Who Owns Mg Cars?

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Who makes engines for MG cars

Who makes the engines for MG cars? – The 1.5-litre petrol engine in the MG is a joint development with General Motors and SAIC, as are all current MG engines. The same engine block is used in a variety of cars including the Vauxhall Adam. £-.-* Monthly thereafter Terms, conditions, exclusions and excesses apply. What’s included?

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– Have had a full UK driving licence for two or more years – Will be the registered owner and keeper of your car – Haven’t made any modifications to your car – Have never been declined insurance – Haven’t had any claims or driving convictions

Why did MG go out of business?

Phoenix Consortium ownership – When BMW sold off its interests, MG Rover was bought for a nominal £10 in May 2000 by a specially assembled group of businessmen known as the Phoenix Consortium, The consortium was headed by ex-Rover Chief Executive John Towers,

When Phoenix Consortium took over, their first loss for the last eight months of 2000 were reported to be around £400m. By 2004, the company had reduced the losses to around £80m but never made a profit. MG Rover’s best year for car sales was their first full year of business, in 2001 – when they sold over 170,000 cars.

In 2004 their sales had declined to around 120,000. The company ceased trading on 8 April 2005, with debts of over £1.4 billion, after a proposed alliance with SAIC collapsed. In relation to this, accounting firm Deloitte was fined £14 million (US$22 million) in September 2013 for failing to manage conflicts of interest.

What does MG mean in cars?

Nine Decades in the Making – Very few of today’s car brands can boast the passion-fuelled longevity and storied history of MG, a British car brand that began with a wonderful vision in 1924. MG stands for Morris Garages, the name chosen by MG’s founder Cecil Kimber as a show of respect for his then boss William Morris.

Is MG European or Chinese

This article is about the history of the MG marque and the M.G. Car Co. Ltd (1930–1972). For the current manufacturer of MG cars, see MG Motor,

MG (marque)

Owner	SAIC Motor Corporation Limited
Country	United Kingdom
Markets	Automotive
Previous owners	1924–1930: Morris Garages Limited 1930–1952: M.G. Car Company Limited 1952–1967: British Motor Corporation 1967–1968: British Motor Holdings 1968–1990: British Leyland 1990–1992: Austin Rover 1992–2000: Rover Group 2000–2006: MG Rover Group 2006–2011: Nanjing Automobile Group
Website	mg,co,uk

table> The M.G. Car Company Limited

The Morris Garage in Longwall Street, Oxford, where MG production started Industry Sport cars Founded 21 July 1930 ; 93 years ago Founder Cecil Kimber Defunct c.1972 Fate Merged Headquarters Longbridge, Birmingham (previously Abingdon, Oxfordshire) Products Automobiles

MG is a British automotive marque founded by Cecil Kimber in the 1920s, and M.G. Car Company Limited was the British sports car manufacturer that made the marque famous. Best known for its open two-seater sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés, with engines up to three litres in size and 3.5 L in the case of the MGB GT V8.

The marque is now owned by Chinese state-owned automaker SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, MG cars had their roots in a 1920s sales promotion sideline of Morris Garages, a retail sales and service centre in Oxford belonging to William Morris, The business’s manager, Cecil Kimber, modified standard production Morris Oxfords and added MG Super Sports to the plate at the nose of the car.

A separate M.G. Car Company Limited was incorporated in July 1930. It remained Morris’s personal property until 1 July 1935, when he sold it to his holding company, Morris Motors Limited, MG underwent many changes in ownership over the years. Morris’s Nuffield Organization merged with Austin to create the British Motor Corporation Limited (BMC) in 1952.

1. Its activities were renamed MG Division of BMC in 1967, and so it was a component of the 1968 merger that created British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC).
2. The MG marque continued to be used by the successors of BLMC: British Leyland, the Rover Group and, by the start of 2000, the MG Rover Group, which entered receivership in 2005.

The MG marque along with other assets of MG Rover were purchased by Nanjing Automobile Group (which merged into SAIC in 2007). MG production restarted in 2007 in China. The first new MG model in the UK for 16 years, the MG 6, was launched on 26 June 2011.

