MG Rover-News

[Angus]

MG revival bid fails?

Plans tabled by a British firm to help resurrect the MG XPower SV supercar look to be on the rocks, according to reports in the Birmingham Post newspaper.

GB Sports Car has been in discussion with Nanjing Automotive, MG Rover's Chinese owner, but it's now claimed Nanjing has killed off the deal. The reports have been denied by the UK outfit.

Auto Express, Wednesday 18th January 2006


Aus dem Inhalt:
MG-Rückkehr geplatzt?
Die Pläne von GB Sports Car zur Wiederbelebung des MG XPower SV könnten nach Angaben der Birmingham Post gescheitert sein. Es wird behauptet, Nanjing hätte sich von den Verhandlungen zurück gezogen, was jedoch von offiziellen Stellen zurückgewiesen wird.

[Angus]

REPORT: MG's Rebirth Could Happen as Early as Next Week

BIRMINGHAM, England — A deal to restart production of MG cars at the former Rover factory should be sealed next week, according to U.K. press reports.

The Financial Times reported that GB Sports Car, a company run by a group of former Rover managers, is expected to announce it has raised backing from U.S. financiers to set up a joint venture with Chinese carmaker Nanjing Automobile, which bought the assets of MG Rover last year.

The deal has been delayed because of changes within the U.S. consortium, but sources close to the companies said the deal is now in place. Under the new joint venture, GB Sports Car would restart production of MG TF sports cars and ZT large sedans in Birmingham and import other models from China.

GB Sports Car would also license the Austin Healey brand from Nanjing in order to make its own, more expensive sports cars, the paper added. Austin Healey last made cars in the late 1960s.

Meanwhile, the British government has announced an inquiry into the political handling of MG Rover. It could be seriously embarrassing to the government when details of its role in the sale and demise of the car manufacturer are made public. A separate Department of

Trade and Industry probe into the company's collapse is already under way.

What this means to you: A happy end at last? Anglophile car enthusiasts will welcome the return of MG and Austin Healey. But the finger-pointing over Rover's collapse just drags on and on.

edmunds.com, 01-21-2006


Aus dem Inhalt:
MG-Wiederbelebung bereits nächste Woche möglich.
Laut britischer Pressemeldungen soll es bereits nächste Woche zur Besiegelung des Abkommens zwischen GB Sports Car und Nanjing kommen, welcher die Rückkehr der MG Produktion in das ehemalige Rover-Werk vorsieht. Laut Financal Times habe GB Sports Car -ein Unternehmen mit ehemaligen MG Rover Managern an der Spitze- finanzielle Unterstützung von US-Investoren erhalten, sodass ein Joint Venture mit dem chinesischen Automobilhersteller Nanjing möglich wurde. Die Verhandlungen hatten sich verzögert, da es zu Änderungen im US-Konsortium kam. Quellen, die mit den Unternehmen vertraut sind sagen jedoch, dass der Deal in trockenen Tüchern sei.
Im neuen Joint Venture will GB Sports Car die Produktion des MG TF und ZT in Birmingham wieder aufnehmen, sowie andere Modelle aus China importieren. Ausserdem sichert sich das Unternehmen die Rechte an der Austin Healey Marke, um eigene, teurere Sportwagen zu bauen. Austin Healey produzierte zuletzt Ende der 60er Jahre.
Also womöglich doch ein Happy End auch für anglophile Auto-Enthusiasten. Leider liegt noch immer der Schatten des Rover-Zusammenbruchs über dem Ganzen.

[FOX]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjing_Automobile_Group

[Angus]

China's Rover owner faces deadline to save factory

NANJING Automobile Corporation (NAC), MG Rover's new Chinese owner, has just one month left to secure a deal to revive car production at Longbridge or it may be kicked off the site.

The group's current, temporary lease on the historic Longbridge factory expires on February 22, according to St Modwen, the Birmingham property developer which owns the land.

If Nanjing wants to retain any part of the plant to manufacture cars, it will need to renew the lease and specify within the next four weeks exactly how much space it requires.

Should no agreement be reached, Nanjing will not be allowed to stay, according to a St Modwen spokesman who added that talks with the Chinese company were continuing.

The new deadline presents a fresh challenge for Nanjing, which is already struggling to raise funds for its proposed new UK carmaking venture amid growing disagreements with key partners Arup and GB Sports Car Ltd.

"Time is running out, " said one Longbridge source, adding Nanjing had been frustrated by the apparent failure of GB, a company set up by ex-employees of MG Rover's engine-making subsidiary, to raise finance from possible US investors, despite persistent claims a deal was imminent.

