27th September 2008
This time the Journey has reached the first phase, with MG cars now
coming of the tracks at Longbridge, after three and a half
years.
MG
TF LE 500 production line
Trim
Line
Trim
Line
Under
the Bonnet
Front
Sub-frame and suspension
Rear
Sub-frame and power unit
Body
and Sub-frames come together
Wheels
now fitted
Coming
off the end of the line
Final
inspection and sign off
_________________
18th
September 2008
First
MGs LE 500 off to the dealers
Yes,
the first batch of MG cars are now leaving Longbridge on their way
to the dealers.
The dealer network, which consists of over fifty privately owned
independent, mainly family run garages, has invested in being the
shop window for the MG brand and giving a personal service to every
MG owner. Also, there will be appointed service agents across the
country, so that every owner will not have to travel far to get the
car serviced.
MG UK’s Sales and Franchise Manager, Stephen Cox, said; "It’s not
simply the number and geographical spread of dealers that make this
such an important part of the launch; it’s the quality of the
businesses involved. “Top class, personal service is at the core of
the LE500 launch and we will be delivering that promise by
innovating in the way we deal with customers, as well as attracting
owner managed businesses to deliver the brand experience. They have
the time, expertise and in many cases, a track record to support
the new car. Even as the LE500 is launched, dealers are still
coming forward and MG UK Ltd is still welcoming enquiries".
MG is also aiming high with the introduction of a Personal
Technician Programme (PTP) that will ensure that each of the LE500s
is effectively delivered with its own specially trained expert.
This kind of service will ensure that each and every customer can
be assured that the person responsible for their car knows it
inside out. On the day a customer takes delivery of their new MG,
their personal technician will introduce them to it and on the
occasions when the car comes in for its regular servicing, they
will be the one person responsible for the car. MG has supported
the new dealers in actively targeting staff for this role who are
not just skilled technically but who have shown a genuine interest
in the brand. A further benefit of this search, and the programme
that all the personal technicians must undergo at Longbridge, is
that all these specialists will also receive legacy training, so
dealers will be in a position to fully support MG models that
pre-date the new LE500.
Managing Director at Williams of Harrogate, Steve Williams, said;
“This launch is a great opportunity for dealers and public alike.
Importantly MG is a comfortable fit with the brands that the
majority of the new network currently represent, filling a real gap
at the recreational and fun end of the sports car market. “I know
my dealer colleagues have been impressed with MG UK’s approach to
the car, the brand and their commitment to customer service. This
dedication to the customer sits very comfortably with the way we do
business. In this market we all know that the clients must come
first and given MG’s focus on recruiting small owner run businesses
to represent the brand, the customer is clearly their main priority
too.”
The official dealer launch is this weekend (20 - 21 Sept) when MG
dealers all over the UK open their doors as part of the public
launch of the new model. As well as the opportunity to look around
the LE500, potential customers will be able to book a test drive
and pick up a brochure and other MG branded goodies.
Production is running at about 45 cars a week, this will probably
be increased shortly to 50. When the limited run of 500 has been
completed, you will have the opportunity of ordering your own
customised car with the options available.
By the end of the year they are hoping to have produced around 700
vehicles.
_______________________
8th
September 2008
Lined
up and ready to go
Deliveries should start this week.
Click
on the arrow to see the Working Lunch (BBC 2)
correspondent at Longbridge.
28th August 2008
MG
TF LE 500
Click on the
arrow to see the car in action by the Express & Star
correspondent Wendy Lloyd
1st
August 2008
MG
Production starts up at Longbridge
The
launch of the MG TF LE 500 took place at Longbridge on the 1st
August 2008. This was a very low key affair compared with the last
time in 29th May 2007. But this time cars are coming of the
line.
With a workforce of around 180, which we all hope will grow when
another model can be brought on stream.
The bodies in primer arrive along with the engine from China. All
the rest is sourced from the UK and Europe.
The specification is as follows:
Air
Conditioning.
16"
11 spoke alloy wheels in either black or silver shadow chrome,
dependant on exterior colour.
Bright pack on White, Blue, Red and Grey
cars.
Black
Pack on Orange and Black cars including fuel
cap.
Black
hood with glass Heated Rear Screen.
Front
fog lamps.
Heritage
body-coloured Hard Top with glass Heated Rear
Screen.
ICE
Fitment: Pioneer DEH P69001B with iPod connector in glove box, all
linked into 6 speakers;
Bluetooth connection kit available via
stockists.
Leather
seat facings.
Leather
covered centre cubby boxes.
Leather
covered steering wheel._
Leather
covered Handbrake grip.
Leather
gear lever gaiter.
Black
anodised gear knob.
Passenger
airbag.
4
pot AP Racing front brake callipers.
Full
size 16" spare wheel with scissor-jack tool
kit.
Hood
cover.
Volumetric
and Perimetric alarm with battery back-up.
Windstop.
ABS
with EBD.
Numbered
sequence on-interior-badge between occupants.
Electrically
operated and heated door mirrors._
Electric
power assisted steering.
Remote
key-blip-operated double deadlocking.
Piano
black interior finish.
Rear
parking sensors.
New
instrumentation.
New
frontal styling.
Engine:
1.8 litre, 4 cylinder, 16 valve, DOHC, N Series engine developing
136ps with EU4 compliance._
Gearbox:
5 speed, close ratio PGI type.
Combined
with a 3 year / 60,000 mile warranty and 3 year European roadside
assistance.
All
for just £16,399
The
opening picture said Sold Out, because the MG is a limited edition
version it is available in the following colours. :- Black, Blue,
Red, Grey, Orange and White. But each colour was allocated a
certain number of builds. Only the following colours are still
unsold, Blue, Red, Black and Grey. So if you would like to buy, you
will need to be quick.
The number of UK dealers has risen to 55, so you should be able to
find one near you. They intend to also appoint service dealers to
carry out servicing and probable warranty work.
Stephen Cox, sales and franchising manager said the following:-“MG
is a uniquely British brand and everyone who has worked on it from
the receptionist up to the managing director has been looking
forward to this day. Obviously we are launching into a period of
what you could call economic recession but we are coping with that
and what we are not going to do is to over produce. Because we’re
dealing with relatively low volumes here we can do that. Next year
the company is aiming to produce around 2,000 of the MG sports cars
but, it’s a new beginning in many ways and we are planning to
produce different models here. We’re looking to produce a saloon
model which is still in the development stage at the moment but it
will be an entirely new model. It won’t simply be a rehash of an
old model. We’re expecting to be producing quite high volumes of
saloon cars by the middle of 2010.”
Birmingham City Council spokesperson.
Crash Testing (No Sound)
MG Nanjing Video
______________________________
Prices announced for MG TF LE 500
Launch 29th May
2007
£16,399
Gary
Hagen, the company’s Sales and Marketing Director, said: “We are
delighted to be able to bring in such a highly specified car at
such a reasonable price. When you consider the level of
specification that comes with the LE500, the package is extremely
competitive.
NAC MG UK Limited said that the car deliveries will start in
September. It has the EU IV compliant, 1.8-litre 16v 135bhp engine
but now comes with a standard, body coloured, hardtop while the
sports-styled leather seats and piano black trim give the interior
of the car a visual lift. Parking sensors, a Pioneer MP3 compatible
CD/radio unit and LE 500 badging, graphics and trim complete the
upgraded package.
I feel that they have priced it too high, and to sell a sports car
in September is not a good time of the year. Longbridge cannot
survive on just one model, SAIC will have to bring in another
model.
