Nanjing owns the MG brand, all the models from MGrover Nanjing builds will have use the MG brand. Will SAIC buy Rover so Nanjing will use MG and SAIC use rover. If they don't buy the Rover brand from BMW can they use a similar name like Rovver or Roverz or Roverr. Rolls Royce and Bentley make the same cars but Rolls Royce is owned by BMW and Bentley is owned by volkswagen/audi, the nanjing MG SAIC rover will be similar to rolls royce bentley.

Is this true? I have seen posts elsewhere quoting the Birmingham News that say that SAIC have secured the Rover brand for US$21 or thereabouts.

I believe they did, check this thread mate

http://www.chinacarforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=767

I should have said US$21million, of course! Thanks, Axle, I had seen that post but wasn't sure as it said reports elsewhere. Our Birmingham News reports a similar story but it seems strangely quiet on all the news releases if this is official. The trouble with the UK press is that they are quick to report rumour rather than substantiated fact - part of the problem relating to the discussions with SAIC in the first place - they were not too keen on the publicity that was surrounding their talks.

Axle, I see you are in Adelaide, and I gather from another post that NAC-MG (Nanjing) have apparently been in talks with HSV - do you know anything more from your part of the world?

Nope, haven't heard anything about Nanjing and HSV doing buisiness together. HSV (Holden Special Vehicles), since its conception, has mainly focused on Holden branded vehicles so for me it would be strange to hear that they would do tuning for an outside company, but you never know.

HSV is part owned by TWR who I think do engineering for other Auto brands.

So TWR may be doing some engineering projects for SAIC.

HSV History - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Special_Vehicles

Oh dear, TWR! Part of the reason MG Rover went pear shaped - they did much of the work here in the UK on the 45 replacement until TWR went into receivership a few years ago meaning all the work done was on hold for a while before being brought in-house.

Anyway, I will keep searching for more definite news of the brand and whether BMW have sold it. I'll let you know if I see anything for definite in teh way of a press release.

On Brit-Car forums this has been posted...it may explain the lack of news reports.

(The Birmingham Post Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Shanghai Automotive - one of the failed bidders for MG Rover - has bought the Rover name for pounds 11.5 million.

Shanghai will announce this month it has bought the right to use the marque from BMW, which kept rights to the name after it pulled out of Rover in 2000.

BMW last night denied a sale, but The Birmingham Post understands a press conference will take place on August 22. A new badge has been designed.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) beat off competition for the name from Nanjing Automobile, the company which bought the assets of the Longbridge firm for pounds 53 million last year.

The name is likely to be used on the new Rover 25s and 75s SAIC plans to produce this year. A stretch version of the Rover 75 is also planned by SAIC, which won intellectual property rights to the cars.

The Shanghai enterprise, which has worked with General Motors and Volkswagen, plans to invest pounds 900 million to launch 30 models with its own technology over five years.

An industry insider said: "Nanjing really wanted the brand, but only offered pounds 500,000 because they didn't think BMW would sell to someone else. Nanjing thought they should have got it because they are at Long bridge and are carrying on the tradition. It is a UK name and part of the UK motoring heritage, they never thought BMW would dare sell to anyone else.

"Nanjing thought there would be pressure from press and public to keep the Rover name here, but it never happened. SAIC wants to sell cars on the international market and must have an international brand."

Peter Cooke, professor of automotive industry management at Nottingham Business School, said: "It would be logical for Shanghai to buy the Rover name as they have aspirations to get into Europe, although how strong the name is after all the years in the mire is another matter.

"Rover is a global brand and the Chinese are obsessional about brands. It is a high price, but brands are worth a lot of money and take a long time to build up. This is a brand that is available and could kick start their plans to sell internationally."

I wonder if SsangYong will be renamed Rover in Europe. It would be a good move IMHO as SsangYong doesn't sound very good over here and because rover is a recognised brand. Also the link with Land Rover would be helpfull...

One of the restrictions BMW imposed on Phoenix when they were licensed to use the Rover name was that it could not be used on a 4x4. This was at Ford's insistence because in the USA, most people call a Land Rover a Rover. Ford had right of first refusal were BMW ever to sell the Rover brand, but presumably with Ford entrenched in its own problems they were unable to protect the Land Rover brand. I assume that the sale of the Rover name to SAIC will not be with any restrictions on how it is used.
I wonder if BMW will now sell off the Riley and Triumph names it still owns. There was talk in the late 90s of a slightly sportier 75 to be badged as a Riley, and then this year there were rumours about a MINI floorpan being used for a small Triumph sportscar, but ntohing further happened, I think BMW decided not to go ahead with the Triumph idea. Triumph, in this case, refers to the cars, and is nothing to do Triumph motorcycles.

