Friday 29th October 2004

Mansell's company bids to buy Jaguar

Could the British team be saved by F1 hero?

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Rumour has it that marketing company Brand Synergy, of which British ex-F1 driver Nigel Mansell is a board member, is making a secret bid to buy the Jaguar Racing F1 team.

Sources apparently say that a consortium associated with Brand Synergy, which was recently involved in a bid to save the British GP at Silverstone, has lodged interest at the bank which is managing the sale of both Jaguar's F1 racing organisation and Cosworth.

Rumours suggest that Brand Synergy's bid is for both companies, to which the buyer must commit funding for several years, as well as stumping up the up-front price.

Meanwhile, as you'd expect, Jaguar is keeping schtumm, and refusing to comment. It's "inappropriate", says a team spokesman.

There's more information here: www.autocarmagazine.co.uk/sport_news_article.asp?id=40571&s=5

[Sgt^Roc]

Go Nigel

[alanc5]

Didnt recognise him without the tache there.

Nige will get it all sorted though I'm sure.

[groomi]

Really hope this comes off and that they run it as a relatively well funded private team rather than getting into bed with a manufacturer.

More private teams please!

[mybrainhurts]

What's he going to call it....Team Whinge?

[loose cannon]

you've got my vote mr mansell

[dinkel]

Part-time advisor and Lauda follow-up. All the best Nigel.

[andy_b]

hope they make the MD chair big enough!

[stumartin]

alanc5 said:

Didnt recognise him without the tache there. Nige will get it all sorted though I'm sure.

Jaguar, or his tache?

[v8thunder]

So will it keep the Jaguar name but be a separate car (like the TWR Jaguars in the '80s), or will it be a Synergy? Or a Synergy-Jaguar?

[D-Angle]

v8thunder said:

So will it keep the Jaguar name but be a separate car (like the TWR Jaguars in the '80s), or will it be a Synergy? Or a Synergy-Jaguar?

I hope they don't use their name on it, 'Brand Synergy' is one of the most management-wky names for a company I've ever heard.

[mutt k]

Saw something at the weekend that suggested that idf they are successful, they would want DC as No 1 driver.

Now just imagine that; DC reporting to Nige!

[Andrew Noakes]

v8thunder said:

So will it keep the Jaguar name but be a separate car (like the TWR Jaguars in the '80s), or will it be a Synergy? Or a Synergy-Jaguar?

I'd be amazed if it retained any public links to Jaguar - unless Ford wakes up and realises the immense PR damage it has inflicted on itself by pulling out of F1, and decides to run an arm's length team.

More likely the new owners will find a big sponsor and name it after them.

[V6GTO]

Something like...Tesco/Mansell/Ford...

Martin.

[jamesc]

Does this "Brand Synergy" company have a website? What do they do? Rob Gravitt was a great driver who was struggling for funds. He was also involved in a bid for the Brands Hatch circuits. Was this also Brand Synergy?

[mutt k]

V6GTO said:

Something like...Tesco/Mansell/Ford... Martin.

Would the car make a whining or droning sound?