Tata's Nano is headed to United States by 2011

The Nano, the tiny, very inexpensive car from Indian automaker Tata Motors, apparently is heading to the United States in the next couple of years. A Tata spokesman confirmed to Automotive News remarks from Tata Chairman Ratan Tata that he expects the car to go on sale in the United States by 2011.


The car, which has a starting price of $2,500 in India, would have to meet U.S. safety and emission standards and would need a distributor to sell it. The New York Times speculated that the Fiat-Chrysler partnership could produce a distribution network. Fiat and Tata already have joint ventures, and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne would like to sell a low-cost brand that would be even cheaper than from Fiat.