Ford sale of luxury brands on fast track

Negotiations on the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover have switched into high gear as Ford Motor Co. works to finalize a sale of the two British luxury brands by the end of September.

While prospective buyers were initially given scant details about the two enterprises, sources close to the talks told The Detroit News that bidders who made it through the first round are now being provided with detailed information about the brands' finances and operations.

Moreover, Ford is working to make senior executives at Jaguar and Land Rover available to potential buyers — something the automaker had refused to do before.

Bidders are finding out that Jaguar's deep losses more or less cancel Land Rover's substantial profits. But the financial picture for both brands is looking better.

Ford has confirmed that it is talking with "interested parties," but the Dearborn-based company has not identified who those parties are. More at Detroit News