To be honest I can't see Rover selling in the UK very well because many people who were loyal Rover buyers simple won't buy a Rover unless there is some production in the UK. If they really want a "75" then they will buy the MG version because Nanjing are respecting the identity of the brand buy building the TF here. In addition the MG badge means residuals will be better.

SAIC really need to go on a PR excercise in Britain or Rover will sell less cars than Proton...

Proton is selling in the UK? What about TATA. Do they pass crash and emission tests.

Latest news in the last couple of hours is that Ford have decided to exercise their right to buy the Rover brand from BMW. It appears to be a move simply to protect the Land Rover brand as most Americans refer to their Land Rover as a Rover and don't appreciate that a Rover is a passenger car, not a 4x4.

Hi Martin, this is really bad news for Shanghai. It is also bad news for all those Rover dealers in the world who hoped to switch to Shanghai Rover products, keeping the Rover name.
What to do now? Old Shanghai names are FENGHUANG (Phoenix) and SHANGHAI. I understand the Central Government is nowadays against the use of city and province names for consumer products.
Or LUSHENG, as the Chinese name of the 75 is going to be?

Looks like they will call them Dragons! :nono:

http://auto.sohu.com/20060913/n245316983.shtml

WOW SAIC won't be to happy with this result.

As for calling a Rover a Dragon I'm sorry its not British.

Using the name Phoenix would be a little ironic! Given the fact that Pheonix Venture Holdings burnt the company to the ashes!

Thanks for the update, Windy.

Note that Ssangyong (Owned by SAIC) means "Twin Dragons" in Malaysian so there will be a family connection if that article is correct. :)

Can't wait to see the dragonboat badge to replace Rovers longboat badge! :D

Interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal.

SAIC unfazed by failed Rover bid
The Wall Street Journal Asia
Wednesday September 20th, 2006
(c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

BEIJING — SAIC Motor Corp., the Chinese partner of U.S. auto maker General Motors Corp., said the failure to buy the Rover name won't derail plans to develop its own car brand. German luxury-car maker BMW AG said it would sell the Rover brand to Ford Motor Co. after the U.S. company expressed the need Monday to own the trademark for its Land Rover business.

The news is another setback for SAIC in its effort to produce its own brand of cars after losing to Chinese rival Nanjing Automobile Group to acquire the U.K.'s MG Rover Group Ltd. last year.

The Shanghai auto group, which also has a joint venture with Germany's Volkswagen AG, still owns the intellectual-property rights to two Rover models, the 25 and 75.

Zhu Xiangjun, a spokeswoman for SAIC, said any failure to buy the Rover brand wouldn't "hurt the production of [SAIC's] own brand cars. We will launch our own brand car in the fourth quarter as scheduled."

SAIC set up SAIC Motor Manufacturing Co. this year to develop of its own brand cars, using technology bought from MG Rover Group last year.

Ford said Monday it would buy the Rover name from BMW, which sold the Land Rover sport-utility vehicle business to Ford in 2000. Ford was granted the right of first refusal for the Rover name when the deal was signed.

"We can confirm that Ford is making use of their right of first refusal regarding the sale of the Rover trademark," BMW spokesman Marc Hassinger said.

According to the contract signed in 2000, if Ford wishes to buy the brand name, BMW has to sell it, Mr. Hassinger said, adding that a deal would be signed soon. He declined to disclose details.

Kenneth Hsu, a spokesman for Ford Motor China, said the U.S. auto maker deemed the Rover brand important for Land Rover's "brand integrity and future development." He declined to disclose the price Ford will pay for the brand.

Mr. Hsu said the deal is part of the U.S. company's "global consideration," but Ford doesn't have a plan "for now" to make Land Rovers in China.

Jia Xinguang, chief analyst at China National Automotive Industry Consulting & Developing Corp., said buying the Rover brand would have helped boost SAIC-brand car sales in China. But SAIC may "not necessarily" be hurt by its failure to buy the trademark if the Chinese company is able to promote its own brand successfully, he said.

Director of Communications at SAIC, Huang Huaqiong in interview. Google translation:

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Ford will purchase Rover trademark light, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation is expected to be in before it?

A : We are more than prepared Rover vehicle production package, which should also include the acquisition of Rover by Ford after the reserve program. Rover brands in the overseas for the promotion of the well-known benefits to a certain extent, but in the final analysis, it can create name influence, the key is still to see the quality of their products and services after 2:00 SAIC now fully equipped.

2. Rover lost the trademark, as a model of a Rover 75 car models, the first brand SAIC, will lower its market position?

A: Definitely not. Our position is a high-class vehicle models, but we have a Russian vehicle production of the Rover 75 to greater than the original. Moreover, many consumers are aware, the Rover 75 have their own positions on relatively high, even in the absence of the Rover trademark, we will maintain our position will not change our direction.

3. SAIC is the first direct link between the vehicle linked to SAIC SAIC signs of self-brand or trademark? It has been reported that before the SAIC brand called "Road Q," Is it true?

