Should Jaguar be bailed-out????

markelock

bail out a car company who for years have produced the most environmentally unfriendly vehicles, and, like so many others, not looked at investing in alternatives?

bail out the fat cats who put profit ahead of eveything else?

corrupt polititians, holiday homes, yachts, probably.

robin_banks

I'm voting no on this, who would be next?, you cannot keep bailing out companies who simply cannot get it right.

Tonno100

I completely agree with a lot of the sentiment here and it's been the same in America, the car companies have been willfully constructing their own need to build expensive petrol-guzzlers, in times of plenty they get away with it, but during those times oil prices were always increasing. Eventually there was going to be no market for these cars, people demand value for money nowadays.

It's the same with computers, sales of Netbooks (sub-£200 laptops) have sent profits for the companies that made them soaring, I'd guess 90% of users of laptops don't need one that can plot the curvature of the moon!

Kez100

Bailing out banks positively affected each and every taxayers in the country. Bailing out Jag does not. In a recession unprofitable or close to unprofitable businesses will fail. It is a good thing in the long term. It is a bad thing for those will lose their jobs and I have no qualms with the 1 billion being used to find them work in a profitable sector.

Some companies cannot be propped up, like Woolworths. The signs may be icons but we don't need Woolies on the High Street. If we did they wouldn't have been in such dire straits.

1echidna

Heard on the news late last night (sorry can't find a link) that Ferrari are bucking the trend and as apparently their chairman said "finding people crazy enough" to buy all the 8,000 cars they produce, the cheapest coming in at $250,000. Obviously they are getting things right. My son in law had many problems with his Rangerover and eventually sold it. I understand that they have a reputation for unreliability. Not sure how Jaguars are now but used to have a reputation for complexity and being expensive to maintain. As has been said they may well be overpriced and not as good a product as overseas rivals' cars in their class. Experience from the past indicates that motor car companies with obsolete products can be a bottomless pit for public money and virtually impossible to turn around. Much as it is sad to see jobs lost I have to agree with the sentiment here that it is not a place for public money.

To rather ramble on I buy a car on specification to give me adequate performance, economy and space. OK it is a compromise but very few people need an overweight and overpowered trucklike vehicle capable of more than twice the legal speed limit. I am very pleased with my choice of vehicle (1.8 tdci Focus Estate) and don't feel the slightest twinge of envy for those paying through the nose for a performance or luxury product.

greenwheels007

I think 'No' but not sure why
It is owned by an Indian company.
I once had a Jag and it was carp
The car market is packed with alternatives
The governemnet didn't bail out Woolies
Doubt the government will bail me out if I fail to plan for the future
The government has spent to much of my future taxes already.

Ahhh that's why I vote NO!

Kez100

greenwheels007 wrote: »

I think 'No' but not sure why
It is owned by an Indian company.
I once had a Jag and it was carp
The car market is packed with alternatives
The governemnet didn't bail out Woolies
Doubt the government will bail me out if I fail to plan for the future
The government has spent to much of my future taxes already.

Ahhh that's why I vote NO!

Your final comment actually knocks the problem right on the head. We don't have money to throw around. Any money spent must be spent wisely. Propping up companies where there is still an alternative product in production somewhere in the world is not a wise spend.

We do not NEED more Jags or 4 x 4's. It flys in the face of Government cimate change policy anyway.

skap7309

Kez100 wrote: »

Some companies cannot be propped up, like Woolworths. The signs may be icons but we don't need Woolies on the High Street. If we did they wouldn't have been in such dire straits.

Exactly, the same can be said for Jaguar, can't it? Cheaper, more reliable and better looking rivals build cars in droves, hence why they are not in the trouble Jaguar are in now.

1echidna

Some discussion at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7789436.stm

wymondham

No businesses should ever be bailed out by the Government, it's called the free market - it's plain wrong and can't work. Now, where's that brick wall......