Tata’s $2,500 Nano car (pictured left) may not have been unveiled at the Detroit auto show, but that didn’t stop it from being the talk of the show.
Auto executives said the car could have far-reaching impact. Ford’s head of Asia Pacific, John Parker, certainly thinks so.
“It is a groundbreaking product,” Parker told reporters. The car will “cause people to think differently about the car. I have a lot of respect for Tata.”
Calyon Securities analyst Mark Warnsman in a research note released during the show pointed out that the Nano took its bow this month in India almost 100 years after Ford revolutionized the global auto industry with the Model T car.
“Will the Nano revolutionize the global auto industry in the way that the Model T originally did? In brief, our answer is no, but there are a number of aspects of the Nano that we do find interesting,” he said.
“The Nano may not be revolutionary in its technology, but it is state-of-the-art in the way it has tweaked existing technologies to target an as-yet untapped segment of the market,” Warnsman added. “For this, it will be worthy of study, and imitation, by automobile manufacturers everywhere.”
Nissan executive vice president Carlos Tavares was very interested in the Nano’s reception last week. The Japanese automaker, along with partner Renault and India’s Bajaj Auto Ltd, is studying whether it can profitably develop a $3,000 car to rival the Nano
“We’re very excited to see the reception that the Nano got,” Tavares told Reuters. “It’s very impressive. Hopefully they will deliver on the promise, and of course we will benchmark against the Nano.”
Other executives heard talking about the impact of the Nano, which will be offered in India later this year, included General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz and AutoNation CEO Michael Jackson.
(Photo: Reuters)
Trackback
13 comments so far
Dirty politics show for Nano car. It’s better not to unveil at the Detroit auto show. TATA is getting free land and electricity. Destroying the world’s car and bike market with the low cost of Nano car. In the future people may get world’s cheapest helicopter if government gives free land, free electricity, etc. to a helicopter manufacture.
http://www.aol.in/news/story/20080112100 89022000001/index.html
http://www.hindu.com/2007/01/22/stories/ 2007012214660100.htm
- Posted by Ajit[...] are some highlights from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Reuters says Tato’s $2500 Nano car is the talk of the show. Consumer Report’s car blog blogs about [...]
- Posted by Automotive Journal » 2008 Detroit Auto Show Highlights | Automotive-Journal.org[...] the Nano. It may not have been unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show but it instantly became the talk of that show. Tata drew a line in the sand and declared that they were prepared to pursue the very low end of [...]
- Posted by Picture Imperfect » Bringing Symbols of Prosperity to the Masses[...] are some highlights from the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Reuters says Tato’s $2500 Nano car is the talk of the show. Consumer Report’s car blog blogs about [...]
- Posted by 2008 Detroit Auto Show Highlights | zooped.orgit is very exciting inventing.the nano car for above middle class also.the nano very cheap and best car.but this is sad thing for auto drivers.they will lose naukri of auto driving.
- Posted by dollyNow a days Tata’s Nano is talk of show because it’s a very imperessive car for a medilevel family. we are very aggresive to purchase Nano car.
- Posted by Manglesh Sharmanow we are just about to complete our dreams after drive Nano.
It is a groundbreaking car and so cheaper that i ever seen,it’s looks so impressive.Anyone from the middle class can afford it easily.But i am very disappointed that the nano is still not come in the market.
- Posted by Andrew barrowtata has spread a fear among all the automobile companies by launching its low budget car nano in indian market.It is quite fit for the people of medium class earning.
- Posted by hariomi am very excited about the product because it’s very cheapest.its became talktive
- Posted by prabha mohantybecause of dirty politics at the Detroit auto show. i waiting for the Nano car.
In my opnion nano is offcoursley a revolutionize product of tata. in which tata has targeted it for lower level
- Posted by pawansegment.
it’s a cheapest car, tata has consider the cost effectiveness to make it chearper in indian economy. Offcoursely
other comptetors of tata would be impacted by it. but they are conciously thinking about it.
so i want to just say that whatever impact would be by it on indian economy but it certainly fullfull the poor
people dreams. but tata has need to some changes in it, like- its speed very less, it has used soft metal to save
its cost.
TATA company is one of the best company in india.and TATA is going to launch a new car that is “Nano” .
- Posted by abhishekThe best quality of this car is cheap and best for the middle class people.
One plus point is that car is launched in serval colours.
Accepted by the majority,it can be called a fashion,
- Posted by Katrinaaccepted by the Minority,it can be called a personality.
like it or not,all on you !
It strikes me that all comments are about how cheap this car is, have you ever wondered whether its green or not.
What impact would a couple of million Nanos have on the air quality of densely populated cities in for instance India. The Nano sure is a great invention but unless they make it green it has the potential to reak major environmental havoc to already heavily polluted cities.
- Posted by Nikkei 225