_________________
More equipment leaving Longbridge
22nd
May 2008
Nanjing have now
started to remove equipment from the assembly area, and ship it to
China. It looks as if this equipment is now surplus to requirements
at Longbridge, now that a decision has been made to import complete
kits from China. With a promise to start production of the MG TF in
August from kits. Perhaps they are making room and also altering
the layout of the assemble area?.
JULY-AUGUST
?
9th
May 2008
SAIC-Nanjing
Nanjing UK
chairman He Xiao Qing said that production of the TF LE500 would
start at Longbridge in July, following a process of planning,
re-organisation, active quality improvements and parts optimisation
that we recognise resulted in frustration for our stakeholders. The
re-launch of the car would be in August, this is fifteen months
after the launch last year.
Director of
Sales and Marketing Gary Hagen said "The open top sportcar is an
iconic image of British motoring and forms the basis of the MG
marque’s long pedigree. The launch of the TF LE500 signals our
determination to keep this class of car at the heart of the brand
as we take it forward. Meanwhile, designers are already planning
other exciting new models which the Chinese say will capture the
essential qualities of the MG brand, extending the range into
additional sectors. SAIC/Nanjing said in a statement: The fact is
that in 2008, desirable and competitive British made sportscars
will once again be rolling off a production line in
Longbridge".
_________________
MG -
SAIC
26th April 2008
Will
the sign above actually mean what it says.
The president of
Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) along with senior managers visited the
Longbridge factory on Thursday 24th April to reassure the workers
that production of the TF would resume in July. This would be
achieved mainly by the import of kits from China. There was no
guarantee that previous UK suppliers would get work, as the
president made it clear that components would be sourced globally
in order to get the best deal. With the re-launch in August, which
is not the best time in the year to launch a sports car, it will be
interesting to see how sales go. If sales are good they may
than decide to introduce another model into Longbridge.
It appears that the Conservative MEP for the West Midlands, Malcolm
Harbour, had a meeting with SAIC president Chen Hong at the end of
March. Mr Harbour stated that "Mr Chen assured me that, following
their acquisition of NAC, Longbridge would be part of their long
term strategy of developing their own car brands and increasing
sales outside China."
If they decide to make Longbridge the European centre for research
and development alongside production, then this would make the
Longbridge site more viable. I think, however, that as No 2 Paint
Shop on the Lickey Road would be surplus to their requirements,
SAIC will wish to relinquish this building to the developer, St
Modwen.
_________________
20th
April 2008
Was
the Slogan
But
are the clouds gathering over Longbridge.
It
is just over a week ago that Stadco, who own the body tooling, and
had set up the welding jigs for the MG TF bodies, made this
statement. Stadco are withdrawing from its contract to supply
panels-bodies for the MG TF on commercial reasons. I think that
this is a polite way of saying that, having set up the welding jigs
at Longbridge over a year ago and made less than 100 bodies, the
time has come to call it a day. Up to 30 jobs could be at risk with
this move, it has also made other suppliers, about 150 feel very
unease’s.
So are we to see just kits coming into Longbridge for assembly,
which is not going to employ many people. One interesting point is
that SAIC, UK engineers were planning to move from the Leamington
base to the Flight Shed Longbridge before Christmas, will this now
be put on hold.
A union spokesperson stated that “unless the Chinese come forward
with plans in the very near future, nobody can come to anything
other than the conclusion that Longbridge will never produce cars
again”.
In conclusion, Rachel Eade, programme manager for supplier support
agency Accelerate, said she had been told that a Chinese delegation
was to visit the plant at the end of April. "I’m led to believe
that an investment decision on the future may well be taken," she
said. "Considerable time, investment and goodwill has been
channelled into restoring some form of manufacturing to Longbridge
and we are still hopeful that this will eventually take
place.
_________________
MG
Lola EX265
14th March
It all started
in 2001 when the MG Rover Group decided to spend a great deal of
money and enter a car for the Le Mans 24 hour race. Lola were given
the brief and came up with a design called EX257. In the actual
race both cars failed to finish mainly because of ignition trouble
caused by torrential rain, causing the engines to
misfire.
