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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - Features of Tata made cars

Recent FT report talks of a September launch price of around £6,000 on this car.If it has the 1.4 motor with 75HP that seems good value;will its main competitors be Clio or Twingo sized cars?
PS Tata are also planning to make a very basic car for Asian markets at around £2,000-this was almost the price of the Jag XKE at launch time around 1961 for those who are too young to remember!!
Tony

Tony

I assume you mean the E-Type?

I bought a new Austin Cambridge about that time for approx £600.00!

But then again my wages were £14.00 per week plus commission normally bringin in about £18.50 (or to be correct £18.10.0 - Eighteen pounds Ten shillings and Nil pence).

Ted
Ted Newman

Inflation makes all 1960s prices look silly. I feel the need to add my "old git" credentials. I started work in the 60s as a Trainee Queen's Mercenary for the princely sum of 11 shillings and 3 pence (11/3) a day or 56p in this new fangled silly money. My parents lived in Paris and I remember being able to live very well during my leaves in this fine City on this money.

Happy days

Patrick
Patrick Beet

Yes,I did mean the E type-probably the Best Car Value ever.
Do we therefore not think the two Tata built cars will be good value at today's prices?
Tony

IIRC, and I'm old enough to remember seeing my first E-Type in '61, it was called the XKE stateside ...... You a Yank "Tony {non member]" .... ;-)

Ted,

That was good money back then ..... I was 19 in '61 and on about 600 quid pa PLUS 2/6d (12.5 pence now) Luncheon Vouchers Daily (You could get a reasonable three course meal with those 2/6d LVs in the City of London EC4 back then ..... how times change!

Youngsters today - dont know theyze born ... LOL.
J McFeely

More seriously, if the Tata is a reasonable little economy car at a fair price, then it will sell to those who just need to get about at minimal cost. MG-R need a cheap small economical car "toot sweet" ... In fact the tooter the sweeter .... :O)
J McFeely

Yes, John but how does this little economy car fit into the MG/Rover image?
Tony(British but was working in US at time of Jag launch-fierce rivalry with the Corvette there)
Tony

Is there a smaller engine than the 1.4 in the MGR
range? If so,they will probably put that one in the base model "at around £6,000"
Who would be its main competition then?
antoine

Tony,

Why not ask where the A CLASS Mercedes-Benz fits in their image? Not my idea of a Murk but fits very nicely apparently, selling quite well locally (next door's just got one ...doh! :o)

If the Tata sells in reasonable numbers, then it WILL fit nicely too!

BTW; the 1.1 K series by its nature is a nice little "rev forever" UNDERSTRESSED motor. Ideal for the Tata base model methinks. Buyers of these sorts of economical means of transport are not looking for Motorway high speed cruisers are they?

IMAGE? It costs and is over-priced but more than this, painfully expensive bollux.. LOL. If I was REALLY concerned about image, I would never drive an MG like I've been doing since the mid-1960s having taken the distorted advice of those who do value such bollux long ago..... :o))))
J McFeely

I see that the Renault Twingo is not imported into the UK so a Tata Rover at £6,000 would have the field to itself except for the 600 Fiat & Korean city cars ??
antoine

Ann,
Its less than 6 months to launch time;when can we see some pictures of this car?
Tony

Tata rivals in the UK include:

Smart
Ford Ka
Perodua Nippa

And if the £6K turns out to be accurate then it will fall nicely in the middle of the above three.

You are right Antoine, the Twingo isn't officially available over here in the UK, but there are a few grey imports around on our roads.

Not sure about who owns what anymore, but if it were up to me i'd badge it an Austin 10. i.e. slightly bigger than the Austin 7 and an integer number that fall below 25, 45 and 75. Or how about a Morris 10?

Is the Rover name approporiate? I really don't know anymore, there was a time when the Rover badge had some kudos attached to it, but it took such a battering over the past 30 years or so maybe a Rover 10 would be suitable for a car in this price bracket. It certainly fits in with the predicessor's Rover 100 tag.

Will there be an MG version? IF the Tata uses the 1.4 K series then the engine compartment should take the 1.8 version too... :-)

SF
http:www.sfforever.co.uk
Scarlet Fever

It seems that Standard is the name of choice so another Standard 10!

I had a Standard 8 up to about 1980 - it was a reliable little run around.

Ted
Ted Newman

Could they get away with calling it the Minnie?
Patrick Beet

The MinnieTata has rather a RED Indian connotation!
Tony

The cute Renault/Nissan Micra,just launched in France with prices staring at £6,800 (equiv) is selling like hot cakes;could be difficult for the Tata to beat on the continent.
antoine

Come on someone-lets get a glimpse of this
Tata/Rover/Standard/...../.....
alex

This thread was discussed between 26/03/2003 and 10/04/2003

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