A : This is certainly not true. Since we established for SAIC certainly is a familiar brand name, like "Q Road" by the name of "Q", and many people do not even know you read it, we will never use this name. It can tell you these things because we need a brand.

4. Beijing auto show in November, SAIC What action?

A : We will release it in October of the new brand, and the Beijing auto show in November, we will carry brand-new car models to exhibitors. SAIC and the new year will be a comprehensive listing vehicle sales, although specific price and time to market is not disclosed, I believe it is a competitive price.

Quality vehicles are based on three things:
Design
Components
Assembly

There's a 4th factor - branding! The Germans have made engineering an art, and their cars are generally seen as reliable. People aspire to German cars. Japanese cars are without a doubt the most reliable but few Westerners aspire to Japanese car ownership - because the brands are not seen as exciting or aspirational.

The 75 was an excellent design, using reliable components with a state-of-the-art assembly line. Presuambly SAIC aim to improve this further - but the fact is that in the minds of the Western buyers, it will still be a Chinese car. How does SAIC overcome that hurdle? Even with teh Rover name it was bound to have still faced that objection of "Made in China".

Wouldn't it make more sense for SAIC to try and buy the Triumnph brand off BMW? I suppose as BMW clearly aren't in a hurry to sell the brand it may cost a fair bit...

There's also Riley they could attempt to get off BMW. BMW did talk about a MINI based Triumph Roadster earlier this year, so maybe they still have plans for the Triumph name.

Quality vehicles are based on three things:
Design
Components
Assembly

There's a 4th factor - branding! The Germans have made engineering an art, and their cars are generally seen as reliable. People aspire to German cars. Japanese cars are without a doubt the most reliable but few Westerners aspire to Japanese car ownership - because the brands are not seen as exciting or aspirational.

The 75 was an excellent design, using reliable components with a state-of-the-art assembly line. Presuambly SAIC aim to improve this further - but the fact is that in the minds of the Western buyers, it will still be a Chinese car. How does SAIC overcome that hurdle? Even with teh Rover name it was bound to have still faced that objection of "Made in China".

It will take some time to build up brand image. Just like Japanese luxury names, like Acura from Honda , and Lexus from Toyota. They need some time to develop their own image and are now challenging European brand names.

By Li Tiezheng

On September. 19, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited and Ford Motor China issued their statement respectively on the matter of buying the Rover brand name from BMW AG, making clear the hot topic in automotive industry that once led to speculations.

SAIC Motor Corp. declared three points in its statement:

"Firstly, SAIC Motor Corp. has always been following the internationalization development strategy at a high starting-point. Our first independent product, being developed with the cooperation of SAIC's overseas research and development group (Europe), on the basis of the entire intellectual property rights of the original Rover 75, will be better in the technology and quality than the original one. Rover has certain reputation and cognition in overseas market, and to some extent has the same taste and quality with our products. If we adopt Rover brand name, our exploitation process in the overseas market will be shortened. Considering its influence in the overseas market, we have had negotiation with BMW AG about the Rover brand name. But we believe that the establishment of a brand is based on consumers' feelings about the product and the service.

Secondly, in domestic market, based on our market cognition and target market orientation, we will, in accordance with set brand strategy, create a new medium-high class brand for our target consumption group, endow it with new brand connotations and orientation, and offer Chinese consumers entirely new products and services.

Thirdly, the independent projects of SAIC Motor Corp. are going smoothly at present. According to the plan, in early October, we will publicize the first internationalized brand name of the independent projects in SAIC Motor Corp., and will release the first product later, which will go on sale in domestic market at the end of the year."

In the statement of Ford Motor China, it was said that "In 2000 when Ford Motor Company bought Land Rover from BMW AG, Ford also asked to buy the Rover brand name, but BMW had no intention to sell at that moment. Therefore, the two sides signed 'Trade Mark Co-Existence Agreement' which specified that Ford company had the prior right to buy the Rover brand name, that is to say, if BMW has the mind to sell the Rover brand name in future, Ford will have the preemption. Earlier in this year, BMW informed Ford its intention to sell the Rover brand name, and Ford could exercise its right to buy within 90 days as stipulated in the Agreement. In order to protect the Land Rover brand name all over the world and for the consideration of future business development, since 6 years ago when the agreement was signed up, Ford Motor Company has been always considering that it is crucial for Land Rover to hold the Rover brand name. Therefore, we notified BMW formally yesterday (September 18, 2006) that we would exercise our preemption to buy the Rover brand name."

Rover was a long-stand auto brand, born in the 1940s. Until 1994, its owner - British Rover Group - has been sold many times and finally was merged by German BMW AG. In 2000, BMW divided Rover Group by selling Land Rover to Ford and transferring Rover and MG saloon business to British venture investors, and restructured MG Rover Auto Group Co. Ltd. (MG Rover for short). BMW transferred the MG brand name to MG Rover company but still kept the Rover brand name and authorized the production of MG Rover.

