Tata Motors' JLR acquires all-terrain performance car manufacturer Bowles

Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) on Wednesday said it has 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 entity would now be a part of JLR's Special Vehicle Operations business.

"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 JLR," JLR Special Vehicle Operations Managing Director Michael van der Sande said in a statement.

The Bowler business, which is now fully-owned by JLR, would continue to operate from its premises in Belper for the foreseeable future.

"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," van der Sande said.

The company's focus is on ensuring continuity of support for Bowler employees and customers during this transition to JLR, he added.

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.