Are MG cars Japanese

Sometime before the end of the year someone is going to ask me to write a piece about the car that impressed me most over the previous 12 months. And if you’d said to be at the start of that year I’d seriously consider an Chinese electric hatchback, I’d have given you a very old fashioned look.

• But that was before I’d driven the MG4.
• MG is now Chinese, far more so than, say, Bentley is German.
• MGs are largely designed in China, built in China and while nominally headquartered in Longbridge, sold overwhelmingly in China thanks to the clout of its owner the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).

The MG-badged cars built to date have done so on the same build ‘em cheap, stack ‘em high principle that helped established first the Japanese then the Korean brands in the marketplace over years gone by. But while it took them decades to establish a sufficiently firm foothold in Europe and develop product worthy of comparison to the best from the west, MG is looking to accelerate that process. MG 4 is the latest from Britain’s fastest-growing automotive brand MG And that rate of acceleration is surely going to increase. Because now all those MGs sold to date can be seen almost as practice cars, machines designed to test the water and create a presence ready for the moment when the company can really show us what it can do.

• And it has.
• In both size and power output, the MG4 is aimed squarely at the class benchmark, Volkswagen’s ID.3.
• But it’s better to look at than an ID.3 and by a distance better to drive.
• In financial terms the distinction is clearer still: at £31,495 the top of the range, fully loaded MG4 Trophy is nearly £5000 cheaper than the entry level ID.3.

Compare base model to base model and the gap swells to over £10,000. Buy these cars on a PCP as most will, and the chasm grows further still, Parkers citing around £500 per month for the VW and £300 for the MG. It’s not perfect: some elements of the ergonomics and infotainment system leave something to be desired, but you can say the same about the Volkswagen too. But actually, the MG4 has made me think at least as much about VW as MG. It’s a strange thing to say about the biggest brand belonging to the world’s largest car company, but to me and right now, Volkswagen is doing a very good impression of a company that has lost its way.

The Dieselgate scandal is now seven years old, but its effects combined with the need to develop an entirely new way of making cars with the push towards an all-EV future are felt to this day. In the traditional market the new, eighth generation Golf, has received a rather rough ride compared to its predecessor, now regarded among the finest cars of its kind ever designed.

Even the GTI has not escaped the critics. But really it’s the EVs that worry me. I hear great things about the ID Buzz – the long awaited electric replacement for the beloved Type 2 Microbus – and I look forward very much to trying it, but the mainstream, volume cars I’ve tried, which include the ID.3, ID.4 and ID.5 have failed to convince.

• They are not a cut above as perhaps might have been expected.
• Broadly speaking the EV opposition from Kia and Hyundai is preferable.
• And now MG.
• What should worry VW most is that the MG4 is built on what the company calls its brand new Modular Scalable Platform, which means its structure can be pulled, pushed, coaxed and teased in so many different directions it allows for a car one size down from the MG4 and another almost the size of an S-class Mercedes.

So the MG4 is clearly the start. For Volkswagen, seen by many as an embattled company since Dieselgate broke, the future looks harder than the company could ever have imagined ten years ago. VW was keen for the ID.3 – and by association its kin – to be seen as the third definitive car in its history after the Beetle and the Golf, but right now that seems a million miles away.

• It’s expensive and has an infotainment system that, at least for me, would provide grounds all by itself not to buy the car.
• It reminds me of the wrong turn taken by Mercedes-Benz in the mid 1990s, signalled by the replacement of the gloriously over-engineered W124 generation of E-class saloon by the W210 which simply lacked the quality for which Mercedes-Benz had become rightly renown.

The reputational damage that resulted was many years in the repairing. For decades people have been happy to pay a little more for a Volkswagen in the usually justified belief that not only were they buying a better car but that, when the time came for it to be sold they’d get more of their money back.

It is for precisely that reason that a late seventh generation Golf sits outside my house as I write this. But if the car is no better than the opposition and if, horror of horrors, it is comprehensively upstaged and undercut by a new Chinese alternative, the strain on that contract with the public will not take long to appear.

And if it persists in producing cars that are as expensive as we have expected and accepted Volkswagens to be, but simply not as good, sooner or later it will break. The company needs to recognise its shortcomings and move both smartly and swiftly to address them.

