Land Rover Looking to Set Up Assembly in China

LONDON — Tata Motors says its prestigious U.K. property Land Rover is looking for a partner in China to start up assembly of Land Rovers from kits in the next two years. A next step will be to build Jaguar cars in China, which would mark the first time the luxury cars would be built outside the United Kingdom.

The Financial Times notes that this will be the first "significant production venture" outside the U.K. for Land Rover, which was acquired by Indian automaker Tata in 2007. The move is being watched with interest by the British media since Tata has said it will close one of Jaguar Land Rover's U.K. plants in the next few years.

Tata chief Carl-Peter Forster, speaking at a press conference, said the China move will spur more sales of Land Rover products and therefore shouldn't hurt Land Rover jobs in the U.K.

The venture is expected to take up to two years to get set up once Jaguar Land Rover has inked a partnership deal in China.

Inside Line says: Growth opportunity, or slippery slope, for the ultra-British marques? — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent