I know the team that worked in the MG5 ev, it’s actually designed in Chiba as the Roewe i5 The team were engaged at the old Rover works at Longbridge to “Europeanise” the car. Soon as they did so, the team was let go and all design and development went back to Roewe in China. Some if the team came to us at AML afterwards. Longbridge is now essentially a sales garage and not a lot else. Tge MG range is as English as saukraut
MG Cars is now owned by MG Motor UK, who is owned by SAIC Motor
Nanjing Automobile Group purchased MG’s assets in 2005, the Longbridge plant entered a state of limbo, with frequent attempts to restart production. In 2016 the plant officially ceased all vehicle production and was converted into a research and development facility for SAIC Motors, which closed in 2019.
2019 on – The design studio and HQ is now based in a newly renovated building in the heart of London on Marylebone Road. The new creative space is SAIC’s first facility to specialise in Advanced Digital Design Technology, and works in conjunction with the automotive manufacturer’s to support future product designs for brands including MG and Roewe.
Advanced London is the second SAIC Motor design studio to be established in Europe, following the studio in Longbridge, which opened in 2011. The London Design Studio will focus more on advanced design research projects and creative exploration of conceptual ideas. London makes use of advanced virtual reality technology to design vehicles, which allows for the designers to fully immerse themselves into the design concepts, greatly improving the level of detail at which ideas can be reviewed before they are turned into more costly physical models. Using state-of-the-art functions such as this will allow Advanced London to explore innovative design concepts, broadening design possibilities. Advanced London is managed by SAIC Design European Advanced Design Director Carl Gotham.
SAIC took ownership of the MG brand, and from 2010 onwards, the newly released MG 6 was produced in China. However, from 13 April 2011, MG Motor produced the MG 6 at Longbridge. From 2013, the MG 3 also saw some limited final assembly at the same factory.
Activity at Longbridge was gradually reduced. It was announced in September 2016 that production at the Longbridge facility was to be stopped in 2016 and moved to China, with Matthew Cheyne, head of sales and marketing at MG Motor UK, citing “moving production abroad was a necessary business decision”. Twenty-five employees were made redundant as a result of the move and other employees moved to different areas. This marked the end of MG production in the UK, and production was fully moved to China, with later a factory in Thailand.
In 2019 MG Motor was set to open a fourth factory in China, in Ningde, Fujian Province. The factory specialise’s in producing electric vehicles, with the new all-electric production sports car being produced at the factory. MG and Roewe’s upcoming SUV, codenamed IS 32 (MG) and IS 31 (Roewe), are also set to be produced at the factory.