While searching for stories about BMW's sale of the Rover brand, an interesting story from the BBC showed up in the query. It is possible BMW may have sold the Rover brand for £1. Evidently deals for such nominal prices are not unusual in Britain, according to the BBC story. The BBC lists three other deals and, according to most journalism school courses, three is a trend. Of course, some of the deals the BBC sites date back to the early 1980s. At any rate, it makes for an interesting read because it also explains the legal reasons for such deals. It also prompted the thought of any U.S. acquisitions involving a nominal transaction price of a dollar. One that immediately comes to mind is Mattel's sale of The Learning Co. to buyout firm Gores Technology Group. If you can think of other examples, post them below. —Matthew Wurtzel
See story from BBC.com
See related story about The Learning Co. from The Deal
Continue reading below
As first right holders Ford reportedly have 90 days to decide whether to take the option on the Rover brand name. If Ford opt to let the Rover name pass, the buyer will have to steer clear of the 4×4 segment.