In 2004, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group) purchased the passenger vehicle production technology of Rover when negotiating with MG Rover company over the possibility to set up a joint venture company. In 2005, MG Rover failed in the negotiation with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group) over the joint venture issue, and then the company went into bankruptcy management.

Later, Nanjing Automotive purchased the assets of MG Rover and stopped it from bankruptcy. The assets include factory, facilities (facilities for producing Rover passenger vehicle) and MG brand name and MG automotive technology.

In 2006, after negotiation with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group), BMW decided to sell Rover brand name. Therefore, within 90 days after receiving the notice from BMW (Sept. 27th being the deadline), Ford has the priority to buy Rover brand name as stipulated in the Agreement signed 6 years ago. Some expert stated the result of the case of buying Rover briefly: two Chinese automotive companies and one American automotive company bought three things from British automotive company; Shanghai Automotive bought the software for producing Rover, Nanjing Automotive bought the hardware for producing Rover and MG brand name and production technology, and Ford purchased the Rover brand name.

It is this result that caused various discussion and conjecture. Against such discussion, a insider of SAIC Motor Corp. disclosed that SAIC had already known Ford's priority in buying the Rover brand name. Though SAIC wanted to buy the Rover brand name as well and has negotiated with BMW over the issue, it hadn't determined to win. SAIC believes that they will create an internationalized independent brand on the basis of already-purchased software someday in future, and will go to the world along with the weight of China's automotive market within global scope; Rover brand name is really not the matter.

Nanjing Automotive kept silence on this. It's analyzed that by using the purchased Rover facilities, Nanjing Automotive are producing MG cars, and have nothing to do with this. However, Ford said definitely that as Rover has the same origin with their Land Rover, they would exercise their priority to buy the brand to avoid any possible trouble in future.

Professional analysts reckon that the acquisition among enterprises is pure business. The buyer and the seller have their own intention and goals. As for the result, no matter who will win profit and who will lose, the two sides and market competition will decide; and it's none of others' business.





Source:CE.cn

Did they check this out with even 1 English speaking person? !!!!!!




SAIC own new vehicles using "Rover" naming "Rongwei" Roewe
http://auto.QQ.com (http://auto.qq.com/) At 12:06 on October 12, 2006 Internet Auto Market
http://auto.qq.com/a/20061012/000073.htm (http://auto.qq.com/a/20061012/000073.htm)

http://img1.qq.com/auto/pics/1725/1725938.jpg

October 12, Shanghai Automobile (Group) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Automobile shares") officially announced that its own brand name "Rong-wei (Roewe)" take "for innovation award, carrying universal." Rongwei brand slogan "Innovation plastic classic pyramid", and expressed it in the international vision and innovative ideas in the international auto transmission advanced technology to create an international brand new classic determination and confidence. SAIC has also announced that its successor the British classic models in the first core technology products, will be officially unveiled on the 24th of this month. It is understood that SAIC Overseas (Europe) R & D center for the joint development of the product, in terms of quality, technology content, environmental standards and so on the face of effective memory products with the original remodeling. So far, China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation to build a high-class international auto brands has officially entered the stage of commercial operation.

Automobile Group, Shanghai Automobile, chairman of the shares that it in the "11th Five-Year Plan" aims to become the leading domestic and international business is the core competitiveness and the ability of large auto groups. Build its own international brands, SAIC is a solid step towards achieving this goal, will make it in achieving sustainable development.

http://img1.qq.com/auto/pics/1725/1725939.jpg

SAIC vice chairman and SAIC president Chen Hong said : SAIC has always followed the shares on high international leaps and bounds development strategy to create a competitive edge in the international market with their own brand name is our mission. To the products starting point for the foundation, "Rong-wei (Roewe)" is a new culture and values of middle and high-end brands, it is SAIC issued an important step in achieving the international development strategy.

Reportedly, "Rong-wei (Roewe)", will be located in the middle - to-high-end markets, its target customers are knowledgeable, cultivation and development success, innovative breakthroughs, positive and progressive, sophisticated consumers. "Rongwei (Roewe)" brand consumers will create an array of distinguished, confident and productive enterprise content of the brand experience, while SAIC also sought based on Rover (Rover) 75 platform for the development of core technology from the "Rongwei (Roewe)" in the first products to consumers "classic, creative, self-control" products and services experience.

"Has become a core business capability and international competitiveness of the car (Holdings)" for their own development goals SAIC shares fully reflected its own brand name of SAIC "starting point to build international brands" strategic differences of ideas. Middle and high-end car market is concentrated tests comprehensive strength and competitiveness of enterprises and also the biggest market in the field of gold content, independent brands breakthrough in this field is essential to leap in China's automobile industry development step. Automobile direct selection of high-end brand positioning, strong brands face fierce competition from global automobile giants, has been expected, but also fraught with challenges.

