Thursday and entered into “focused negotiations at a more detailed level,” meaning Tata was named preferred bidder for the storied British automakers.

“While no final decision has been made, we will proceed with further substantive discussions with Tata Motors over the forthcoming weeks,” Lewis Booth, executive vice president of Ford’s European units, said in a statement.”

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Michael