Is MG a German company?

Morris Garages(MG) motor was founded in the 19th century by Cecil Kimber and is best called British marque for its sport and mini cars.

Does BMW own MG

There’s been so much change in the automotive industry of late, it’s hard to know who’s who in the zoo. Globalisation has seen more car companies change hands, re-brand or change names, and understanding who, or what entity, owns a car company is tricky.

1. You have alliances like Renault – Nissan – Mitsubishi, but they all retain their own headquarters and identities.
2. Then there is Stellantis, the multinational giant formed by the merger of Italian-American Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and France’s PSA Group.
3. Iconic Italian brands like Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Fiat are in bed with French marques like Peugeot and Citroen, all mixing with Dodge and Jeep from the US.

And their headquarters is in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, because of course it is. If you’ve ever wondered about the corporate origins of a particular brand, then read on. Bentley might be German owned, but it still builds all its models in the UK. Bentley Ah Bentley, That famous Briti Wait, that famous German brand? That’s right, Bentley, one of the world’s top luxury marques, falls under the umbrella of German giant, Volkswagen Group.

Founded in 1919, Bentley has had a number of owners over the years, including fellow Brit (or are they?) Rolls-Royce, but VW snapped it up in 1998, along with iconic Italian supercar manufacturer, Lamborghini and French hypercar brand, Bugatti, Rather than bundling Bentley production in with one of VW Group’s many facilities in Germany or other parts of Europe, all Bentley models are still exclusively built at its Crewe, UK plant.

Even the Bentayga SUV that shares its underpinnings with the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and more. VW reached an agreement with the British government to build it in the UK, rather than the Bratislava, Slovakia factory where the other related models hail from. Indian-owned British brand Land Rover builds the Defender in Slovakia. Jaguar Land Rover Like Bentley, former British brands Jaguar and Land Rover have had various owners over the years. Ford famously controlled the two brands under its Premier Automotive Group umbrella that was an initiative of then Ford global boss, Australian Jac Nasser.

1. But in 2008, Indian conglomerate Tata Group took ownership of Jaguar and Land Rover off Ford for £1.7 billion.
2. Incidentally, it also bought the rights to three other dormant British brands – Daimler, Lanchester and Rover.
3. More on the latter brand in a bit.
4. JLR builds vehicles in the UK and India, as well as parts of Europe.

Australian models are mostly sourced from the UK, except the Jaguar I-Pace and E-Pace (Austria) and the Land Rover Discovery and Defender (Slovakia). The MG ZS is the best-selling small SUV in Australia. MG Motor Another in a long list of formerly British-owned brands is MG, There’s a real theme emerging here MG has been around since the early 1920s and is most famous for building gorgeous, fun two-door convertible sports cars,

But lately MG has been reborn as a mainstream automotive brand offering cheap alternatives to carmakers like Kia and Hyundai, With models including the MG3 light hatch and ZS small SUV – both the top sellers in their respective segments – MG is the fastest growing brand in Australia. After MG Rover collapsed in 2005 following BMW Group ownership, it was briefly acquired by Nanjing Automobile which was in turn bought by SAIC Motor, which owns the MG brand to this day.

What is SAIC Motor? It used to be called Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and it is a wholly owned commission of the Shanghai state government. MG’s headquarters and research and development centre is still in the UK but all production comes from China. Mini also still builds cars in the UK. Mini Would you believe there’s another British brand that’s now in the hands of another major global player? In the 1990s Germany’s BMW Group acquired Mini by default when it bought the Rover Group, but realised the Mini brand would be a great way to introduce smaller, more affordable front-wheel drive cars to its catalogue of rear-drive models. Rolls-Royce is another BMW-owned brand. Rolls-Royce Some say Rolls-Royce is the pinnacle of automotive luxury and even its executives say it doesn’t really have any automotive rivals. Instead, potential buyers consider something like a yacht as an alternative to a Rolls. Volvo’s owners also own a number of other familiar automotive brands. Volvo We thought we would throw a non-British brand in here, just for some balance. Iconic Swedish manufacturer Volvo has been operating since 1915 but the first Volvo model rolled off a production line in 1927.