Rover acquisitions of "plot"

Yugoslavia was one of the earliest steam conversion Rover car business, but due to limited capital, we hope that the SAIC will provide about one billion yuan for a loan to build a tripartite joint venture company. However, SAIC hopes to become a major shareholder in the project and holds a 50% stake. Steam hesitation in the South, SAIC started separate negotiations with Rover.

June 16, 2003, SAIC signed strategic cooperation agreement with Rover, including development New car Type, expanding Rover global auto market, the Chinese market is the key.

November 22, 2004, SAIC Rover is openly negotiated plan funded one billion pounds (about 10.9 billion yuan) acquisition of Rover.

In December 2004, the Rover 67 million pounds investor SAIC agreed to buy nearly all the core technology of the Rover's intellectual property.

At this time, Southern Steam, "a change of heart", and in February acquired Rover and SAIC reach agreement.

Yet another variable, April 7, 2005, Rover declared bankruptcy, SAIC then claimed in a statement that Rover has been part of the core assets, and has explicitly indicated that it will not acquire all the assets of Rover, the joint venture company plans followed 1.1 Rover from bankruptcy after the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers care.

In July 2005, SAIC and Magma joint announcement, the two sides signed a letter of intent to cooperate jointly bid for Rover and the joint management systems.

SAIC has made on the venue of a bankrupt Rover, South automobile third attack, issued a separate purchase all the assets of Rover to offer.

Then PricewaterhouseCoopers announced that in addition to steam it in the South, there is also a British ProjectKimber consortium interested in acquiring Rover.

July 22, 2005, PricewaterhouseCoopers South Steam has been announced acquisition of Rover.

And the car they will stick it on:


Unofficial spy pics of the new grill for the new brand logo:

http://cache.mars.sina.com.cn/fansauto_d/upload/127/198/1191893842/6871.jpg

http://cache.mars.sina.com.cn/fansauto_d/upload/127/198/1191893842/6870.jpg

:nono: what were they thinking? i hope they still call it Rover in the UK!

the new 75 is nice. ive always liked the V8 grille:cool: . not too sure on the rear styling though, its a bit messy. its come a long way since the 75 was voted the worlds most beautiful saloon car!

So is the official name going to be RongWei or Roewe? I like the Logo , but maybe they should have used Dragons instead of Lions.

:nono: what were they thinking? i hope they still call it Rover in the UK!
SAIC cannot.

For heaven's sake, hire a REAL English translator PLEASE.

How do you get people to buy your car when you can't even get a good translator?!?

If the size of the logo is the same.
You can always put a Rover logo in.

i definately would. why try and give it some sort of crap heraldric badge with no link to Rover at all except for the shape and colour? :nono: i think you can safely say there was no British input at all into that design

I will deffo but a Mg badge on the maybe soon type Zs :D

So is the official name going to be RongWei or Roewe? I like the Logo , but maybe they should have used Dragons instead of Lions.
The car will be called the RongWei (Wrong Way?) and the brand the Roewe.

I think the badge was designed for use after they had bought Rover so has English lions and a big "R" on it - why they didn't change it when they lost Rover I don't understand!

They could not have used the Rover badge as I believe it belongs to Nanjing - they where only buying the Rover name from BMW!

The inside doesn't look bad:

http://cache.mars.sina.com.cn/fansauto_d/upload/127/198/1191893842/6864.jpg

so, the name belongs to Ford, the badge to Nanjing, and the 75, sorry 'wrong way' design to SAIC? what a mess.
the interior is very nice, no real change to the 75, which is good

I will deffo but a Mg badge on the maybe soon type Zs :D
The new ZS will come fitted with a real MG badge. And I think yours will be made in Longbridge England! Can you wait until 2008?

:nod:

so, the name belongs to Ford, the badge to Nanjing, and the 75, sorry 'wrong way' design to SAIC? what a mess.
the interior is very nice, no real change to the 75, which is good

Thats true mate.
Its all very confusing:confused:

Why buy a car called wrong way when you can buy 80 years of motoring heritage from MG who will be making an almost identical car? What a stupid name! Why didn't they try and buy Riley or Triumph or something....

I_really_hate_china will love this!

The new ZS will come fitted with a real MG badge. And I think yours will be made in Longbridge England! Can you wait until 2008?
i for one definately cant wait. i will start saving now for my 5Z!

i agree with you mgrovernut, i for one would love to see a modern day Triumph range

What a wrong way to go...

The car will be called the RongWei (Wrong Way?) and the brand the Roewe.


No Windy I think the article means its pronounced Rong Wei but spelt Roewe.

