New era for former rover plant

The massive site in Birmingham was spectacularly re-opened with a lavish ceremony by new Chinese owners Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC).

Marking the re-start of the newly re-commissioned car production line - which will build the MG TF sports car - NAC CEO Yu Jian Wei described the West Midlands factory as having an "irreplaceable role in the MG project".

He said: "The UK is home to MG and it has a profound affection for MG. MG is the pride of the British people. It has a glorious past. We are the inheritors of this brand and we will continue to push forward our internationalisation strategy and continue to write new chapters for MG. Longbridge has an irreplaceable role in the MG project - it is front line of our internationalisation strategy. This is the re-birth of MG."

Three pre-production TF sports cars - the majority of production carried out at the Longbridge factory - were driven off as part of the ceremony, which also included a cavalcade of MG cars and a colourful display of balloons and confetti.

Almost 6,000 workers lost their jobs when MG Rover went out of business, dealing a huge blow to the UK car industry in general and the West Midlands economy in particular. The crisis blew up just before the last general election and led to jobs being lost in companies which supplied the car giant with goods and services.

The site currently employs 130 workers - a figure NAC plans to increase to 250 by the end of the year. It also plans to produce 15,000 cars per year - TFs along with brand new models - at the Longbridge site during its first phase.

Mr Yu declined to give an exact time scale of this phase, adding that it depended on sales and the success of the brand in the UK. He said the TF sports car would hit the shops in September/October time, but production would begin from today.

Speaking at the launch, Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby said: "I was here on that fateful night when Rover collapsed. The sense of loss to this community and to Birmingham as a whole was profound. Many thought this day would never come. Today is a day of celebration and optimism. We are seeing the beginning of the process that will re-establish quality production at the site. We look forward to Longbridge and the MG mark becoming a centre of excellence."

Mr Yu said NAC was working on a number of new MG models, which would be produced at the Longbridge site, including a hard top TF. The majority of production on the TF model would be carried out at Longbridge, with some parts manufactured in China and Europe, he said. A research centre is also due to be created at the Longbridge site.