There was plenty of news about Nanjing Automobile Corp. and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.’s respective MG Rover revivals of late, including the start-up of parts’ manufacture and a promise that the brand would be relaunched at the British Motor Show. But I did not see this one coming: the revival of MG in the United States, at a new plant in Oklahoma, as part of NAC’s efforts.
   Automotive News had been tracking the developments, collated at Keith Adams’s comprehensive The Unofficial Austin–Rover Resource.
   MG Motors North America had its opening ceremony today and is part of a multi-billion-dollar funding effort, thanks to Oklahoma Sovereign Development, LLC (Googling this name results in a blank today); Davis Capital, LLC; the State of Oklahoma; the City of Oklahoma City; and the City of Ardmore.
   Duke Hale, formerly of Isuzu and Lotus, will be president and CEO. The old TF roadster will return to production at Longbridge, according to NAC, and the TF coupé, previewed prior to MG Rover’s demise last year, will go into assembly in Oklahoma, with 500 new jobs created there. The old MG sedans—I assume the old ZT, probably renamed the MG 7—will be built in Red China. And before anyone says that they are on platforms well past their sell-by dates, let me remind you that the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger and Magnum are on one that is older still. The MG’s one is no older than what the current Opel Astra H sits on.
   If successful, it proves that having relatively loose visions (and tight finances) that enable left-field developments to take place works even in larger corporations. Let’s hope that the financiers put their money where their mouths are. At best, I am cautiously optimistic.

Del.icio.us tags: MG Rover MG revival brand relaunch NAC Nanjing Oklahoma cars automobiles SAIC Posted by Jack Yan, 09:35  permalink

comments

Post a Comment  Links to this post