These days, Volvo and sister brand Polestar are majority owned by Chinese multinational Geely Holding Group after being snapped up in 2010. Before that Volvo was part of Ford’s Premier Auto Group with Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin, Volvo still has manufacturing facilities in Sweden, but it also builds a large portion of its models in China and the United States.

Geely also owns former British sports car brand Lotus, as well as Malaysian manufacturer Proton and Lynk & Co.

Does Hyundai own Kia?

And while Hyundai is not the parent company of Kia Motors, Hyundai does have a bit of ownership of Kia. Both Kia and Hyundai are headquartered in South Korea. So are Kia and Hyundai the same company? No, but Hyundai does own 33.8% of Kia Motors.

Is MG owned by Kia

Who owns MG cars? – Although it is headquartered in London, MG is currently owned by the Shanghai-based, Chinese state owned automaker SAIC Motor, who took over from its previous Chinese owners Nanjing Automobile in 2007.

Is MG car a luxury car

Set to redefine the segments with best-in-class features, a towering road presence, powerful capability, and luxurious interiors – New Delhi, February 7, 2020: MG Motor India today unveiled its luxury SUV GLOSTER and the luxury MPV G10 which are headed to the Indian market.

Through the showcase, the brand has once again highlighted how its strong British heritage and rich legacy of innovation provide the perfect platform to deliver future-ready automotive products. The name ‘GLOSTER’ pays homage to MG’s British genes and stands for being Bold, Sturdy, Reliable and Versatile.

GLOSTER was a British jet-engine aircraft prototype & the name is a nod to great British engineering. With best-in-class features, a towering road presence, powerful capability, and luxurious interiors, the GLOSTER is designed to set new benchmarks in the Indian automotive space.

Speaking about the Auto Expo participation, Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director – MG Motor India, said, “Auto Expo is the perfect platform for us to unveil our products under consideration for India and also highlight our technology prowess across connected, electric and autonomous. The launch of GLOSTER and G10 will mark our entry in the luxury SUV and MPV segments respectively.

We are confident that, with its best-in-class features, specifications and performance, the GLOSTER will be a benchmark for luxury SUVs in India with its launch later this year and G10 will also follow soon” The luxury full sized MPV: G10 is sold globally in markets such as Australia, New Zealand, Middle-East, South American countries including Chile, Peru and ASEAN such as Malaysia.

1. It comes with various seating configurations, panoramic sunroof, touch-free smart sensing rear door and smart automatic sliding doors that deliver a more convenient experience for passengers.
2. With no compromise on comfort, safety and in-cabin space, the G10 will redefine segment benchmarks.
3. Designed to reflect its strong British lineage and its future-ready brand ethos, the MG pavilion at the Auto Expo came with various engagement options for visitors, such as the MG Carffe and an accessories and merchandise section.

It also featured a dedicated segment for Avira the brand mascot, “i-SMART” – the technology that powers the HECTOR, India’s first internet car, and the ZS EV, India’s first pure electric internet SUV. At Auto Expo 2020, the carmaker also showcased a total of 14 advanced vehicles across hatchback, sedans, and utility vehicle segments.

• Participating for the first time at the prestigious industry event, the showcase helped MG reinforce it as a future-forward brand with showcase of Marvel-X, Vision I Concept, E200 and eMG 6 amongst others.
• About MG Motor India Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages vehicles were world-famous for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series.

MG vehicles were much sought after by many celebrities, including the British Prime Ministers and even the British Royal Family, for their styling, elegance, and spirited performance. The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abingdon in the UK, has thousands of loyal fans, making it one of the world’s largest clubs for a car brand.

Do MG cars have problems

MG ZS engine problems – There have been several reports of problems with the engine on the MG ZS, whereby drivers have experienced a loss in engine performance, engine noise, as well as frequent misfires in some cases. A loss in engine power accompanied by other symptoms could be caused by a number of different potential problems going on.

However, one of the most common causes is a clogged component somewhere in the vehicle, such as the air filter, fuel filter or catalytic converter. Any one of these components can easily become blocked with debris over time, resulting in an overall decline in engine performance. In order to find out the exact cause of the problem, a trained specialist will need to inspect your car for you.

The average quote for an engine repair on the MG ZS is £169.29 when booked through WhoCanFixMyCar.