"It's not a close relationship at the moment [between GB Sports and Nanjing], " he said. "It feels like a waiting game but Nanjing does not seem willing to wait much longer." He says Nanjing is considering scrapping its plan to build cars in the UK altogether if a deal is not struck within days.

Already, the Chinese company, which paid GBP53million for Rover's assets last year, after the group collapsed with debts totalling more than GBP1.4billion, has shipped much of the production line and other car-making equipment from Birmingham back to China.

"Nanjing could quite easily pack its bags and go home and say, 'Look we've tried our hardest, '" said another Longbridge source.

"Then it could just focus its efforts on its home market."

GB staff stopped working at the Longbridge site around Christmas, at the same time that managing director Fraser Welford-Winton told associates he had "given up" on the funding effort. Since then he is understood to have changed his mind and returned to the negotiating table.

GB Sports Cars did not return calls seeking comment.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty about the future of manufacturing equipment considered crucial to any Nanjing-controlled UK revival of car-making. GB's plan to revive British production was based on the MG TF sports car and ZT estate, which were considered unsuitable for the Chinese market.

But it is believed the TF trim and final production lines have been disassembled and are being prepared for shipping to China.

Nanjing, which claimed last year about 1,200 jobs would eventually be created in Birmingham, well below the 6,100 staff Rover employed before it collapsed in April, could not be reached for comment.

Stadco, the Coventry firm that makes the TF bodies, declined to say if it might move some of its tooling components to China on Nanjing's behalf.

Separately, a new official inquiry has been launched into the Government's role in the collapse last year of MG Rover.

The House of Commons trade and industry committee, led by Conservative chairman Peter Luff, has asked for written evidence by March 13 and will invite key figures, including former trade ministers Stephen Byers and Patricia Hewitt, to appear at a public hearing after Easter.

Luff told the Financial Sunday Express the inquiry would focus squarely on the Government's role in the debacle. 

TMC.net, January 23, 2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Nanjing Auto steht offenbar Angesicht in Angesicht mit dem Zeitlimit zur Reanimierung von Longbridge. Demnach bleibt nur noch ein Monat Zeit, um mit der Produktion wieder zu beginnen. Wenn auch nur eine Teil der Anlage für die Autoproduktion genutzt werden soll, bedarf es der Erneuerung des Mietvertrags sowie einer exakten Angabe über die zu nutzenden Flächen. Wenn dies nicht geschehe, werde Nanjing nicht bleiben können. Wenn dem so wäre und eine Einigung mit GB Sports Car nicht zustande kommt, könnte Nanjing auch über eine Verwerfung der Pläne (Rückkehr der Produktion nach GB) nachdenken.

[Angus]

Nanjing plan will create just 600 jobs

By John Revill, Manufacturing Editor

Just 600 jobs are likely to be created at Longbridge - even if Nanjing's plans come to fruition

The figure - a tenth of the number employed at the Birmingham plant before MG Rover crashed - is half of what Nanjing said it would create when it bought the carmaker for £53 million last July.

Shortly after Nanjing bought the company it revealed plans to employ 1,200 workers and ultimately build 100,000 cars this year.

The Post understands these plans have been thrown into disarray, with Nanjing struggling to raise the required working capital to restart production.

An estimated £50 million is needed to reopen the factory, while Nanjing has also baulked at the labour costs needed to employ 1,200 workers, with wages far in excess of their equivalent in China. The company has also encountered problems securing sup-pliers to make components for the 25, 75 and TF cars it plans to build.

An industry source said: "Nanjing is now looking to employ 600 people at most, making mainly niche models. They have looked at the wage factor and British workers are far more expensive than Chinese.

"Nanjing needs finance to develop their plans, but they are finding it very difficult."

The Post understands Nanjing has already come under pressure from the Chinese government to progress its strategy.

But the lack of money and support from suppliers has halted plans which should have seen production restart in 2007. The source said: "Suppliers are reluctant to commit to Nanjing. They have been burned at Rover before and don't want that again."

Fears have grown over the protracted nature of Nanjing's involvement at Longbridge, with the lack of transparency arousing concern.

Last month Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson described the situation as a soap opera which may not have a happy ending, while Nanjing has also been accused of carrying out a lift-and-shift operation.

Longbridge employed 16,000 ten years ago, down to 6,000 before the company collapsed into administration last April.

