Saw a CNN story this morning about a Chinese company that is planning on bringing back the MG. I guess they are going to build them in Oklahoma City as well as in the UK. They showed a picture of the new design which looked very nice. I guess they are going for the BMW - Mini success model.

Here is a link to the story: http://money.cnn.com/2006/07/12/news...reut/index.htm

 

A Chinese sourced, Okla assembled MG?

No thanks!

 

Yep the Chinese are coming. All the other auto makers better pay attention. I couldn't believe it when MG was sold to a Chinese company. To me that marked the end of the British auto industry.

 

There's an article as well as pics of two prototypes on the front business page of the New York Times (paid site) today. The bankrupt MG Rover Group was bought by Nanjing Automobile Group.

They don't suggest anything at all as being MGs other than the "MG TF" plates. The look very much like Nisson Z cars. I'd love the concept if they were doing what MINI did. That's design the car as they think the original would have evolved if still in production.

Also, I agree with Crashton that we should look out for the Chinese. I'm old enough to remember people laughing at those silly Japanese cars and wondering who would buy them.

 

The model CNN showed on TV looked like a new (retro) version of the old MG. Two-seater, small convertable. Maybe they have other models in mind too.

Here is how dumb American companies are getting; The OKC plant was owned by GM to make Trailblazers. It got hit by a tornado and was flattened. GM rebuilds it to state-of-the-art for building cars and then it was the first plant to be closed when GM decided it needed to make money. Of course the Chinese company buys it.

We don't need to watchout for the Chinese - we need to be watching our own stupid corporate leaders. They would step over a dollar to pick up a dime if it looked good for next quarter's results.

 

Yes & they only come in orange with the stars "n" bars on the roof, just deal with it..

 

The photo I saw had the coup in front and it really did look almost exactly like that Nissan Z whatever my neighbor owns right down to the silver color. Behind it was the rear and only of the coupe, so that might be better. I'm guessing it would still have the very non-MG pontiac looking grill though.

As for the second paragraph above, well put.

Yumhaggis, as noted the two shown were the same ubiquitous silver most cars seem to be colored when presented to the public. What if they only sell it in silver?

 

Then someone must be wrong. Vee know that silver automobiles can only come from Zee FATHERLAND....

 

Evidently. I finally had a chance to read the whole article in the NYTimes I'd mentioned. Sorry again I can't post a link, but it would cost me $5 as a non 0nline subscriber, then likely they'd need $5 for anyone else to read it. Here's some interesting parts.

"A newly designed MG TF coupe" will be built in Oklahoma "starting in 2008. It said the coupe would compete with cars like the Mazda Miata."

"It also will assemble a convertible TF Roadster version at MG's old now-shuttered factory in Longbridge, England., and there sedans ( ) in China."

"The company says its lineup will be true to MG heritage, to the delight of enthusiasts such as Roger Parker, a technical consultant with the MG Owner's Club" ( a British Club with about 40,000 members).

"Mr. Anwyl ( president of Edmunds.com) expects to see the new MG models sporting the brand's distinct vertical grill and octagonal logo but without the flaws of the earlier models. "Hopefully some of the electrical problems you wouldn't bring back," he said. "If you really want to go for nostalgia, you put on a leaky roof."

Funny, the coupe in the photo has a distinctly horizontal grill and I find no resemblance to the MGB saw parked and eye-balled on the way home. But my guess is the pic isn't going to be at all like the roadster they plan to build at the old Longbridge factory.

 

Did they look like any of these?



or more like the one on the left in this shot?

 

That is so true!


regards,
Red

 

None of the above with possible exception of the (silver ) roadster. My photo only showed the rear, but the grill seems similar to the coupe's in the pic.

I wish them well with the roadsters to be built at the old plant in England, if the go the route of the BMW MINI design. Also, those made out-of-China would be assured not to have been made by involuntary prisoner/slave labor.

At least the 4 door station wagon sor of almost looks like it is BRG...but I bet they'll have one in silver too.

 

Saw this today:

http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/3334171.html

 

That's the photo I saw. What am I missing. What is particularly MG about them? I could slap an MG logo on a Honda S2000 and, imho, it would look more like one. I admit I may be missing something so...

 

whats next the the triumphant return of triumph?

 

Unless your head pops up a foot over the windshield and has a crappy exhaust, is it really an MG? And if the Rabbit is coming back, how soon til the Karmen Ghia comes back? If Gm and Renault join together will the Le Car be hitting the states again?

 

MG has been gone from the U.S. since 1980, but production of various MG models has continued in the UK up until the recent financial fiasco that handed MG to the Chinese.

 

I'd like to see Karmen Ghias come back but please, I'm begging you not the "La Car". I shamefully admit owning having owned a used one. The car tried to kill me numerous times. It was possessed.

My understanding is that, especially MGs built in the US and Britain will be owned by Nanjing, a Chinese firm, but the product of international design (e.g. Italians) and built, by non-Chinese workers. You know, like MINIs being an alliance primarily of Brits and German BMW workers brought over.

Of course, there is the on-going dispute whether MINIs are British or German cars. So, I wonder if MGs made in Britain by a Chinese company will be considered British or Chinese cars.

 

Perhaps CHUK cars?

 

So are MINIs defined as GRUKs?

 

Me, too! I would seriously consider getting a new KG if it were reintroduced!

I saw the story about the Chinese MG on CNN yesterday. It looked better than the pix posted above, but still rather odd.

 

I look forward to the return of the MG...and probably feel the same about Chinese involvement as the Brits (and many of us) felt about German involvement in the Mini. How could this be??!!??

That said, I hope it's wildly successfull....which means (I hope) that it will also be done right.

 

There is pretty good book called "China Inc"..... ..... China is looking to have their own brands..... they are mfg power house but no marketing skills .... they have made a national decision to change all that..... their first step is to buy up old brand names with value..i.e. MG. Look for more Oriental sounding names in the future as they "learn" the ropes.... it does not look good for the "home team"..... We still out innovate but with the sheer numbers of engineers that they are spitting out of their universities every year that is only a matter of time.....China is the 7th largest economy but the velocity of growth is scarry..... we need more engineers and innovation or we are going to be something we ar not used to and that is "among peers" rather than the only "Super Power." I just realized this is a bit political so I will edit if necessary

 

So what other cars will start to make a come back into the US market?

Fiat?


Will the Alfa Romeo Spider come back to the US?


There's a Scirocco for 2008:


What will US automakers do to counter? The Mustang has gone retro, Dodge brought back the Charger. What's next the Dodge Dart? The Pacer? The Pinto! Maybe the Gremlin will make it.

 

just holding my breath for the Opel - ***** brown ... oh the memories.