If prounouncing Roewe like a German (no racism intended) it would be Roe Ve which sounds an awfully close to Rover :D which would have been better ;)

Great to tell your friends " I'm driving the Rong Wei(Wrong Way) 750s". It happened to me a week ago I thought I was driving north on a road when I was actually going south, didn't figure it out and make a U-turn until 20km later.

i think they should ditch the classic western style logo, and western style cars, they should put like chinese characters into the logo like zhonghua and put more asian or chinese taste to the design and try to form their own identity.

What a wrong way to go...
I wonder if the satellite navigation system will be reliable.

Hey could have been worse, they could have tried to create a name that sounds similar to Rover and called it Rollover.

Is Nanjing MG going to build a similar car? It's going to be like the Chery QQ and SAIC-GM chevy spark. 2 different companies making the same car.

Yes, except that these companies ADMIT their cars have the same starting point.

Way to go SAIC ! This is a reasonably good looking car and a good first attempt in luxury car market. The name (Rong Wei) isn't a big problem, I don't see how a name could scare anyone away.

http://www.motorauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/Small/SAIC/Roewe/6869.jpg

http://www.motorauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/Small/SAIC/Roewe/6862.jpg

it would in the UK. it was hard enough for Rover to sell cars before, but with that name.......

Think that goes for more country's.
Time will learn how things work out.

Names aren't really a matter if the car is already good , Kia used to sell a car here called SHUMA, which means in arabic " A Wooden Stick With Nails on It "

lol and it sold alot , alot of cars names sound funny if ur an arabic speaking person but no one really cares .

GeelyS CK ( Cee Kee ) is an egyptian accent nickname of something Fragile and Crappy !

Bently = " A Girl For me " In arabic :P

so its not really an issue if the car has enough quality , I have never in my life seen a rover or mgs .. they are not available here , the only british cars we have here are Jaguars S-type - X-type and a few XKRs , and they are not selling very well thanks to Mercedes , BMW and Chrysler , who are dominating the luxury salons market here .

and in my whole 22 years here , I only saw one IMPORTED Aston Maartin DB9 ( The one in NFS :MW ) .

heh , British companies should sell better man , I love thier cars .

Here in the US its GMC....we sometimes say..." got mechanic coming" as a joke:) lol

They should've just had SAIC as the brand name. I think that name would've made things much easier for them.

And the car they will stick it on:


Looks okay, in a Kia sort of way. Should do well in China.

If it is brought to Europe it will bomb.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/6166/wtfwtfwtfln0.jpg

2.5 litre V8?

Wtf! does anybody read these forums? Can sombody please comment on whats happening in that photo?

I think your image enlargment software has turned a 6 into an 8! If you look at the individual pixels in the original image then there is not enough detail to be able to tell which it was, a reflection in the wrong place may easily have confused your enlargement.

As far as I am aware SAIC don't have a V8?

Hmmm... All I did was simply strech out that particular section. I think it actually is an 8 done to simply confuse photographers taking photos of the vehicle before it was actually revealed, or atleast thats the only possible logical reason that I could come up with.

:shrug:

Just did the same.
It deffo V8 and not V6 :thumb:

Badge or no badge, they don't have a V8, it's V6. There will also be a 1.8T .

Is this car RWD or FWD? 4WD option?

When it was built by MG the 4 and 6 cylinder versions where front wheel drive and the V8 was rear wheel drive.

I am fairly sure the SAIC version will be FWD only.

By Li Zhiguo


Three months ago, the brand of Roewe did not exist at all. Two months ago, the brand of Roewe began to appear on media. During the 2006 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, which was hold over a month ago, all people began to talk about Roewe cars. And now, such a brand has become a symbol that SAIC Motor Corporation Limited (SAIC Motor) initiates its self-owned brand.


Roewe was born not long ago, but cars with a self-owned brand of SAIC Motor were initiated quite long ago. The process for SAIC Motor to set up its self-owned brand is just a miniature of the development of China's automobile industry.


When talking about SAIC Motor's development of cars with its self-owned brands, Hu Maoyuan, Chairman of SAIC Motor, said that SAIC Motor's construction of self-owned brands was conducted on basis of a substantial accumulation.


Such a line reminds people of the history. The reporter found out the following records on yellow pages: on September 28, 1958, Shanghai Automobile Assembly Plant successfully trial-manufactured the first Phoenix car and thus making the zero car breakthrough in Shanghai's automobile industry; in 1964, Phoenix cars were renamed as Shanghai cars and there shaped up an annual production volume of 5,000 sets by 1975.


On November 25, 1991, SAIC Motor began the process of introducing and digesting advanced technologies from abroad. On that afternoon, the workshops of Shanghai Saloon Car Plant were razed to the ground in an explosion after the last Shanghai car was manufactured so as to concentrate all efforts on developing Santana cars and boost the construction of the Shanghai Volkswagen Project (Phase II). A place with an area of 170,000 square meters was thus vacated and transferred to a joint venture with Volkswagen. Since then, Shanghai cars have become a dream that all staff of SAIC Motor recollected ever and again and a dream to establish a self-owned brand.


