MG means business at Longbridge

[dmitra]

MG to end UK car production at Longbridge with switch to China

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-37449289
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mg/9717...ngbridge-plant

[Lawrence]

What a pity.
SAIC should have taken a cue from Li Shufu of Volvo, and left the European production alone.
I really think that a sports car two seater model like the MG SV, or the MG TF, exported from Longbridge to the U.S. could have seeded a revival of the brand there, for which much nostalgia remains.

[dmitra]

MG sold 2,300 cars this year (Jan-Aug) and 3,152 in all of 2015 in the UK. In Thailand, the corresponding numbers are 5,018 (Jan-Aug) and 3,779 (2015)*.

SAIC's Hemaraj/Rayong plant currently has a capacity of 50,000 per year and the auto major has declared its intentions of making it a global hub for RHD cars, and of course there is little stopping it from making LHD cars there too. Note, this is in addition to what it can source from plant(s) in its homeland.

A second plant is under construction at the above Rayong location with an additional capacity of 100,000 units p.a. Most of this new capacity is intended for future Maxus-brand pickups however.

Not to forget that Thailand is a signatory to numerous Free Trade Agreements.

Within the conference rooms of SAIC, it seems there is scarcely any argument therefore in favor of continuing production (i.e. assembly) at Longbridge.

http://www.motorme.my/thailand-scoop...h-chinas-saic/
http://www.pressreader.com/thailand/...82059096215964
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*numbers include CBUs from China

[dmitra]

A second plant is under construction at the above Rayong location with an additional capacity of 100,000 units p.a. Most of this new capacity is intended for future Maxus-brand pickups however.

A small correction: The second plant is coming up in Chonburi province, although its location is about 6 km from the Rayong facility.