City Council leader Councillor Mike Whitby (Con Harborne) said: "Negotiations with Nanjing are at a very sensitive stage and we don't want to pre-empt any outcome from their negotiations with site owner St Modwen and the parties involved in securing a deal at Longbridge."

icBirmingham, Jan 25 2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Nanjings Plan würde nur 600 Arbeitsplätze schaffen, wenn er aufginge. Das wäre nur gut die Hälfte dessen, was das Unternehmen zuvor angegeben hat. Schätzungsweise 50 Millionen Pfund wären nötig, um Longbridge wieder anlaufen zu lassen. Dazu kommt, dass Nanjing auf Probleme mit heimischen Zulieferern stößt: Ein Debakel wie das von MG Rover will keine Firma ein zweites Mal durchlaufen. Zur Zeit suche man rund 600 Arbeitskräfte, um hauptsächlich Nischenmodelle zu bauen. Offensichtlich sind jedoch britische Arbeiter bedeutend teurer als chinesische, sodass man nun mit weniger auskommen will.

[Angus]

PwC blamed over failing Rover deal

By John Revill

Rover administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers have been accused of wrecking any chances of a successful resurrection of the marque under its new Chinese owners.

The firm, which took over the running of the Longbridge carmaker when it collapsed last April, has been forced to sell thousands of cars to raise money for the creditors owed an estimated £1.4 billion.

But the action has been criticised by industry insiders, who said the decision to offload the remaining vehicles had destroyed the market for British-built MG Rovers.

The claim came as it emerged that Nanjing Automobile, to who PwC sold MG Rover for £53 million last July, is considering downsizing its Longbridge operation from a projected 1,200 workers to 600.

The source, who asked not to be named, criticised PwC for making Rover unviable by selling off the uncompleted stock of 75s, 25s, 45s and TFs to dealers at discounted prices.

The source said: "Thousands of cars have been sold off and that has destroyed the market for them.

"MG ZTTs for example have a list price of nearly £25,000 but are now being sold for £12,500; MG TFs used to be sold for £17,700, but are now going for £10,500.

"The margins were wafer-thin anyway, but nobody can make a profit on British-built cars at prices like this.

"Building the cars in China and exporting them to the UK to compete with Skoda, Proton and Daewoo in their price ranges is another thing."

But Rob Hunt, partner at PwC and joint administrator at MG Rover, strongly refuted the claims.

He said: "There were 35,000 cars when Rover went into administration and we have sold about 7,500 of them; the remainder have been sold through the dealers or were returned to the banks who leased them.

"I think the fall in price reflected the uncertainty following Rover's collapse.

"Plus the sale of 7,500 cars has raised around £50 million which will go into the pot for the creditors."

Meanwhile, Peter Cooke, professor of automotive industries management at Nottingham Trent University, thought ultimately there could be even less than 600 jobs created at Longbridge.

He said: "You have to ask what are they going to do with 600 jobs? It is not enough to build cars, and even if they are only assembling cars from Chinese kits, it is still only going to be very small volumes.

"Is it going to be a supply base, a place to buy materials or ideas and ship them to China?

"The final job numbers could eventually be lower than 600 or the factory could just fade away."

icBirmingham, Jan 26 2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
PwC für verfehlten Rover-Deal getadelt.
Demnach sollen die Administratoren eine Rückkehr der Marke unter ihren neuen Eigentümern unmöglich gemacht haben. Tausende von Fahrzeugen wurden verkauft, um Geld für die Gläubiger zu beschaffen. Industrie-Spezialisten sagen, dass man dadurch den Markt für britische MG Rover- Fahrzeuge zerstört habe. Alle übrig gebliebenen Fahrzeugbestände seien zu Schnäppchen-Preisen an die Händler verkauft worden. Laut PwC-Angaben wurden jedoch nur 7500 der 35.000 verbliebenen Fahrzeuge verkauft.
Der Professor für Autoindustrielles Management, Peter Cooke, äusserte sich derweil zu den prognostizierten Arbeitsplätzen. Demnach seien 600 Stellen nicht ausreichend, um Autos zu bauen und selbst wenn es nur um den Zusammenbau von vorgefertigten Sätzen ginge, würde man nur eine winzige Menge schaffen können. Womöglich werden es letztlich noch weniger als 600 Arbeitsplätze sein oder das Werk wird in der Bedeutungslosigkeit verschwinden.

[Angus]

MG Comeback Stymied as Austin Healey Name Sold by Family

BIRMINGHAM, England — The consortium planning to revive MG production in Great Britain has suffered a major blow. The family of the late Donald Healey has just sold the rights to the Austin Healey name to a rival group for a cool $2 million.

GB Sports Car (GBSC) is poised to announce a deal with China's Nanjing Automotive, the Chinese owners of MG Rover's assets, to restart production of MG sports cars and sedans in part of the former Rover plant at Longbridge, England. GBSC had wanted to build a new Austin Healey as part of that plan.

