Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Jaguar Land Rover acquires Bowler

INDIAN conglomerate owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has acquired Bowler, the UK-based manufacturer of all-terrain performance cars, parts and rally raid vehicles.

The Bowler business is now fully-owned by Tata Motors.


Bowler will continue to operate from its premises in Belper for the foreseeable future.

Since its inception, Bowler has had a close affiliation with Land Rover, which was formalised with a brand partnership in 2012 that led to the creation of the popular Defender Challenge rally series by Bowler in 2014-2016.

Founded in 1985, Bowler pioneered the production of dedicated off-road competition cars in the UK and has achieved success in international rally raid events.

Britain’s largest carmaker said in a statement on Wednesday (18): “Special vehicle operations is a fast-growing business that amplifies the key attributes of Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles to create distinctive world-class products, including SV, vehicle personalisation and classic. Adding Bowler as a fourth business unit is a natural fit.”

Michael Van Der Sande, managing director, JLR Special Vehicle Operations, said: “At special vehicle operations, we are all eager to start working with our new colleagues at Bowler. Adding the Bowler team’s skills and experience to those of SV, vehicle personalisation and classic is a key step in our strategy to create an exciting and diverse portfolio of products and businesses within special vehicle operations.

“Our immediate focus is on ensuring continuity of support for Bowler employees and customers during this transition to Jaguar Land Rover.”

Company founder Drew Bowler died suddenly in 2016. His legacy and spirit lives on in the team based at Bowler’s premises in Derbyshire, including members of Drew’s family, JLR said.

More For You

Swiss banks

Funds held in customer accounts by Indian clients rose by 11 per cent in the year to 346 million Swiss francs (£3.14m) and accounted for about one-tenth of overall funds.

iStock

Indian funds in Swiss banks triple to £3.1bn in 2024

INDIAN money in Swiss banks more than trebled in 2024 to 3.5 billion Swiss francs (£3.1bn), attributed to a rise in funds held through local branches and other financial institutions, annual data released by Switzerland's central bank showed on Thursday (19).

However, funds held in customer accounts by Indian clients rose by 11 per cent in the year to 346 million Swiss francs (£3.14m) and accounted for about one-tenth of overall funds, the report showed.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bank of England

In a statement, the central bank pointed to a recent rise in energy prices, citing the 'escalation of the conflict in the Middle East' as a factor.

Getty Images

Bank of England holds interest rate at 4.25 per cent

THE BANK OF ENGLAND (BoE) kept its key interest rate at 4.25 per cent on Thursday, citing persistent inflation and rising risks from US tariffs and the conflict between Israel and Iran.

The decision, which was widely expected, came a day after the US Federal Reserve also left its interest rates unchanged, pointing to continued inflation and slowing growth in the United States.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan army-backed firm joins race for national airline
FILE PHOTO: Passengers board a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight at the airport in Kabul on September 13, 2021. (Photo by AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan army-backed firm joins race for national airline

TWO of Pakistan's leading business groups and a company backed by the powerful military will bid for the country's ailing national carrier, a divestment the government hopes will kickstart the privatisations of state-owned enterprises.

The sale of Pakistan International Airlines will be the first major privatisation for around two decades, with the sale of loss-making state-owned enterprises a condition of last year's $7 billion (£5.5bn) bailout by the International Monetary Fund.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi accuses India of kidnapping
Choksi, accused in a bank fraud case in India, has been arrested in Belgium and plans to appeal for release, citing medical grounds. (Photo: Getty Images)

Fugitive jeweller Mehul Choksi accuses India of kidnapping

FUGITIVE jeweller Mehul Choksi accused India of orchestrating his kidnapping to extradite him on fraud allegations, with his lawyers telling London's High Court on Monday (16) that only India had the motivation and resources to do so.

Choksi – who was arrested in Belgium in April – is wanted in India over his alleged involvement in one of India's biggest bank frauds at Punjab National Bank, which in 2018 announced it had discovered alleged fraud worth $1.8 billion (£1.29bn).

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Inflation

The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) stood at 2.6 per cent in March, down from 2.8 per cent in February, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. (Representational image: iStock)

: iStock

Inflation eases to 3.4 per cent in May, stays above forecast

UK INFLATION eased slightly in May but remained above expectations, according to official figures released on Wednesday, adding to speculation that the Bank of England will keep interest rates unchanged this week.

The Consumer Prices Index fell to 3.4 per cent in May from 3.5 per cent in April, which had marked a 15-month high, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Keep ReadingShow less