MG to Bring Three New Cars to Europe – U.S. Plans Scrapped

In addition to a revamped version of the current TF LE500 roadster, NAC, the Chinese owner of MG is planning to introduce three new models in Europe according to company’s managing director, Gary Hagen. “We’re planning a four-car range of MGs – first to arrive will be a mid-sized saloon sharing its platform with the Roewe 550. The planned introduction for this car is late 2010 and, looking at today’s marketplace, I see the main opposition as being the Mazda 6,” said Hagen in an interview with the British website Austin Rover Online. -Continued

“After that, there will be a C-segment compact and a B-segment supermini – and, no, that won’t be the MG3 SW, which has been a major success for us in China. Clearly, we have the capacity to build these cars in Longbridge and the Chinese are keen for this to happen,” added Hagen.

NAC MG’s managing director also took the opportunity to shed some light on the company’s ‘on and off’ plans for a return into the North American market. “We’re starting with the UK and Ireland and, once we’re up to speed, we will be pushing to sell in Europe. The USA isn’t on the short-term radar as an anticipated market for us but, with the right product, it would be good to return there,” Hagen told Austin Rover Online. The MG brand disappeared from U.S. dealerships in the early 1980s.

Via: Austin Rover Online

MG TF LE500 Production Commencing at Longbridge Plant in August 2008

Chinese carmaker NAC MG who owns the rights to the MG name has announced that production of the TF LE500 mid-engined roadster will commence at MG Rover’s Longbridge plant in Birmingham at the beginning of August, with the first cars delivered to showrooms in September.

The revived MG TF LE500 is virtually a mildly facelifted version of the original MG TF that was introduced in 1995 when the British marque was still under the control of BMW -talk about retro... The roadster received two facelifts in 1999 and 2002 before it went out of production in 2005. -Continued

Chairman for NAC MG UK Ltd, Mr He, Xiao Qing, said; “I am delighted to be in a position to talk about a launch date for the TF LE500 following a process of planning, re-organisation, active quality improvements and parts optimization that we recognize resulted in frustration for our stakeholders. We are now fully focused on bringing our hard work to fruition.”

NAC MG added that the company is planning to extend the MG range into additional sectors in the near future.