But instead, the Healey family has sold the rights to build Healey-brand cars to a new British-American firm, HFI Automotive, which plans to revive the defunct marque and employ 400 workers to make sports cars in Great Britain.

The British newspaper Financial Times reports that HFI has paid some $2 million to the three family members who own the name and has given Margot Healey, daughter-in-law of the original founder, and her daughters, Cecilia and Kate, a "significant" stake in the new company.

Tim Fenna, an automotive consultant and managing director of HFI, said a prototype sports car, called the Healey 3000 after a classic 1960s Austin Healey, had already been tested and should be shown to the public later this year. He noted that the U.S. would be the biggest market for the car.

However, both GBSC and Nanjing claim the Austin Healey name can be used independently of the Healey family, even though Rover, once owner of the name, agreed a decade ago that the family's consent would be needed.

What this means to you: The chaos that surrounds Rover's collapse continues. Looks like GB Sports Car will have to focus on MG, or find another defunct British brand to revive. Luckily, there are plenty of them!

edmunds.com, 01-27-2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Das Konsortium, das im Zuge der MG-Rückkehr auch eine Wiederbelebung der Marke "Austin Healey" plante, hat einen derben Rückschlag erlitten. Die Nachfahren von Donal Healey haben demnach bereits die Namensrechte der Marke an ein anderes britisch-amerikanisches Unternehmen verkauft -für immerhin 2 Millionen Dollar. Dieses plant bereits die Einstellung von 400 Angestellten, um in England Sportwagen zu bauen. Ein Protoyp, der "Healey 3000" wurde bereits gestestet und soll noch in diesem Jahr vorgestellt werden. GBSC und Nanjing sind hingegen der Ansicht, dass der Markenname unabhängig vom Einverständnis der Familie Healey genutzt werden kann, auch wenn Rover vor einigen Jahrzehnten das Gegenteil aussprach.
Jedenfalls bedeutet dies, dass das Chaos um den MG Rover-Zusammenbruch weiter anhält. Es sieht so aus, als müsse sich GBSC nun auf die Marke "MG" konzentrieren oder eben eine andere ehemalige britische Marke zur Nutzung finden. Glücklicherweise gibt es davon reichlich!

[Angus]

Healey marque roars back

One of the most famous names in British sports car building is back! The legendary Healey badge is set to return in 2007 after an absence of more than 30 years.

New company managing director Tim Fenna has described himself as "ecstatic" with the achievement, which is the culmination of at least two years of negotiations between himself, the Healey family and investment group HFI.
Fenna is an engineer and well known Healey fan, and runs a firm producing performance and replacement parts for Austin-Healey Sprites. However, the process of relaunching Healey with a new range of cars starts in earnest this summer, with the unveiling of a concept described by Fenna as a spiritual successor to the Healey 3000.

Although there's no official confirmation, the car could possibly make its debut at the British Motor Show in London in July, and be delivered to customers in 2007.

"The new roadster is a modern design, but when we put it on show, it will be immediately obvious that it's a successor to the 3000," said Fenna. "The car will be powered by a 3.0-litre straight-six, and we've already got a prototype under development."

Firm details on the car are still scarce, but it's expected to be pitched as a British-built alternative to the Porsche Boxster and Mercedes SLK. However, there's no word  yet on the vehicle's price. As with the Healey 3000 from the Sixties, the new machine will be a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive two-seater. It's expected that the chassis will be hand-built, as will much of the bodywork.

"Our business plan is still confidential," said Fenna. "However, we are looking at factories in Wales and the Midlands." Once the firm is at full production, it expects to hire at least 400 employees. "The exact location will ultimately be decided by the skill set of the local people," confirmed Fenna.

Rumours suggest that the firm could choose Warwick as its home, taking the company back to the city where it was first established by Donald Healey. The announcement of the Healey family's deal with HFI and Fenna is likely to have a major impact on the GB Sports Car Company's pitch to revive the Austin-Healey brand with the help of Chinese company Nanjing Automotive. There had been speculation that GBSCC would reveal a concept based on the MG SV at the British Motor Show.

Despite the obvious rivalry with GBSCC, Fenna said: "I don't want to talk about its plans because it's not in anyone's interests to get into a slanging match. I would rather focus on the future of our company. We've got a running prototype for a first car, and have started work on a second vehicle."

