Bloomberg is reporting that Indian automotive firm Mahindra & Mahindra, LTD is in talks with Italy’s Pininfarina design studio about a prospective acquisition. After the death of Sergio Pininfarina in 2001, the company started a downward trend that saw financial losses in 2005, 2006 and 2007. In 2011 the company ended all automotive production, and have closed up or leased out their automotive factories, and lately the only item that seems to have come from the firm are Coca-Cola machines. There is no word on why long-time customer Ferrari hadn’t stepped in to make a bid for the company after decades of close work.
Mahindra have been on an acquisition spree lately, acquiring Peugeot Motorcycles and SsangYong Motor Company. Bringing Pininfarina into the fold would assist the Indian company with the visual design of their product, and the Italians have a chance to maintain their character. Given how TATA’s ownership of Jaguar and Land Rover has benefitted the brands while allowing them to retain their British identity, this could work out positively. Then again, the deal is not done yet and could fall apart, in similar form to their plan to import their Scorpio Getaway pickup into the United States.
Perhaps this is a bid to make Ferarri have to worry about MORE tractor manufacturers.
Well …. Pininfarina was the last man standing amongst the major Italian design houses .ItalDesign sold to VW-Audi . Bertone to the Chinese .. and now Pininfarina to the sub continent of India … where the pretense of luxury is celebrated under the guise of wretched excess … at a hefty price I might add .
So … it truly is … when it comes to the world of automotive design ;
The end of the World as we know it . Can you say …. Bollywood Ferraris ?
Hey, as long as Mahindra doesn’t mess with those soda machines. Those things are the best.
Can you say … Sparkling Chai in a Bottle ? Curry flavored Coke ? Not to mention a 1001 wreaths and flowers with a multitude of flashing lights wrapped around those Coke machines and disco balls overhead in order to give them a more Bollywood vibe ?
e.g. If they buy it . They will mess with it … guaranteed !
The Mahindra tractors and mini-trucks would benefit, too bad we cant get the pickups here with their 4cyl diesel.
Actually from all the overseas reports ? Thank what ever god in heaven it is you pray to that the Mahindra trucks/SUVs been blocked from coming to the US due to their extremely shady business ethics which were exposed by their potential US partner . Which is to say … the trucks and in fact everything Mahindra manufactures is absolute crap … even by 3rd World standards
As to Mahindras ethics ? Suffice it to say … in Indian business culture … a signed contract is considered merely a suggestion …. not a legally binding agreement/document .
For the most recent example look no further than the legal debacle created by Sauber F1s Indian lawyer/team principal when it came to the contract of driver , VdG .. and the $16 million her Indian business ethics wound up costing the team .
Suffice it to say … doing business with any entity based in India … is not recommended . Nor is buying any vehicle manufactured in India … which err … means …. don\’t buy the Harley Davidson Street either … the majority is manufactured in India and then assembled in the US . Which errr … accounts in part for the fact that it is crap and is not selling worth a damn
Yeah, the Mahindra Chief was a pretty vile piece of equipment. Most of their vehicles are notoriously poorly assembled and horrid quality and reliability.