In today's Financial Times

Thierry Bolloré will step down from Jaguar Land Rover after just two years in the role and a run of losses at the Tata-owned luxury car maker.

Bolloré, the former Renault boss who joined in September 2020, will leave “for personal reasons” at the end of the year, Tata Motors said on Wednesday.

JLR has notched up pre-tax losses for the past six consecutive quarters, at a time when arch rivals including Mercedes-Benz and Porsche were recording record profits.

The company blamed the global shortage of semiconductors, leading to factory outages and production delays when it posted last week a £178mn loss for July to September on sales of £5.3bn. In the same three months, Mercedes posted a profit of €4bn on €38bn of revenue.

JLR chief financial officer officer Adrian Mardell, who takes over as chief executive for the time being, said last week that the company was “behind the clock” on dealing with the chip problem. He said JLR was “working tirelessly” to resolve its supply problems.

It has also started prioritising parts for its new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models, which are newer models and will help the business’s profitability, he added.

“All other [carmakers] have been doing that over the last 12 months, we’ve been in project changeover over the last 12 months,” he said.

A search for a full-time replacement for Bolloré has already begun and is being run by Tata in India, according to two people.

Bolloré rose within the ranks of Renault under Carlos Ghosn before becoming chief executive of the French group. He was ousted in 2019.

He joined JLR when it was behind rivals on electric vehicles, and set the company’s strategy to push into battery models and move further upmarket early last year.

Since then, the company has made few public announcements on its progress, and is yet to name a long-term battery partner for its electric vehicles.

Part of the delay has come from owner Tata, which is involved with the battery sourcing decision and has been in talks with Britishvolt, the UK start-up that requires rescue funding, according to three people.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved together at Jaguar Land Rover over the last two years,” Bolloré said on Wednesday.

“The company’s transformation and acceleration towards a sustainable, profitable future as a modern luxury business is underway at great pace.”

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chair of Tata Sons, Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover, thanked Bolloré. “The foundations for a successful transformation have been laid, leaving the company well poised for the future,” he said 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

I just feel that JLR lost their way following the development and production of the Jaguar I-Pace.
They should have pressed ahead with Luxury EVs under the Jag banner, instead of duplicating LR/RR 4x4s.

The I-Pace is a very good car to drive.

I can't understand why (or if) JLR did not go after a Government Grant to build a Battery Factory somewhere in Britain. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 76k+ miles) (MY2015)

I have been watching some episodes from "The Crown" on Netflix recently and it's interesting that they are driving around in big Jaguar saloons (when HM Queen wasn't driving a Landrover at Balmoral). I know that the rot set in when Ford owned JLR and they did the Mondeo 4x4 Jag but to me they have lost the BMW 7 series type market completely 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Ford also did the Freelander 2, which we all drive.

dorsetfreelander wrote:

I have been watching some episodes from "The Crown" on Netflix recently and it's interesting that they are driving around in big Jaguar saloons (when HM Queen wasn't driving a Landrover at Balmoral). I know that the rot set in when Ford owned JLR and they did the Mondeo 4x4 Jag but to me they have lost the BMW 7 series type market completely

3landertwo wrote:

Ford also did the Freelander 2, which we all drive.

My personal potted history of LR
Bought an early FL1 - designed on a shoestring (Maestro van body mule?) had to hand it back after 2 1/2 years as it fell apart. But it did take LR in a new direction.
BMW get involved, sink in a fortune and we get the much better FL1 - better engine, doesn't eat gearboxes or differentials and the electrics work. Drove that one through the desert absolutely bomb proof. BMW supposedly get LR know how for their investment.
Ford get involved and we get the FL2 - don't need to say any more, the best LR ever. Not sure what Ford got out of it.
TATA give us the Disco Sport, initially with the same engine as the FL2 (much sought after), then the Ingenium engine. Too complicated, too fragile and software that changes faster than Microsoft updates. Going to suggest that the concept is good, but the development was rushed or underfunded. But at least the dealerships are pretty. The DS is a genuinely nice place to be, but someone has taken their eye of what LR is about, rugged practical vehicles, if you want pretty, gadget filled boudoirs buy a Range Rover.
I never understood why TATA decided to produce Jaguar 4x4s - in direct competition with both LR and RR. Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

Andy131 wrote:

My personal potted history of LR
Bought an early FL1 - designed on a shoestring (Maestro van body mule?) had to hand it back after 2 1/2 years as it fell apart. But it did take LR in a new direction.

Took a fairly long test drive in an FL1 in 97… I was so impressed with it that I promptly went and ordered the first of three new Honda CRV autos

On my second FL2 now - the current Lux which replaced the 59 plate very well specified XS. As different as chalk and cheese - FL1 and FL2 - a bit like Defender and Defender where the only real commonality is the green oval badge and the name.

Our first FL (and Land Rover/Range Rover) was a Mk2 just after we (Ford) bought them, it had the BMW engine and was a bl00dy nice car, our second was with a later Duratorq engine, much better  Regards

David

Lovely i6 has now gone, but not me......

Please let me know if anything in my post offends you, as I may wish to offend you again......