Auto Express, Wednesday 1st February 2006 


Aus dem Inhalt:
Healey kommt zurück. Eine der bekanntesten Marken der britischen Sportwagengeschichte soll 2007 nach nunmehr 30 Jahren wiederkehren. Neuer Firmenchef ist Tim Fenna von der HFI. Die Rückkehr der Marke wird in diesem Sommer beginnen und eine neue Modellpalette mit sich bringen, u.a. soll der Healey 3000 vorgestellt werden. Ziel sei eine britische Alternative zu Porsche Boxter und Mercedes SLK. Die Übernahme der Markenrechte hatte jüngst für Aufruhr gesorgt, da GBSCC mit Unterstützung von Nanjing den Markennamen selber reanimieren wollte, u.a. sollte ein Konzept auf Basis des MG SV (unter Healey-Logo) noch in diesem Jahr vorgestellt werden. Fenna sagte dazu, dass niemand Interesse an einem Wortgefecht zwischen HFI und GBSCC habe. Die Arbeit an einem zweiten Fahrzeug habe man derweil bereits begonnen.

[Angus]

Rover's return to start on sports cars

Plans by the new Chinese owner of MG Rover for the revival of the British business have been scaled back to focus on sports cars, according to people close to negotiations between Nanjing Automobile and GB Sports Car, its UK partner.

Nanjing, which paid £53m last July for the assets of Rover, agreed at a meeting with GB Sports this week to drop plans for the early restart of production of large saloons at the Longbridge factory in Birmingham.

It will instead focus on setting up a smaller sports car business, involving fewer jobs initially and lower investment.

However, Nanjing has signalled its commitment to British production by requesting a long-term lease on 100 acres of the sprawling Longbridge site, about a quarter of the land previously used by Rover.

According to people close to both sides, St Modwen, the property company that owns the site, is in talks with Nanjing about the terms of a lease, which is due to expire in three weeks.

This week's talks, held at Nanjing's Longbridge offices, concluded that the business should start by producing an updated version of the MG TF two-seater, requiring about 600 workers.

This is only half the number of staff Nanjing had hoped to take on under the old business plan but the company is understood to be hoping it can still expand the business enough to require the full complement of 1,200 within a few years. Rover employed 6,100 before it collapsed under debts of more than £1.4bn last April.

The less ambitious start would halve the initial investment required to about £75m, according to one person involved in the negotiations. "In the short term the business plan is much smaller," he said. The aim is still to reach output of 50,000-80,000 cars a year in the UK, although much remains to be negotiated.

Financal Times, February 3 2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Rovers Rückkehr beginnt mit Sportwagen. NACs Pläne zur Rückkehr der Produktion wurden laut Informanten auf den Bau von Sportwagen begrenzt. NAC und GBSCC kamen demnach überein, dass man von einer frühe Rückkehr der Produktion von größeren Limousinen nach Longbridge vorerst absieht. Stattdessen will man sich auf ein kleineres Sportwagengeschäft konzentrieren, mit weniger Arbeitsplätzen und geringeren Kosten. NAC will seiner Verpflichtung jedoch nachkommen und ist in Gesprächen mit dem Eigentümer des Werksgeländes, um einen langfristigen Mietvertrag über rund 100 Morgen auszuhandeln.
Die Autoproduktion sieht zunächst eine überarbeitete Version des MG TF mit 600 Arbeitsplätzen vor.

[Angus]

Breathing the life back into Rover ghost town

Less than a year ago, it was still a thriving hub of motor manufacturing. Today, Longbridge resembles a ghost town. Its owners, Nanjing Automobile, are hoping to change that, as they told John Revill...

Where thousands of workers once produced cars, there is near-silence and emptiness.

A few Rovers are parked next to the visitors' centre. A Rover 75 bears testimony to the company's demise. These executive saloons once sold for more than £20,000. This one had a sticker on the side, bearing a sale price of just £9,000, such has been the collapse at MG Rover.

A few potential customers milled around the car park, looking for a bargain, while the red Chinese lanterns above the doors to the canteen offered the only clue to the firm's new owners.

In the board room, accessed ironically via the International Sales Office, Nanjing's senior men in Britain hold court at the long table - Xu Jun, of the sales and marketing department; Lin Xiaohu, the preparing director, and Wang Hongbiao, a director and vice president of Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC).

Flags of Britain and China fly in the corner, a display with famous Rover and MG badges looks down from the wall.

The crunch question for Nanjing - what is your plan for Longbridge? - receives a response that is well-rehearsed and gives little in detail.

However, one particular answer may shed light on Nanjing's ultimate long term plan - to build its own cars in China.

"Our intention is very simple; to establish a project in the UK and Nanjing to enable us to make full use of the high technology, good quality products and platforms and Powertrain of MG Rover," said Mr Wang.

