MG to end UK car production with Longbridge to China switch

[james3990]

Link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bi ... m-37449289


Go get your Podium Photos!


Although it was kinda known, this could mean the last of the Longbridge Factory will slowly start to be decommissioned and demolished over the next few years.

[Rrobson]

Sad news really. Not just for mg/rover enthusiasts, but people who work there and now means mg has made a complete transition from a British brand to a Chinese one.

One of those things I suppose. Think I'll have a drive past next week and get a pic before its reduced to rubble again...

[Millerae]

Shame

[tomcat]

looks like its only 25 assembly workers all other designers/workers are not affected

[BlueRover]

It will still remain as a design and technology centre, it's only the production* line which will go. I guess they'll still need storage space for all the vehicles to have their PDI's done. If the brand grows as it should, they'll need the space.

Also, the local Labour MP is a bit miffed as he says it's "premature". Where was his fu**ing party when MGR needed some help ?
Nowhere, that's where...

[Sneekyparrot]

well thats one way to kill the UK MG Trade

pheonix xylophone should of been hung out to dry but as usual those in power look after those with money and hands in thier pockets

P.

[Rrobson]

Hopefully this won't turn into yet another thread about how the government should have stepped in etc etc. Still happens even now, look at bhs.

As far as mg is concerned, what is the point of having a production line in a country which only buys 1000 cars a year? Shipping costs mush be huge, China is a big market for these cars and by all accounts they are doing well over there. So I can understand the need to move everything over there.

As far as redundancies goes, ones bad enough let alone 25. I know in the grand sceme of things is a drop in the ocean but it's still a bummer.

But still it's a shame.

[stefaclese]

Saw that coming from day 1 when they gobbled up the assets, they were always going to keep a trivial operation going until everyone forgot that the deal to buy the assets involved them having to keep Longbridge going and then shut it down for good. As far as I'm concerned MGR ceased to exist in 2005, the Mickey Mouse Chinese operation was never remotely serious, at least they don't have the Rover marque to p!ss all over like they have with MG.

If they were remotely serious they would have launched the MG6 3 years earlier than they did, and with a diesel engine from the outset. And of course not immediately rip out all the equipment and ship everything straight out to China...

The final nail in the coffin from a drawn out process that began in the 1970's...

If we're really lucky its possible that the Rover marque could be brought back by JLR, which would make sense for cheaper smaller 'lower end' cars (compared to what they make now), realistically though I don't see it happening.

[Evil C]

......until everyone forgot that the deal to buy the assets involved them having to keep Longbridge going......... And of course not immediately rip out all the equipment and ship everything straight out to China...

There was no requirement to "keep Longbridge going" in the deal - it was the choice of Nanjing Automobile to take up the lease on the core of the factory. SAIC on the other hand never had any interest in manufacture or marketing outside China (they only bid for the blueprints and tooling from Powertrain).

The removal of the bulk of the assembly lines in late 2005 and shipping them straight to China was rather bizarre when they had nowhere to install them when they got there - hence the two year gap before China production began. Perhaps they should have got the lines going at Longbridge as soon as they could, and maintained continuity of supply to remaining dealers, and built up stocks here while the factory building at Pukou was erected? The current MG Motor models might have performed rather better as a result, and might even have justified a continuing CKD kit operation at Longbridge.

Sadly, MG is now no different in my eyes than any other manufacturer importing cars from abroad, and it is very unlikely that I will either buy one in the future or take any interest in what new models they may launch.

I don't really see MG remaining in the UK market for much longer either, nor do I see SMTC UK continuing to exist for long (especially when they keep coming up with what appear to be rather mediocre cars and engines which we are then told won't meet imminent emission standards revisions).

[Marty]

The days of fun cars and hot hatches have long gone. Emission regulations will put a stop to them being produced and sold due to the high levies on road tax ect for them.

When I drive around now I look at what is on the road compared to when I started driving 16/17 years ago and there is a massive difference it's mainly just family low emission vehicles you see now.

Back then you would see the likes of Sierra Cosworths, escort rs turbo's and that sort of thing quite a lot yes they are old cars now but the manufacturers never really replaced them sports cars as times moved on.

Me and some mates where actually chatting yesterday about how we had the big tuning boom as we called it with the likes of max power and companies tuning cars now it's how low can we make those emissions.

I'm just glad I got to experience all that and have some really fun cars in my years of driving so far I just feel sorry my kids will not get to experience the things I have with the big car meets and car forums and the laughs we have had over the years.

Times have changed and I say give it 10 years most forums will be a thing of the past as well as any hope of more hot hatches being produced.

Maybe in the exit from EU the government will back a company to produce a UK car again maybe bring back Rover who knows what will happen but as a stand alone country we don't actually have much of our own left or much to offer.

[rovermadman4825]

The thing I hate about the emissions law is the company producing the cars are the big polluters of constant producion, and more or less making car a throw away commodity after a handful of years. The knowledge and experience they have now they could make cars that last tens of years and engine's that could get to the million miles, stopping the need for people needing new cars constantly..... But how much would that mess the world up?????? But car makers arnt all of the problem, mass manufacturing of anything is the problem...... Why do people need two new iphones a year?????? But the cars get the blame for all the pollution.......

[Marty]

Why make a car that lasts for ever that's not good business sense they want them to break then you buy parts to mend it and they want them to wear out so you buy a new one.

That's business and we now live in a throw away world and in many years to come emissions will be least of this planets problems !!

[rovermadman4825]

That's what I was getting at but yeah let's see where we are in another 10 years......

[Marty]

The film I Am Legend springs to mind man will destroy man in the end !

[james3990]

The film I Am Legend springs to mind man will destroy man in the end !

Badass film

[stefaclese]

In 10 years it will all be about getting rid of that nasty dirty old car with its internal combustion engine and getting a nice shiny new electric cars with no emissions (except for the vast amounts created during manufacture). Only problem with that is that there isn't enough lithium in on earth for that to happen, and there currently isn't a viable alternative to lithium based batteries...

To be fair some of the electric cars are starting to reach the levels of practicality of I/C cars, new Teslas are supposedly capable of over 300 miles to a full charge and the charging times are getting better - 40 minutes for 80% charge and 75 for full charge, that aspect of them is undoubtedly going to keep improving relatively quickly, but it still doesn't solve the lithium problem...

Maybe in the exit from EU the government will back a company to produce a UK car again maybe bring back Rover who knows what will happen but as a stand alone country we don't actually have much of our own left or much to offer.

Who the hell is going to do that then?! State interference is sacrilege for the tories and most labour MPs.

[1994 BRG Coupe]

Not sure I would trust a electric car if it was made in Korea.

[wayno]

No hot hatches anymore?? So the new pug gti, focus st, focus rs, bmw 1 series m, mercs first ever hot hatch and the various cheaper kia and the like do not count? If anything we have seen a researgence in fast affordable cars.....

[wayno]

Not to mention renaults magane and cleo variants and citroens