Ford announced today what many people have been expecting for some time: They are selling off their British brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, to Indian automaker Tata Motors.

I remember when Ford first purchased Jaguar. The influx of cash from FoMoCo allowed Jag to solve many of the engineering problems that plagued their cars. At the time, Jaguar was still stamping body panels using machinery purchased second-hand just after World War II. The automotive world's concern was that the cars would become too Ford-ish. The results were a mixed bag -- I think the XJ managed to retain its Jaguar-ness, but the X-TYPE, essentially a gussied-up European-market Ford Mondeo, didn't fool anyone. (That said, I really did like the X-TYPE Sportwagon I reviewed.)

As for Land Rover, well, I never did keep up with them; I generally leave that sort of thing to About.com's SUVs site. But I did try to catch a ride (occaisionally on-road, usually off-road) in a Land Rover or Range Rover at least once a year, and it seems to me that things improved exponentially under Ford's stewardship -- today's Land Rovers still kick butt off-road, plus they're better looking and better built than ever.

So who is Tata Motors, anyway? They are India's largest automaker and builder of the Nano, which is projected to be the world's least expensive production car with an expected retail price of $2,500. Their plans for Jag and Land Rover? According to chairman Ratan Tata, "We have enormous respect for the two brands and will endeavor to preserve and build on their heritage and competitiveness, keeping their identities intact." Let's hope that's how it plays out. -- Aaron Gold