Longbridge IS Back In Production!!

southside · Post by **southside** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:41 pm

47 test TF's have been built at longbridge over the weekend. Apparently have got revamped version of the ZT, TF, and ZR comming later this year. They're producing the old shape TF and ZT until then just to get things up and running

Post by **agw_01** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:59 pm

*crosses fingers*

Here's hoping!

Squaddiemodo · Post by **Squaddiemodo** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:28 pm

Fantastic news

dodge · Post by **dodge** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:30 pm

any jobs??? lol

RobBBoi · Post by **RobBBoi** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:30 pm

brilliant news!!

gaz200 · Post by **gaz200** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:07 pm

Heard this on the radio earlier, was going to make a thread but been beaten to it, lol. Good to hear.

heheshamon · Post by **heheshamon** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:12 pm

BRILLANT!!! there's hope for us all yet

BlueRover · Post by **BlueRover** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:21 pm

Right, you need to do a few good quality scans so we can all read it.

In your face, Phoenix 4, may you burn in hell. Had they spent the development money used for the SV on getting the new models into production there may not have been the feck up like there was.

Anyway, good news at last.

Hughes_16 · Post by **Hughes_16** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:02 pm

Theres a jap chap on the first picture

but good news all the same.

Squaddiemodo · Post by **Squaddiemodo** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:06 pm

i wonder how much they will be knocking out ZTs for????????

sharky · Post by **sharky** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:37 pm

can you show pages 27-38 please?

southside · Post by **southside** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:42 pm

My scanne risnt set up so i'll have to type it out for yuo all. The artcle reads the folowing..

The first new MG car to be produced under chinese ownership at a re-born longbridge was unveiled today.

The exiting new MG TF spoertscar is the first to roll off the production line and comes with an urgent plea from the Nanjing Automotive corporation.

It called for backing from British motorists and urged them to "take the vehicles to their hearts"

Nanjing operations director James Lin said: "If they love the MG brand and history, it istheir countries car industry and history aswell. We want the british people to support us."

Nanjing, which also snapped up the assets of MG Rover fopr Â£53 million, has plans for an initial run of 3000 vhicles this year, rising to 12,000 in 2008, and the longbridge workforce will rise from 110 to 250.

The new MG TF was revealed nearly two years after the gates of the historic MG Rover factory slammed shut in the greatest industrial disaster to hit Birmingham.

The car was the first of two test cars to come off the new assembly line, the first tangible proof of the company keeping its word to resume production at the century old site.

Pictures of the newly built model provide a symbolic shot in the arm foe the city following the grim demise of its flagship motor comapny on April 7, 2005, with the loss off 6,100 jobs.

The chinese have been working flat out to revamp a small part of longbridge site in preperation for resuming full output on the second aniversary of the colapse.

James Lin, operations director of NAC, said : "everything is totally under control, all of our plans are oing according to scedule. When we first came here people did not believe we could do it . Some suppliers were a bit sceptical, but over time they have come around.

"It is getting much easier and, having produced these cars, it shows just what we can do."

Currently 110 employees are working on getting the 42 test vehicles being completed over the next few weeks, but the number of workers is set to rise to 250.

Each vehicle is being put through arduous tests to uncover potential teething problems, but already Nanjing has passed nearly all of the Vehicle Certification Tests it needs to launch the car.

A remodelled version of the TF will go on sale in the UK from July, while the old style will be launched in China.

The restyled version, with restyled front end, also goes on sale in the far east later this year, and hardtop versions will follow in 2008.

Production will begin earlier in a sister chinese factory to coincide with NAC's 60th aniversary. There , the TF will be built along with the MG 7 - nanjings version of the Rover 75 which will be built in norma and long wheel base versions.

Body prssings maker Stadco has moved part of its welding shop into longbridge while deals have been signed with 120 UK-based suppliers to provide components.

Mr Lin said work was underway to develop a dealer network in to UK to sell the cars, with discussions with more than 50 operatorsacross the country.

southside · Post by **southside** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:43 pm

sharky wrote:can you show pages 27-38 please?

Lmao. Theres some good'ns

618ireland · Post by **618ireland** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:47 pm

Many thanks for typing that out.

Ant 05 · Post by **Ant 05** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:55 pm

Glad shes back in action !!!

sharky · Post by **sharky** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:04 am

i'd like to know what engines will be used in the future.

will powertrain or whoever it was keep making the k series? (yeah i know its 20 years old but its not a bad engine really)

or will they end up with some chinese rubber band under the bonnet?

southside · Post by **southside** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:11 am

sharky wrote:i'd like to know what engines will be used in the future.

will powertrain or whoever it was keep making the k series? (yeah i know its 20 years old but its not a bad engine really)

or will they end up with some chinese rubber band under the bonnet?

They will still use and updated version of the k-series but it will now be known as the N series i think? And they will still be using the KV6

Theres also talks already of lotus tuned vehicles comming out of MG as special edition models, like Mecedes have "AMG" and BMW have the "M" series e.t.c

Squaddiemodo · Post by **Squaddiemodo** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 12:50 am

Who will they be selling them through, or will they be having independant dealerships?

richard moss · Post by **richard moss** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 1:45 am

Hughes_16 wrote:Theres a jap chap on the first picture

but good news all the same.