Hu Maoyuan has a clear understanding of joint venturing and cooperation and he expressed repeatedly that as SAIC Motor had obtained experiences from its joint venturing together with Volkswagen on basis of its joint venturing during 20 years while having obtained experiences from its joint venturing together with General Motors during about 10 years, SAIC Motor was not indiscriminately imitating others but digesting other enterprises' experiences. He said that whoever would have some tricks up his sleeve when he shares his experiences and skills with others, so China had to get equipped with the core competitiveness if it was to become strong in terms of automobile production; as SAIC Motor was confident in its capacity to digest and absorb its experiences substantially, it would have a comparatively high start-line when it set on to develop self-owned brands.


On basis of such a confidence, SAIC Motor began its cooperation with Rover so as to continue to advance on the road that it had once chosen earlier to establish its self-own brand.


On September 19, 2006, Ford announced that it exerted its preemption right to acquire the Rover brand so as to protect the LandRover trademark. Ford's action smashed SAIC Motor's original assumption.


The brand of Rover was established in 1904; but Rover ran into difficulties in terms of its production and operations after 100 years and it just seized less than 1 percent of shares in the European market in 2003. Then, Rover tried to shake off the plight by seeking for cooperative partners worldwide. In 1994, BMW purchased Rover at a price of ?기0 million; in the spring of 2000, the former Rover was divided into three parts with the business of Rover cars and MG roadsters sold to individual investors in Great Britain, the business of LandRover off-road vehicles sold to Ford, and only the business of MINI mini-vehicles kept for BMW itself. By then, Ford, the buyer of the LandRover business, required buying the Rover trademark but then BMW had no intention to sell that trademark. Therefore, both parties signed an "Agreement on Trademark Coexistence" that prescribed that when BMW had the intention to sell the Rover trademark, Ford would enjoy a preemption right.


In face of Rover selling itself separately, SAIC Motor was actually in a situation of being examined from the beginning of its participation into the purchase. In December 2004, SAIC Motor paid ?궷 million to purchase the intellectual property rights of Rover's core technologies, including Rover's 1.1L ~2.5L series of motors and the Type 75 and Type 25 platforms for core technologies but excluding the Rover brand. It means that if SAIC Motor cannot purchase the Rover brand, it has to establish an automobile brand so as to explore the market at home and abroad even if it has owned the intellectual property rights of Rover.



Ford just exerted its preemption right at such a critical moment. When talking about that, Hu Maoyuan was very quiet, "SAIC Motor wanted to buy the Rover brand because Rover's sales volume of 100,000 to 150,000 sets in the markets in Europe and Americas can be comparatively propitious to our export. As Ford enjoys a 90-day preemption right to buy the Rover brand, the fact that Ford proposed to exert such a right on the eightieth day has also helped to make us more determined to establish the Roewe brand. As one should be determined, we are to increase our input and establish a completely self-owned and internationalized brand from a high start-line."


Within a month after Ford announced to exert its preemption right to purchase the Rover brand, SAIC Motor formally announced that its self-owned brand was named as Roewe. Then, the 2006 China International Industrial Expo and the 2006 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition went upon the stage.


Why is the brand named as Roewe? According to Hu Maoyuan, the meaning of Roewe is to innovate laurel and express the whole world in an impressive manner, namely, "establishing classics with innovations".


Then, what are the innovations on Roewe cars? Wang Xiaoqiu, General Manager of SAIC Motor Manufacturing Co, said that Roewe had integrated 14 high-end technologies for European luxury cars, took the lead in terms of sculpt among domestic automobiles of the same category and kept pace with Audi and BMW in terms of technological configuration. It is actually over two years from brewing the Roewe 750 to present. A working group has already begun to cooperate with Rover on remodeling, designing and development since SAIC Motor held negotiations with Rover in 2004.


Hu Maoyuan introduced that SAIC Motor planed to produce 2 million sets of various automobiles by 2010, including 600,000 sets of complete vehicles with a self-owned brand.


Hu believed that it was absolutely possible for SAIC Motor to make good use of resources in the world to establish our internationally famous brands. Such a kind of innovative conception is not to simply follow the example of others, and SAIC Motor will step onto a road of discrepancy.


There are altogether 200 engineers, including 150 European engineers and 50 Chinese engineers in Ricardo 2010, SAIC Motor's overseas R&D Center. 80 percent of those European engineers are all elite engineers selected out of the R&D staff of MG Rover. If it can be said that the establishment of a self-owned brand for automobiles is like a long distance running event like Marathon, then what SAIC Motor is to do is not only to run fast but also to run each step well.