"The market in China is vast and there are many companies involved over there. But the cars in China are produced through licensing agreements with foreign automotive firms. This is something that the Chinese government and our automotive companies want to change.

"We want to produce our own, self-owned cars. Through the acquisition of MG Rover we would be able to develop our own independent brand."

It is this which will raise concerns in some quarters about just how long Nanjing will be committed to Longbridge.

Why would Nanjing want to want to continue with a relatively small production outfit once it is capable of mass producing its own vehicles in China?

For now however, there are consoling words about Nanjing's presence in Birmingham.

Mr Wang said the firm would source some components in China, but some could also be obtained in the UK, if cost and quality levels were appropriate.

He said the first cars to come off the production line would be MG TFs, and niche premium cars. MG planned to produce the cars at the same levels as before - about 10-12,000 TFs out of 50,000 vehicles per year.

The remainder would be made up of extensively remodelled ZTs by a workforce of several hundred people.

Mr Wang cited confidentiality agreements at questions about how much money was being raised to realise these plans and what progress had been made with joint venture partners.

The question of money was described, perhaps understandably, as the most confidential. We have to sign confidentiality agreements with all our business partners," he explained.

"This means we cannot even say how much we paid for the company."

But things warmed up a little as we waited to be shown around the site.

Mr Wang said he and his colleagues were committed to Birmingham - they are living here, learning English and celebrated Chinese New Year in the city.

Another sign of commitment - Mr Wang drives a Rover 75.

"Birmingham is a great place to be," he said.

The welcome of Nanjing's directors was in stark contrast to the icy silence of the deserted factory, where only a few unfinished cars and unfitted windscreens remain.

Hopefully Nanjing can breath some life into Longbridge.

It seems as though it has good intentions, but the jury is still out on whether it can pull it off.

icBirmingham, Feb 7 2006

[Angus]

  New MG moves a step closer

The former MG Rover works at Longbridge could soon be home to a brand-new MG car.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, Nanjing Automobile and its UK partner GB Sports Car have reportedly agreed to begin producing a new version of the MG TF roadster.

If the project goes ahead some 600 workers could be employed in building the new sports car. Nanjing has reportedly opened negotiations with the property development company St Mowden about leasing 100 acres of the former production plant.

New Car Net, 07.02.2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Die ehemalige MG Rover-Werkshallen könnten schon bald das Zuhause eines brandneuen MG-Modells sein. Laut Handelsministerium kamen Nanjing und GBSCC überein, eine neue Version des MG TF zu bauen. Verhandlungen über die künftige Nutzung eines Teils des Werksgeländes haben unterdessen begonnen.

[Angus]

BMW chairman ready to give evidence to MG Rover inquiry

By Michael Harrison, Business Editor

The chairman of BMW is keen to give evidence to the committee of MPs investigating the collapse of the car maker MG Rover last year after the takeover of the business by the Phoenix consortium.

Dr Helmut Panke said he was ready and willing to appear before the Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee if asked. "Yes, we will attend if we are called, it is the absolutely logical thing to do," he said.

Mr Panke, who was BMW's finance director at the time the German car maker sold Rover to Phoenix for a nominal £10 in May 2000, said he was keen to set the record straight over claims by the then secretary of state for trade and industry Stephen Byers that ministers had been kept in the dark.

The MPs are investigating not just the demise of MG Rover with 6,000 job losses last April but also the role of the Government in the original sale of the company in 2000 to Phoenix Venture Holdings, a consortium of West Midlands businessmen led by a former Austin Rover chief executive John Towers.

Mr Byers and Patricia Hewitt, who was the trade and industry secretary at the time of MG Rover's demise, are likely to be called to give evidence. Although Mr Byers denied knowledge of BMW's imminent plans either to close or sell Rover, the German car maker insists he was warned on several occasions that it was "five to midnight".

A spokeswoman for the committee said it had not decided who to call to give evidence and did not expect to conduct oral hearings until the end of March. The Department for Trade and Industry has appointed independent inspectors to conduct an investigation into the Rover collapse.

BMW gave Phoenix a dowry of £600m when it took control of MG Rover, but Dr Panke said the most it was likely to receive back from the administrators of the failed company was £7m to £8m it was owed for engine deliveries. He was speaking as BMW published a report from Oxford Economic Forecasting which calculates that the car maker contributes £2.5bn a year to the UK's economic output.

The chairman of BMW is keen to give evidence to the committee of MPs investigating the collapse of the car maker MG Rover last year after the takeover of the business by the Phoenix consortium.

