Motor Trend: Jaguar, under Tata, takes on Porsche

There's a post-colonial irony to the fate of the British auto industry.

Its two most elite names, Rolls-Royce and Bentley, now belong to the Germans, while those two other symbols of the empire, Jaguar and Land Rover, are now owned and operated out of the one-time heart of Britain's overseas holdings.

Last year, India's upstart Tata Motors purchased the last two brands from Ford Motor Co. The fire sale generated some much-needed cash for the struggling U.S. maker -- but it also offered Tata the opportunity to move into the mainstream of global auto manufacturers.

For Jaguar in particular, the transition has an ironic tinge to it.



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