Sure, prenuptial agreements and other legal papers need to be drawn up and signed. But JLR’s owner, Tata of India, can deal with all that, while at the same time deciding whether it wishes to sell part, all or none of its stake in JLR to Chery. Maybe it’s time for the Indians to do what the Americans (Ford) and Germans (BMW Group) did with the Jag and Land Rover marques – step aside and let others (in this case, the Chinese) take the reins.

If that’s the case, no outfit on earth is better placed than Chery Group, which is expanding at an epic pace as its Jaecoo, Omoda, Chery and Lepas brands take off, with at least two more marques – Freelander and iCaur – also poised to be unleashed here. Not that Chery Group’s new marques and sub-brands, with or without JLR connotations, will end there. For example, the ‘baby Landy’ that’s been talked about and sketched for decades could be built highly cost-effectively by exploiting Chery’s astonishing economies of scale, never mind its impressive but comparatively inexpensive CSH (Chery Super Hybrid) engine. Give the entry-level Land Rover a premium feel inside, plonk a little ‘Land Raver’ badge on the outside, price it at £30k-£40k… Job done!   

As for the best man/men at a Chery-JLR wedding? Who better than Ian Callum, Gerry McGovern or both? While we’re at it, how about a return – on a part-time consultancy basis – for these two recently departed, still deeply needed design gods to assist in a new Chery-JLR era? They have Jag and Land Rover blood running through their veins and still have much to offer the Midlands motor industry they helped shape.

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