Do MG cars hold their value

MG4 EV – Retained value: 66.49% Average retained value: £19,050 The new MG4 EV is a well-built, roomy car that offers an advanced electric range for budget-minded drivers. In recent years, MG has been reborn as a Chinese-owned brand with a focus on producing efficient, cost-effective electric cars.

1. The MG4 EV comes at a surprisingly affordable price point (starting from just £25,940).
2. MG offers a generous 281-mile range with the larger-battery versions of the MG4.
3. With its low price tag and long battery life, you can expect minimal depreciation over time, providing more bang for your buck.
4. Drivers can appreciate the sleek design of this vehicle, which also offers a roomy interior that can comfortably accommodate five adults.

The exterior includes sleek lines and bold colours that are sure to catch the eye of any onlooker. This makes for a stylish yet practical ride for those who enjoy driving around town or taking long motorway trips with friends and family.

Is MG good for long drive?

Why MG Hector and TATA Harrier is popular among Long-distance road trip lover – The MG Hector and TATA Harrier can be considered among the best premium SUVs for long drives in India, and have gained popularity among long-distance road trip lovers due to their robust combination of performance, safety, and convenience features.

• These SUVs are equipped with potent engines that ensure strong highway performance, combined with excellent fuel efficiency, minimizing the need for frequent fuel stops.
• Also read: MG Hector variants rejigged ahead of festive season sales The spacious interiors with ample legroom, headroom, and generous boot capacity accommodate passengers and luggage comfortably for long journeys.

Safety is prioritized with ABS, multiple airbags, and high NCAP ratings. For added convenience, both models offer features like automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, and touchscreen navigation. Tata Harrier Further, their high ground clearance allows for smooth driving over different terrains, and the superior ride comfort ensures a pleasant journey. Both SUVs also offer excellent stability at high speeds, ensuring safety and control on highways.

Are Chinese cars any good?

Lower-cost Chinese-made electric cars are coming into the Australian market but are they worth considering? BYD Atto 3 electric car. Early Chinese-manufactured vehicles introduced into the Australian market were generally of a low build quality and in some cases suffered premature component failures.

But is this reputation justified now that the Chinese car industry is manufacturing more than 21 million vehicles a year, with a growing number being sold here? A lot of global electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers – including Tesla, Polestar, Volvo and even BMW – are producing vehicles in China to help lower production costs.

These companies have strict quality assurance guidelines and would be highly motivated to avoid tarnishing their brands by offering inferior quality products on the market. As such, Chinese automotive manufacturing has progressed to producing quality products that rival the standard of vehicles manufactured in other regions. Vehicles coming out of China these days are generally well built, have good fit and finish along with premium trims. Prices for the battery-electric Atto 3 start at $48,011 for the standard range, and go up to $51,011 for the long-range, before on-road costs and any State or Federal Government rebates. Prices have increased since the Atto 3’s launch but it’s well equipped and still represents good value for money.

• The Atto 3 also has the bonus of being a dedicated EV platform, meaning its interior is roomier than a Corolla.
• Experience driving a BYD EV with SIXT.
• RACQ members save up to 15%* on daily rental rates In fact, the Atto 3’s 2,720mm wheelbase and 1,650mm height compare favourably with the RAV4’s 2,690mm and 1,685mm dimensions.

Inside the Atto 3’s funky cabin are seven airbags (front, front side, full-length curtain and driver’s passenger side airbag), leather-trimmed seats with six-way power adjustment for the driver and four-way for the front passenger, ISOFIX child seat anchor points, 440 litres of boot space, panoramic sunroof, eight-speaker Dirac audio system, 12.8-inch rotating infotainment touch screen with DAB and Bluetooth, five-inch digital instrument panel, wireless phone charging, and an automatic tailgate. The Atto 3 is also impressively specified on the safety front with features including lane departure warning, active cruise control, autonomous emergency braking with front and rear collision warning, ABS and traction control. It achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022 with a 91% Adult Occupant Protection rating, an 84% Child Occupant Protection rating, 69% Vulnerable Road User Protection rating and an 80% Safety Assist rating.

