US auto giant Ford is likely to retain a stake and continue supplying engines and some of the components for Jaguar and Land Rover, even after the sale of the two British luxury brands, media reports said here.Ford has named India's Tata Motors as its preferred suitor in case of a sale and the two companies have entered into "detailed discussions.""It is possible, Ford, which is likely to continue to supply engines and components for the cars, may retain a stake in the businesses - similar to the deal it struck with the Gulf-based consortium which bought Aston Martin - although there is no certainty this will happen," Daily Telegraph reported today, quoting sources close to the development.The report said that talks could run into February as Tata needs to negotiate a settlement with pension trustees and would seek to convince the unions about the safety of 15,000 British jobs accounted for by Jaguar and Land Rover at plants in Solihull, Castle Bromwich and Halewood.Tatas would need to convince the workers that these jobs "are not at risk of being moved to India," it noted.The daily said that Tata's trucks dominate highways in India and the company was making passenger cars since 1991, but acquiring the two marquees would mark its foray into an unchartered luxury territory.Another report in the Guardian quoted industry sources as saying that being named preferred suitor might not mean Tata has a clear field as yet.Besides Tatas, automaker Mahindra & Mahindra and a US-based private equity firm OneEquity, headed by a former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser, have also been pursuing Jaguar and Land Rover.Also Read: Tatas in final talks for Jaguar, Land Rover