Dr Helmut Panke said he was ready and willing to appear before the Commons Trade and Industry Select Committee if asked. "Yes, we will attend if we are called, it is the absolutely logical thing to do," he said.

Mr Panke, who was BMW's finance director at the time the German car maker sold Rover to Phoenix for a nominal £10 in May 2000, said he was keen to set the record straight over claims by the then secretary of state for trade and industry Stephen Byers that ministers had been kept in the dark.

The MPs are investigating not just the demise of MG Rover with 6,000 job losses last April but also the role of the Government in the original sale of the company in 2000 to Phoenix Venture Holdings, a consortium of West Midlands businessmen led by a former Austin Rover chief executive John Towers.
Mr Byers and Patricia Hewitt, who was the trade and industry secretary at the time of MG Rover's demise, are likely to be called to give evidence. Although Mr Byers denied knowledge of BMW's imminent plans either to close or sell Rover, the German car maker insists he was warned on several occasions that it was "five to midnight".

A spokeswoman for the committee said it had not decided who to call to give evidence and did not expect to conduct oral hearings until the end of March. The Department for Trade and Industry has appointed independent inspectors to conduct an investigation into the Rover collapse.

BMW gave Phoenix a dowry of £600m when it took control of MG Rover, but Dr Panke said the most it was likely to receive back from the administrators of the failed company was £7m to £8m it was owed for engine deliveries. He was speaking as BMW published a report from Oxford Economic Forecasting which calculates that the car maker contributes £2.5bn a year to the UK's economic output.

Independent Online, 10 February 2006

[Angus]

Chinese get more time over Rover  

The owner of MG Rover's Longbridge site is giving Chinese car maker Nanjing more time to come up with a business plan to use part of the site.

St Modwen Properties said it expected the car maker to sign a short-term extension to its current licence, which runs out next Wednesday.

Nanjing needs about 100 acres to restart production of MG sports cars.

The new deal would enable Nanjing to firm up its plans before committing to a long-term contract of 35 years.

Nanjing bought MG Rover for about £50m last year and at the time pledged to consider Longbridge as a location for its manufacturing site.

Anthony Glossop, chairman of St Modwen, said: "At the moment, we see no reason not to be hopeful that there's a long-term future for Nanjing at Longbridge."

If Nanjing signed an initial six-month lease for 100 acres of the site, the remainder of the site would be redeveloped by St Modwen into offices, a technology park and hundreds of homes at a cost of £500m.

BBC News, 13 February 2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Der Eigentümer des Werksgeländes Longbridge gibt dem chinesischen Autobauer Nanjing mehr Zeit für Wirtschaftsplanungen zur Nutzung eines Teils des Geländes. Laut offizieller Aussage erwarte man die Unterzeichnung eines kurzfristigen Verlängerungsabkommens. Die Betriebserlaubnis für die Nutzung des Werksgeländes läuft unter normalen Umständen nächsten Mittwoch aus. Nanjing benötigt für den MG-Autobau rund 100 Morgen der Fläche.
Das kurzfristige Abkommen soll es Nanjing ermöglichen, Unternehmenspläne zu konkretisieren, bevor man einen Nutzungsvertrag über 35 Jahre unterzeichnet.

[Angus]

Tja, die wohl schlechtesten Nachrichten im bisherigen Jahr:

Nanjing in talks to sell MG Rover brand to bid rival

By Tom Bawden and Christine Buckley

DAVID JAMES, the corporate troubleshooter, is understood to be in advanced talks to buy the MG Rover brand from Nanjing, the Chinese carmaker, in a move that could sound the death knell for the Longbridge plant.

The brand would be used to badge Smart Roadster cars, until now made by Mercedes, manufactured at a factory in Coventry. Mr James is believed to have agreed to buy the design, technology and equipment of Mercedes' Smart Roadster car for about €20 million (£13.7 million) and the now-defunct Dunlop tyre factory in Coventry for about €10 million.

He plans to buy the MG brand from Nanjing — for less than half the £53 million the Chinese company paid for the Rover group — so that he can make MG- branded Smart Roadsters. A deal could be agreed as soon as today.

Mr James lost out to Nanjing in the auction to buy the group last year but has remained interested in the business.

He is being backed by Access Capital, a private equity firm set up by Grant Gazdig, a former colleague of Robin Saunders at WestLB. He is thought to have backing from a mystery wealthy individual, as well as European American Securities, a private equity firm with about £600 million under management.

Last night the Conservative Party threw their weight behind the latest attempt by Mr James to buy MG and pressed the Department of Trade and Industry to help to facilitate the talks and to provide grants to help restart production.

