Saw this in the Honda mailing list. It would have been great if Honda
rebadged the Land Rover in the US instead of the Isuzu...
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Date: Thu, 24 Feb 1994 19:38:20 (EST)
From: Marshall Vale <mjv@brownvm.brown.edu>
Subject: NewsBites
... stuff about Honda/Acura prices deleted ...
*** More Honda and BMW
A summit of the new partners will take place in Tokyo at the end of the
month. The summit will be between Honda Chairman Nobuhiko Kawamoto, Exec.
VP Yoshihide Munekuni and Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder of BMW. Kawamoto
has reportedly been very upset and angered about BMW's purchase of Rover
from British Aerospace. Honda reportedly had offered to purchase a
47.5% interest in Rover, an amount that follows Honda's stated commitment
to keeping Rover British.
Honda has licence agreements with Rover for the 600,400,200 models,
4 engines and a transmission. Honda also reported has an agreement
that allows the company to pull out of its arrangement with Rover
in 3 months notice. But if Honda were to suddenly pull out of its
arrangement, it would probably suffer a serious PR blow. Bernd says
no direct team ups with Honda but that Rover will strengthen its
ties with Honda. BMW would probably be a good link for Honda to use
to reach the rest of Europe. Still, Honda reportedly holds several trump cards.
strengths:
holds manufacturing licenses for the rover 600 200/400
supplies 1.6,2.0,2.3 and 2.7 litre engines to rover
licenses transmission for the rover 2.0 litre engines
supplies 2.7 V-6 for 800
is key to development of the next 200/400
retains 20% of rover
vulnerabilities
depends on rver for body panels for the uk built accord
sells the land rover discovery in Japan rebadged as the Honda crossroad
derives about $600millino in annual sales from components and other
aspects of it srover relationship
now has bmw as a 20 percent partner in uk subsidiary
Automotive News, feb 14
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Skip (montanaro@crd.ge.com)
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