SAIC to produce four models at Longbridge

Shanghai, May 7 (Gasgoo.com) Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has given a briefing of its future plans on the Longbridge factory in the UK, a senior company official said to local Chinese newspaper.

The unnamed official said SAIC will produce four models at Longbridge in the next five years, including MG Rover displayed at Beijing Auto Show, a large sized sedan, and two other models sharing the same platform as Roewe 550.

Following the merger with NAC at the end of last year, SAIC is now keen to develop European exports. SAIC president Chen Hong, speaking at the Beijing auto show last month, said that production of the TF would resume in July and would be ready for delivery the following month.

The Birmingham Post cites ex Rover executive Malcolm Harbour as saying that if the MG TF launch goes well, SAIC will make Longbridge their major European centre for research, development and production.

He said that the Spa-based engineers were already working on some of the new designs, though production details on the other three models were not available yet.