Alan Duncan, Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary, said: "This is the only game in town and I am urging the DTI to help the serious prospect of reviving MG production in the West Midlands. I would like them to facilitate talks and take the move by Mr James seriously. I want to see car production restart in Britain."

A DTI spokeswoman said that she was aware of the talks but had not received a request for help from Mr James.

Richard Burden, the Labour MP for Birmingham Northfield, which includes the Longbridge site, said: "A move away from Longbridge would be very disappointing considering Nanjing's public statements about its commitment to this area."

He also accused Mr Duncan of exploiting the uncertainty over the future of Longbridge for political ends. Since Nanjing has already transported most of Rover's equipment to China, the manufacture of its flagship MG brand in Coventry would effectively sign the death knell for the Longbridge plant.

Project Kimber, the acquisition vehicle headed by Mr James, has a team of about 30 engineers ready to make the MG. The team is led by Barrie Wills, who set up a motor consultancy in 1983 and planned and managed the production launch of the Lotus Elan sports car.

Nanjing's takeover of Rover has been the subject of speculation since it was agreed last July.

The Times February 17, 2006

Aus dem Inhalt:
Nanjing in Gesprächen über den Verkauf von MG Rover an einen Konkurrenten.
Demnach sei David James -ehemaliger Bieter für MG Rover- in fortschreitenden Gesprächen, um die MG Rover-Marke von Nanjing zu kaufen. Dieser Zug könnte den endgültigen Todesstoß für das Longbridge-Werk bedeuten. Die Marke würde benutzt werden, um Smart Roadster -bisher von Mercedes gebaut- in einer Fabrik in Coventry zu fertigen. James habe bereits zugestimmt, die Design-Rechte, Technologie und Equipment des Mercedes Smart Roadster für etwa 20 Millionen Euro sowie die ehemalige Dunlop-Fabrik in Coventry für rund 10 Millionen Euro zu kaufen. Er plane weiterhin, die Marke "MG" von Nanjing zu kaufen, für weniger als die Hälfte der 53 Millionen Pfund, welche der chinesische Hersteller für die Rover Group zahlte. Eine Einigung könnte bereits heute (!) erreicht werden. Es stünden auch bereits 30 Mechaniker zur Verfügung, um die neuen MGs zu bauen.
Die Übernahme von MG Rover im letzten Juli durch Nanjing war stets von Spekulationen geprägt.
Politiker, Funktionäre etc. plädierten derweil für eine unbedingte Rückkehr der Autoproduktion nach England.

[Angus]

Der Smart Roadster könnte als MG Rover wiedergeboren werden

Der chinesische Autobauer Nanjing Automobile verhandelt laute eines Zeitungsberichts mit dem britischen Unternehmer David James über den Verkauf der Traditionsmarke MG Rover. Demnach hat der Brite schon konkrete Pläne für den Namen.

HB LONDON. Die Gespräche seien in einem fortgeschrittenen Stadium, berichtete die britische Zeitung ,,The Times" am Freitag. James wolle die Marke MG Rover für einen neuen Zweisitzer nutzen. Der neue Wagen soll auf dem von Daimler-Chrysler eingestellten Modell Smart Roadster basieren, schreibt das Blatt ohne Angabe von Quellen.

Der Smart Roadster wurde zumeist in Handarbeit gefertigt und nur in geringer Stückzahl produziert, was sich letztlich nicht rechnete. Daimler-Chrysler hatte der verlustträchtigen Tochter Smart bis 2007 Zeit gegeben, um mit einer gestrafften Modellpalette und nahezu halbierte Belegschaft erstmals schwarze Zahlen zu schreiben. Dem im Frühjahr 2005 verkündeten Sanierungsplan fiel der Smart Roadster zum Opfer, auch die Entwicklung eines Smart-Geländewagens wurde gestoppt.

Eine Smart-Sprecherin erklärte, zu laufenden Verhandlungen äußere sich das Unternehmen nicht. Nach der Einstellung der Produktion im vergangenen November habe es mehrere Interessenten am Roadster gegeben. Bisher sei noch kein entsprechender Vertrag unterzeichnet worden. In dem Bericht der ,,Financial Times" ist von einem Joint Venture zwischen Nanjing und James die Rede. James war zu einer Stellungnahme nicht zu erreichen.

MG Rover war im April 2005 unter einer Schuldenlast von 1,4 Mrd. Pfund zusammengebrochen. Darafhin hatte Nanjing den Autobauer im Juli gekauft.

HANDELSBLATT, Freitag, 17. Februar 2006