Way back when, in the 1950s, the Packard was considered to be a top drawer auto company. It rivaled Cadillac and another name from the past, Pierce-Arrow. Then in the late 1950s, Packards adopted the Studebaker look and before long faded away.

People who are familiar with the Jaguar/Tata situation have compared it to what happen to Packard.

Is that what awaits Jaguar?  Can it be fixed and still keep its uniqueness?

The reason why Ford wants to unload it is obvious. Sales of Jaguars in the U.S. were down a dramatic 52.2 percent. And MSNBC reports (via Autopia) that three of the worst selling cars in the U.S. are the Jaguar S-Type, X-Type, and XJ, the flagship of the fleet.

So, back to the original question: how much will Tata influence Jaguar? Can Tata fix Jaguar and still allow it to keep its unique British feel, look and mystique Jaguar buyers want? Our understanding is that Tata will be bringing on some people already involved with Jaguar to help with the continuity thing. Will this be enough? Or will ego get the better of Tata causing them to take more and more influence over Jaguar? We fall on the side of ego. But it may take a few years or so.