In summary, vehicles coming out of China today are superior to vehicles of the past and are competitive in terms of build, fit and quality, with vehicles from other Asian manufacturers. So, if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, do your due diligence but don’t automatically rule out Chinese-made options.

Roadside Assistance for electric vehicles *Discount applies on daily rate and cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, special offer or coupon. Australia and New Zealand rentals receive 15% off daily rental rates across the passenger and commercial range, $5 off damage protection options at participating locations and no fees for additional driver.

• International rentals (excluding New Zealand) receive up to 15% off daily rental rates across the passenger and commercial range.
• Offer is subject to change/withdrawal without notice.
• Must quote RACQ Membership number at the time of booking and collection.
• All rentals with SIXT are subject to Rental terms and conditions,

For full terms and conditions please visit https://www.sixt.com.au/auto-club-tcs/#/

Are new MG cars made in China?

MG in the UK: selling China’s British car brand The that exists today is not quite the same thing as the company that Cecil Kimber founded in the twenties. Following the demise of its final incarnation as MG Rover in 2005, the marque in effect started afresh when the Nanjing Automobile Group – which later merged with the massive SAIC Motor (then called the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) – bought the manufacturer in 2006.

Although some limited final assembly of MG Motor products took place at Longbridge in the West Midlands for a time, the cars are now exclusively made in China and largely engineered there, too. But what sets MG apart from a growing number of Chinese car companies vying for the attention of UK car buyers – including and, and soon to be joined by the likes of, and – is that it’s headquartered in the UK.

The head office and design studio are in Marylebone, London, and although most of the old Longbridge plant has been consigned to the automotive history books, a team there still plays a small but vital role in tuning the cars to drive better in the UK and the rest of Europe.

These two places aren’t just for show, as MG Commercial Director Guy Pigounakis told us in our chat. And to find out what goes on at the two sites, we’re visiting each of them for a closer look, starting in Marylebone in the heart of the capital. It would be easy to go straight past the office building at 139-151 Marylebone Road, but on closer inspection, you’ll see some MG branding through the window.

Going through the revolving door, we’re greeted by MGs past and present (an, an and an ) and David Allison, MG Motor UK’s head of product and planning. “What we have in here is all of the head-office functionality that you would expect: sales, marketing, logistics, supply, finance,” he explains.

Due to travel restrictions, Allison has yet to make it to China to see colleagues in person, despite having been at MG a few years now, although this is starting to become possible. Either way, virtual meetings are key. “You have lots of video calls which take place very, very early in the morning for obvious reasons,” Allison says.

And UK collaboration starts near the beginning of most projects. “We get involved very early in feeding back, well before the product actually comes on stream,” he says. His cohorts on the other side of the world are “very keen to understand what European and particularly UK car buyers actually want,” he tells us, which is “not always the same as what car buyers in China want”.

Heading to the innards of the building and moving floors, we could be in any office block, but on leaving the lift, things get more unusual at SAIC’s London design studio. Here, we’re confronted with car models at various scales, a wall covered in design sketches, and a virtual-reality headset lying in wait, giving the most important clue as to the digital-first nature of this place.

Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy. The design studio has been based here for about five years, and succeeded a more traditional space at Longbridge. The studio’s head of design Robert Lemmens explains that here it’s all about using modern computing power, rather than working with clay and using outdoor ‘viewing gardens’ for models.

1. It’s all very much a digital focus on virtual reality, which we use for our reviews,” Lemmens explains.
2. This is crucial when the team is working with colleagues thousands of miles away in China, who can don their corresponding VR goggles and inhabit the same computer-generated space for a collaborative session.” It’s a small team of fewer than 20 people, but it’s a versatile one.

“All the disciplines are here: exterior, interior, UI, UX, brand strategy, digital modelling, visualisation,” Lemmens says, adding: “So all the animations, presentation videos – everything is made by the team here.” With the design office in China having some 300 employees on its books, the UK operation seems tiny in comparison, but it’s able to have a profound impact on the wider company.

• A great example of something that was actually born in the UK is the,” Lemmens says.
• Several years ago, when we were still in Birmingham, we were all saying ‘MG needs a ‘,” he recalls.
• That’s what everybody knows.
• The MGB is coming up to 60 years now, and this is still officially our ever.” The project started off in an unofficial capacity.