Well
seven years on and history is been repeated with SACI now owning
the MG brand. Lola has been approached to fly the MG flag with an
updated version which has been re-homologated as the MG EX265. One
of the main changes is an association with Advanced Engine Research
Ltd (AER) using the two-litre turbocharged XP-21 engine.
RML AD Group’s new MG Lola EX265 completed a faultless first
shakedown test at the Silverstone circuit in February with the
Brazilian driver Thomas Erdos saying that he was thrilled by the
responsiveness of the new XP-21 engine, and looking forward to the
prospects of defending the LMP2 title in this season’s Le Mans
Series.
RML’s team manager Phil Barker stated that he was upbeat about the
team’s chances this year. Further testing will take place, and in
March the first official Le Mans test will be at the Paul Ricard
circuit in France.
The Le Mans race is on the 14th & 15th June. So SAIC feel that
they need to keep the MG brand in the public eye by sponsoring this
Lola built car.
Chinese Going Streetwise
8th
March 2008
Nanjing had
talked about bring out there own version of the Longbridge
Streetwise. Well now in China you will be able to buy one this
month. Its called the MG3 SW and comes in two engine sizes, 1.4
litre coupled to a manual gearbox. or you can buy the 1.8 litre
version but only available in CVT form. The price starts at £5683,
with the top model at £8525. It appears that MG dealers are now
taking orders and deposits of just £365, well we are talking
Chinese prices. So how will his model compete in the Chinese
market, it appears that on price and specification it should do
well.
Now that SAIC and Nanjing are in reality one company, it will be
interesting to know how the two companies will line up the various
brands. Nanjing has in fact the MG mark, with SAIC having the
rights to the 25 and 75. the 45 was based on the Honda platform, so
was not in the deal. Well SAIC have just announced that they will
be using both the MG and Roewe brand names. Just to recap, SAIC
could not use the Rover name, which belongs to Ford and may soon be
bought by Tata when they take over Land Rover and Jaguar, so SAIC
decided to bring out there own brand which they call Roewe. Its
likely that the MG badge will go on the more sporting variants
including the TF, and for the more luxury upper market models will
be called Roewe.
As
early as this month the first of the new models is excepted to
arrive, called the Roewe 750 using the 1.8t engine, It will be
available in three versions, the lowest specification priced at
just £14,200 up to £16,330 for the top model.
Roewe
750t
Both MG and
Roewe brands are planning to launch cars this year. Roewe is
planning to launch the Roewe 550 and the Roewe 750 1.8t, the t
stands for turbo. They may slot in a smaller car in the mid-range,
which would be call the 350. With the launch of the MG3 Streetwise,
and the MGTF, the next will be the MG7 Automatic, it appears that
the Chinese don't like manual gearboxes, probable because of all
the congestion on the city roads.
There is even talk of producing a Mini type car in about three
years time, now that would be interesting. Will any of these models
find there way into Europe, via Longbridge we can only wait and
see.
_________________
Factory leased by SAIC-NAC at Longbridge.
3rd
March 2008
If you are not
familiar with the size of the Longbridge plant, I have attached an
aerial view and it also shows what part of the plant is been leased
by SAIC-NAC.
Aerial view of Longbridge factory, it does not show what was the
Cofton works. The total area of the plant was about 410 acres in
red, with SAIC NAC leasing about 100 acres in
blue
Here we see a
better picture of the area leased by SAIC NAC.
The following
numbered picture are taken from the points
shown.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4 'Q' Gate
Picture 5
Production at Longbridge Stalls Again
16th Feb 2008
It
was in May last year that the Press were shown the new MG TF
roadster at Longbridge, with the slogan 'A NEW Journey', well now
nearly ten months on and still no cars in the dealers showrooms.