Do you not think that he may, in fact, be Chinese?

richard moss · Post by **richard moss** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:03 am

Squaddiemodo wrote:Who will they be selling them through, or will they be having independant dealerships?

I would expect a number of the former MGR dealers to sell them. I bet Brindley KIA in Wolves will - they're still selling "new" Rovers and MGs

Leo · Post by **Leo** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 2:30 pm

This is good news

I don't see is as being good or bad for "us" (as owners of older Rovers) but it's clearly good for the country (in theory) and potentially good news for ex-Longbridge workers who were so sadly laid off when the plant shut down.

HOWEVER - I'm saddened to say that it's HIGHLY likely that despite Nanjing's "Please take us to your hearts" etc is futile. Most Brits don't care. Simple as that. I'd put good money on the press and other media NOT making such a huge deal over this as they did when the plant shut down. It was all doom and gloom when it closed but now it's opened, it'll probably get a small item in the news and that'll be it. Although I'll happily eat my words if this doesn't turn out to be the case.

richard moss · Post by **richard moss** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:23 pm

southside wrote:A remodelled version of the TF will go on sale in the UK from July, while the old style will be launched in China.

That's the line that interests me - a remodelled TF for the UK.

Kmartin · Post by **Kmartin** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:46 pm

looks good, i think ill get one

southside · Post by **southside** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 6:47 pm

Squaddiemodo wrote:Who will they be selling them through, or will they be having independant dealerships?

they're targeting all the ex mg-rover dealerships first. The thing thats making me wonder about our old MG-Rover dealer though is its been shut down now for nearly a year i think. its never been mentioned in local press whats going to happen to it and it hasnt gone up for sale or anything as of yet. Just sitting there empty with security fence around it. Just wondering weather its a potential new MG dealership?

mach1rob · Post by **mach1rob** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:04 pm

Leo wrote: HOWEVER - I'm saddened to say that it's HIGHLY likely that despite Nanjing's "Please take us to your hearts" etc is futile. Most Brits don't care. Simple as that. I'd put good money on the press and other media NOT making such a huge deal over this as they did when the plant shut down. It was all doom and gloom when it closed but now it's opened, it'll probably get a small item in the news and that'll be it. Although I'll happily eat my words if this doesn't turn out to be the case.

Sadly Leo, I think you're right, bar the handful of genuine enthusiasts for the marque, I think the press and dare I say it Top Gear and Clarkson etc nailed the coffin firmly shut years ago, it's why Rover have been in the mire for years

I think they're going to have to pull something radical out the bag, get the press raving about it, then, and only then, they may stand to make a success of it, at the moment, I can see them being hard pushed to get anywhere, as the Great British public will just see it as a re-hashed old Rover/MG.

But saying that I really do hope that this time, someone will make a success of things, and although I doubt we'll ever see the Rover name back on a car, unless cash strapped Ford do sell it, it would be nice to see some older names resurrected

southside · Post by **southside** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:26 pm

I agree Rob. If BMW and Phoenix couldnt pull it off i cant imagine anyone else resucing it. Apparently MG-R nearly sent BMW under due the the huge losses.

mach1rob · Post by **mach1rob** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:51 pm

It's not just MG-R/BMW, look at the state of Ford at the moment! I bet the state of Rover didn't help, but then irrespective if they bought Rover or not, I think they'd still of had a lean few years, as all makers have recently.

I hope they pull it off TBH! If they can show they're built properly, they're reliable and good quality, and most importantly it's priced extremely well in the market, not cheap, but undercutting the MX-5 etc by a fair chunk then they may just pull it off, screw it up tho, they're sunk

And don't say it can't happen! Just look at Skoda these days!

Gonzo · Post by **Gonzo** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:04 pm

I think its ace that Longbridge will be up and running again specially after seeing those pics on that other site of it all Mary Celeste like

i was gutted to see it that way as i never made it up there when i could of back when times where good.

But unless they get a totally new model out that represents the name and everything that goes with it i think they are going to struggle if they are just rehashing the same cars again.

K series 4 pot cant be far off 30years old now can it? (from original design obviously not introduction) Even though it was Lightyears ahead of the others its been in the press for bad things about as much as Michael Jackson.
Dont get me wrong i love the K series for all its good points and flaws (after all its kept me in beer and shoes since school

) but unless this one is velcro'd in and a spare one is under the sparewheel or its made of kryptonite i think the press are going to bash it senseless. New bosses same old cars blah blah blah

Although a ZT-V8 trimmed with Phoenix 4(5) flayed skin special edition would be very apealing if Heritage didnt snap it up first lol

But i do look forward to getting my real job back if all goes well and not playing with these Land Rover/Ford/Volvo/Jag/Bmw school run monsters.

al

Nev · Post by **Nev** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:43 pm

This is good news!

It's a shame as said up the page that the national news / papers havn't said anything about it, i mean, this is the very first i've heard anything about it.

It's a shame they always focus on the negative and doom as oppossed to high-lighting the positive things that are happening.

Well, fingers crossed anyway, hope to see some NEW MG's come summer driving about when i'm out in my 1973 'B' roadster - hope they wave back at me!

(I'm such a loser)

Neil.

victor3 · Post by **victor3** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:38 pm

I wish them luck.