Longbridge car factory to reopen

[Firestar_3x]

Longbridge car factory to reopen

Longbridge produced 110,000 cars a year before Rover's collapse
Car manufacturing is to resume at Longbridge, the former home of MG Rover, with its new Chinese owner set to start making MG models.
Nanjing Automobile said MG production would restart within months and that it would employ many former Rover workers.

The West Midlands plant has been inactive for almost two years after Rover's collapse in 2005.

Nanjing said its mission was to "revive, maintain and develop" the MG brand at the plant.

Economic lifeline

Nearly 6,000 Rover workers lost their jobs when the company went into administration nearly two years.

Nanjing, which bought the factory site and other Rover assets in 2005, has pledged to spend an initial £10m on reviving Longbridge.

It has not given any firm details of how many staff it will take on or when production will start, although it said this would be in the spring.

But the news will be a major boost to the regional economy which has seen a host of car firms scale down operations in recent years.

"The company's mission to revive, maintain and develop MG will start with the manufacture of the MG TF2-seater sports car for retail in both the UK and China," the firm said in a statement.

"All right-hand drive MG TF roadster customer orders will be subject to final assembly in the revived Longbridge plant."

Nanjing has previously said that Longbridge would eventually have the capacity to make 15,000 cars a year.

Not exactly new news, but looks like the plans are only final assembly of RHD orders in the UK...

 

[Third Opinion]

They are going to build a car which is now quite an old design in a factory with a history of building out of date, unwanted cars.

Maybe they will sell better in China

 

[tonyyeb]

Maybe they will sell better in China

According to the news, people in China stop and gorp at the TF as if a Ferrari Enzo just pulled in

I like this new though. I liked the TF. It would have been my choice for a two seater roadster. I used to own a Midget and the MG badge holds some sentiment with me... call me and old softy if you wish!