With the various changes happening at Longbridge and the latest
owner Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) starting to review the situation,
it has decided to put production on hold because of quality issues
with some of the components it imports from China.
SAIC is now hoping to start building the TF at one of its plants in
Nanjing, China, by May of this year but it still hasn’t fully
overcome the initial quality problems. Once production is finally
up and running at Nanjing, officials hope to kick start operations
at Longbridge just three months later, SAIC president Chen Hong
revealed to the Financial Times. “We want to begin production of
cars at Longbridge as soon as possible, but the first priority for
us is the quality of the product,” Hong explained. SAIC is wary of
China’s reputation of poor quality and doesn’t want to tarnish its
image by launching the TF without the quality customers
expect.
A SAIC delegation have been meeting Nanjing managers this week at
Longbridge and SAIC's vehicle development base at Leamington Spa,
said an official close to Nanjing. The executives will then decide
on the carmaker's future model policy for Europe and determine
which models will be assembled at Longbridge. One executive was
optimistic a decision on future models and production volumes would
result from the visit.
SAIC president Chen Hong said recently the company aimed to restore
production of original MG models at Longbridge soon and planned new
MG models for Europe. "The British business will become SAIC's
platform for overseas markets and a window for SAIC into Europe,
Now is a fairly crucial time in the process," he said. Eleanor de
la Haye, Nanjing's Longbridge spokeswoman, said three models could
be built at the plant.
With 50 dealers already selected to sell the car in the UK and with
officials planning to follow with a U.S. launch within the next one
to two years. The carmaker definitely has ambitious plans.
Officials are considering launching at least three new models,
including a replacement for the TF which it hopes could be produce
as early as 2010.
As
you can see from the above, it appears that we may have to wait a
few months for the dust to settle until the real plans for
Longbridge are announced. (Webmaster)
_______________
Will
the SAIC-Nanjing Company Deliver ?
27th Jan 2008
There
is growing concern now that Nanjing who bought the MG name and all
the production equipment, has still not delivered a single car to
the dealers.
In fact when the Official Press Launch was made at the end of May
2007 we were told that they would be with the dealers by about
September. It is now nearly February 2008, four months on, and
still no cars in the showrooms.
The Nanjing UK corporate communications manager stated recently
that she was no longer "allowed" to reveal details of Nanjing's
plans for Longbridge. She went on to say, "I am not fully briefed
about what the short-term or long-term plan is for the plant". When
pushed further about the tie up with SAIC, her reply indicated that
they were very pleased with the merger, but it was going to take
time before all the issues had been resolved.
Unions
were pressing the company to try and find out who is now
responsible for the running of the Longbridge plant. Dave Osborne
the union's car industries organiser said that having contacted the
company back in November, he had still not received a reply. "We
have grave concerns about the re-launching of the MG brand, but now
that SAIC are in the driving seat, perhaps their plans for
Longbridge are more positive than Najing have turned out to
be".
Report on the Press Day at Longbridge
29th May 2007
Will
the rising sun over 'Q' gate, be a new dawn for
Longbridge?
MG
TF Hardtop
The only obvious changes are a new front bumper and instrument
pack
This
is the scene that greeted the Press on arrival at Longbridge, then
it was on to registration in the Elephant House. A collection of MG
models throughout the years were on display.
1925
Super Sports
1928
14/40
Then
it was on to the Showroom, sorry Conference Centre which was packed
with VIP from both the UK and China along with the press and camera
crews
As some of the presentation was in Chinese it was difficult to
follow at times, although the VIP etc did have headphones for a
translation.
The main theme was that Nanjing wished to build on the long
tradition of the MG brand, and welcomed the support that it had
received from the MG Clubs and owners. Longbridge would be the
International Headquarters with Sales & Marketing along with
Product Development.
Exchanging
signed banners between MG car clubs & Nanjing
Time now to move to the Assemble Line
Outside
were lined up a number of MGs
Article
and pictures by John Baker
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