“We started after hours in the evenings to do some sketches and to brainstorm and to do a few little scale models,” Lemmens says. A full-scale model followed, which caught the attention of superiors on a visit. “Convincing our leadership to do the sports car was the hardest part of the whole process,” he adds, but convinced they eventually were.

Fast forward to today, and we’ve seen the final design of an international effort that started right here in the UK. As for the reason behind the move to London, there’s more than one. It’s partly about attracting talent; the UK’s capital remains a draw for many, particularly in creative roles, and the team here come from all across Europe.

One joined last year having won the SAIC Design Challenge for university students. Another factor is the inspiration somewhere like the capital can provide. It’s important, Lemmens says, to be “in the heart of London.” He adds: “All the trends start in London: fashion, art, exhibitions.

We have opportunities to go and explore all of London and to take all of that in, and it feeds us with a lot of ideas.” Each member of the team gets their own workstation with a drawing screen, surrounded by personal objects (including in one case, some Lego), making for a fun, colourful working space.

A couple of hours up the M40 from Marylebone is Longbridge. Synonymous with British Leyland and MG Rover, it was the site of car making as long ago as 1906, starting with the Austin 25/30. But today all of the buildings in which assembly took place are gone, leaving a large, empty expanse of concrete with the remaining occupied buildings mostly clustered to one side.

1. It’s hard not to feel a tinge of sadness when driving through the gates; this was once an icon of British manufacturing that at its height employed tens of thousands of people.
2. Regeneration is bringing jobs back, though, and a lot of the site’s former footprint is already covered in residential, community and commercial buildings, with the plant’s legacy living on through road names including Austin Way and Cooper Avenue.

The team that is stationed here today looks after things such as dealership training, aftersales care and engineering. It’s that final element we’re most interested in, and to find out how that works, we meet Mark Anstee, who has the rather complex job title of technical specialist of EE and NEV systems, those two acronyms standing for Electrical Engineering and New Energy Vehicle.

1. With MG pivoting towards, as so many manufacturers now are amidst looming regulation changes, there’s certainly plenty going on in that realm.
2. Anstee explains that the Longbridge engineering team gets involved in the development of new vehicles early on, setting targets relevant to the UK and Europe.

This covers elements such as dynamics, navigation, driver-assistance systems, and even DAB radio, given that the latter is more Europe-centric and isn’t used in China. “There’s then a big stage where we have to wait until we can see a physical vehicle,” Anstee says.

“We’ll get vehicles flown over from China; we’ll have them at a very early stage where they’re covered in camouflage, even sometimes at the mule stages.” What follows is a lot of on-road testing (we see a future MG product currently under assessment parked up outside) to see how well the car works on the UK’s not-especially-smooth road network, checking infotainment functions, and in the case of EVs, ensuring there are no issues when hooking up to public charging stations.

For the MG4, one important change was to the lane- assistance system, which was tweaked here to make the car feel “more natural” to drive. The suspension also received some fettling. Thanks partly to the target-setting that goes on in Longbridge, Anstee refers to the prototypes they received as “almost there,” with changes informed by testing on “real roads” being what really “makes the difference”.

1. Colleagues in China will send over kits of parts to go on the prototypes.
2. We have an engineering workshop here, and the guys can set the car up for us,” Anstee says.
3. We’ll go out, we’ll test the car again, and again, and again, until we just find a nice balance.” The MG4 is noted for having a ride/handling balance that works particularly well in the UK, and it seems unlikely that such a thing would have been possible without what happens at Longbridge.

The operation here is set to grow, too, owing to MG’s general expansion and its inroads with EVs. What happens at both of MG’s main UK sites then, is not simply about making a tenuous link to the brand’s British past. The work done here by small but clearly very talented teams is shaping both the cars MG sells, and how the manufacturer’s future will look.

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• 22 Sep 2023

: MG in the UK: selling China’s British car brand

Are MG cars now Chinese?

These days, MG is thriving again— under Chinese owners, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., which in 2007 acquired the brand and a factory in the English city of Longbridge. MG sold 115,000 cars in Europe in the first half of 2023, more than double the total for the same period last year.

