SAIC to start British MG TF production in August

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), the Chinese owners of the storied British marque MG, said on Thursday, May 8, that production of the TF LE500 sports car would begin in August, with the cars arriving in showrooms starting in September.

The TF, which is expected to be an updated version of the car that went out of production in 2005, would be built at MG's historic Longbridge plant in Birmingham, England.

Nanjing Automobile Corp. originally announced plans to start production of the cars in 2007, but since then, it has been acquired by SAIC.

Despite the initial fanfare and media attention last year, only about 50 preproduction cars were built, and full production never started, Nanjing spokeswoman Eleanor de la Haye said.

Sales of the TF would launch in the United Kingdom and Ireland and then move to western European markets, including Spain, France and Germany. De la Haye would not comment on any potential plans for sales in the United States.

The car's 135-hp, 1.8-liter Rover K-series engine is sourced from China. It's been reengineered and given cosmetic improvements.

SAIC did not detail its production plans. Automotive News Europe reported that SAIC plans to build four model lines and produce at least 50,000 units a year in Longbridge. In addition to the TF, a large car and two cars that use the Roewe 550 chassis would round out the lineup.

SAIC and Nanjing sell versions of the MG Rover 75 sedan in China, rebadged as the SAIC Roewe 750 and the Nanjing MG7.

Nanjing purchased the assets of the collapsed MG Rover in 2005 for about $100 million. When early details of MG's revival were announced in 2006, the project included plans to build some cars from kits in Oklahoma, which never came to pass.