Tata Motors' Jaguar Land Rover said it had acquired Bowler, a UK-based manufacturer of all-terrain performance cars, parts and rally raid vehicles.
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. The expertise it has amassed for all-terrain vehicle dynamics, low-volume production techniques, and proving the durability of components under extreme conditions, is highly sought after, JLR claimed.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Special Vehicle Operations is a fast-growing business that customises Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles to create distinctive products – including SV, Vehicle Personalisation and Classic. Adding Bowler as a fourth business unit is a natural fit, the automaker said.
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 by Bowler rally series in 2014-2016.
Company founder Drew Bowler died suddenly in 2016 but family members remain involved with the Derbyshire based business.
Michael van der Sande, managing director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations, said: "For almost 35 years the Bowler name has stood for innovation and success, with a reputation forged by its participation in the world's toughest off-road motorsport competitions. It's exciting that we're now in a position to participate in and lead the Bowler brand's future as part of Jaguar Land Rover."
Bowler will continue to operate from Belper for the foreseeable future.