Memorabilia for Roewe cars


In December 1955, Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Components Company was founded.


In March 1958, Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Components Company and Shanghai Powertrain Equipment Manufacturing Company got incorporated into Shanghai Powertrain Machinery Manufacturing Company.


In January 1960, Shanghai Powertrain Machinery Manufacturing Company was renamed as Shanghai Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing Company.


In April 1969, Shanghai Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing Company was renamed as Shanghai Tractor Industry Company.


In July 1984, Shanghai Automobile & Tractor Company was set up.


In March 1985, Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. was established.


In March 1990, Shanghai Automobile & Tractor Company was renamed as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation.


In September 1995, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (Group) was set up.


In June 1997, Shanghai General Motors Co., Ltd. was set up.


In December 2004, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited was founded.


In May 2004, SAIC Motor set up its project team on self-owned brands.


In December 2004, SAIC Motor paid ?궷 million to purchase the intellectual property rights of Rover's core technologies.


On February 15, 2006, SAIC Motor's self-owned brand project was ratified by the National Development and Reform Commission.


On February 22, 2006, SAIC Motor Manufacturing Co. was set up.


On October 12, 2006, SAIC Motor formally announced that its self-owned brand was named as Roewe and the new automobiles will be developed with the Rover 75 platform that SAIC Motor had purchased.


On October 24, 2006, Roewe 750, SAIC Motor's first middle- and high-end car with a self-owned brand appeared publicly and it is expected that Roewe 750 cars will be distributed across the country at the end of 2006 or at the beginning of 2007

Source:CE.cn

SAIC to develop A-class models for Roewe, MG

November 04, 2008

Shanghai, November 4 (Gasgoo.com) SAIC, Chinese leading automaker, will build two A-class car models for Roewe and MG brands after Roewe 750 and 550 went on sale, Beijing Morning Post said today, citing sources from SAIC Institute.

SAIC Institute is now working on two new A-class cars, one hatchback and one sedan. Both models are at around 2600mm in the wheelbase and over 4.3m in length, with one model featuring distinctive sports style, sources said. The MG will be responsible for a sports model, according to the production plan announced earlier by SAIC.

SAIC planned to push its own-brand Roewe and MG into the A-class auto market after having launched Roewe 550 and MG 3SW.

After acquiring Nanjing Auto last year, SAIC re-arranged the Roewe and MG brands, with the two brands owning three production bases and four technical centers in Shanghai, Nanjing, Britain and Korea. SAIC planned to invest 7.352 billion yuan ($1.078 billion) in own-brand products as the capacity of its own-brand cars suddenly increased.

The two noble brands target at the domestic A-class market, and they also will go to the overseas markets. The two new A-class cars designed for Roewe and MG will go on sale in 2009, with the selling price as low as around 100,000 yuan, sources said.

http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008253/SAIC-to-develop-A-class-models-for-Roewe-MG.html

SAIC Motor boosts Roewe brand for better sales

November 21, 2008

Shanghai, November 21 (Gasgoo.com) SAIC Motor Corp., the own-brand division of China's biggest automaker SAIC Group, has seen the monthly sales of its Roewe 750 and Roewe 550 models nearing 4,000 units. But this achievement can't satisfy the ambition of the Chinese auto giant, and that's why SAIC Motor has decided to boost its Roewe brand further for its faster sales growth, said Beijing News today.

"This year we will not talk about Roewe's sales target any more when we're focusing on building up the recognition and popularity of this own brand for its growth in the medium- to high-end market," said Wang Xiaoqiu, general manager of SAIC Motor, to the newspaper. "As a new brand of SAIC, the popularity rate of Roewe has more than doubled to 80% this year and this is a good start to follow through."

In mid-June 2008, SAIC began selling its second self-owned car model Roewe 550 to compete with Toyota Motor and Volkswagen AG in the world's second-largest vehicle market. The Roewe 550, equipped with a 1.8-liter gasoline engine, has been sold for a price as low as 142,800 yuan ($20,900). That's more than Toyota's 110,000 yuan-Corolla with a 1.6-liter engine and Volkswagen's 2-liter Sagitar priced at 134,800 yuan.

SAIC Motor started selling Roewe 750, its first model, in January 2007. The car is based on rights obtained by SAIC after purchasing designs from UK automaker MG Rover Group Ltd.

As China's leading automaker, SAIC will build two A-class car models for Roewe and MG brands after Roewe 750 and 550. SAIC Institute is working on two new A-class cars, one hatchback and one sedan, with one model based on the MG to feature distinctive sports style.

SAIC planned to push its own-brand Roewe and MG into the A-class auto market after having launched Roewe 550 and MG 3SW. The two new SAIC models designed for Roewe and MG will go on sale in late 2009, with the selling price as low as about 100,000 yuan.

http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008477/SAIC-Motor-boosts-Roewe-brand-for-better-sales.html