Is MG a British brand?

Britain’s fastest-growing car brand continues to break records

MG Motor sees 89.2% growth year-to-date Total May registrations of 2,453 make May the 4 th month MG has achieved over 1.5% market share in 2021 MG has sold 10,760 cars so far this year – more than in the whole of 2018 Pure electric models account for 31.7% of volume against an industry average of 7.5% All new MGs come with 7-Year Warranty

MG Motor has taken a market share of over 1.5% for the fourth month this year as the brand continues its incredible growth. The company achieved 2,453 registrations in May 2021, giving it a share of 1.57%. Its total sales in 2021 amounted to 10,760 at month end – a greater number than it sold in the whole of 2018.

• In addition, more than three in 10 MGs sold (31.7%) were pure electric against an overall market penetration of 7.5% for BEVs across all brands.
• Guy Pigounakis, MG’s Commercial Director, said: “So far in 2021, we’ve seen an incredible sales performance from our dealer network, which itself is growing at quite a rate.

As we emerge from the stricter part of lockdown, it’s great to see dealerships so busy and a strong appetite for our models from the British car-buying public. “The EV volumes in particular are fantastic. We are committed to making EVs affordable for everyone and MG is clearly firing the public’s imagination with its combination of great quality, high tech, incredible value and our 7 Year Warranty.”

MG currently offers three plug-in models in the UK – the established MG ZS EV, the game-changing All New MG5 EV and MG HS Plug-in, all backed up by MG’s incredible 7 year Warranty and fast-developing dealer network.To find your local dealer, or to discover the high-tech, value-for-money range of cars on offer, please visit,- ENDS – Notes to editors:

About MG Tracing its history back to 1924, MG is the iconic British motoring brand, famous for building sporty, exciting and value-for-money cars which are always fun to drive. From the original MG 14/28 Super Sports car, designed by the legendary Cecil Kimber, to the all-electric MG5 EV of today, MG has always been innovative, always been radical and always been fun! Today, MG is the fastest growing car brand in the UK, fielding a six-car range of practical and affordable hatchbacks, SWs and SUVs.

1. Designed in Marylebone, London, and manufactured in state-of-the-art factories in several countries, today’s MGs are practical, spacious, packed with technology and perfect for modern life.
2. With a national network of over 120 dealerships, MG is accessible to customers everywhere with professional sales and aftersales provision across the UK.

Backed by SAIC Motor, one of the world’s largest automotive companies, all new MGs are built with world-class components and are backed by a comprehensive manufacturer’s 7 year warranty. Well-established in the UK, MGs are now sold worldwide with western Europe being the latest region for expansion during 2021.

Are MG cars British made?

MG – MGs are made in China, Thailand and India. Tweed, flat caps and very British sports cars – that’s what you’ll find at MG classic car shows, But the brand has been reincarnated into something entirely different, while still trying to trade on its British origins.

1. MG started out in the 1920s when auto engineer William Morris started making sporty versions of his Morris Oxford at his Morris Garages business in Birmingham.
2. His modified Oxfords were given an MG Supersports badge and the MG brand was born.
3. MG became the quintessential British sports car brand throughout the 1950s with the TF and the MG A, and then MG B of the 1960s and ’70s.

The company transformed over the years with mergers and different owners until 2007 when current owners SAIC acquired MG. SAIC which stands for Shanghai Automotive Industry Company is a Chinese state-owned business and the largest carmaker in China. In July, 2022, alone SAIC sold more than 500,000 cars.

1. It wasn’t until 2013 that SAIC brought MG back to Australia with the MG6, but it was short lived thanks to ADR issues among other teething problems for the brand’s attempt to win over Aussies.
2. MG would return in 2016 with the MG3 light hatch which became popular for its good looks and affordable price, before launching other successful sellers such as the HS and ZS SUVs,

Where are MGs made now? Well, MG’s headquarters are in London but the cars are made in China, Thailand and India.

Are MG cars made in Britain?

So who or what is MG? – The company today is owned by Chinese state-owned automotive giant SAIC Motor, which absorbed Nanjing in 2007. SAIC is China’s largest car company (although you may have never heard of it), building more than 5 million cars a year under various brand names.