Yesterday's formal reopening of the old MG Rover plant at Longbridge for production of MG TF sports cars has been much anticipated by anxious Brummies and Brits. The new owners, Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC), are holding up the promise of production reaching 15,000 with hundreds of new jobs, but only if the British consumers vote with their wallets and buy them. In the latest AutoCogntion analysis feature (www.autocognition.co.uk/), Michael Wynn-Williams argues that while NAC get full marks for optimism it is unlikely that the revived TF will again reach such dizzy heights of output. Not only is the car little changed from the original model that was launched six years ago but it is now in competition with a new MX-5 that is barely two years old. Even then, the TF will not appear until late summer, just when most sports cars are returning from their summer fun for hibernation in a warm the garage. Michael Wynn-Williams estimates that the relaunched TF will have to undercut the MX-5 by at least £2000 if it is to have any chance of re-entering the market.
If it is unlikely that Longbridge will ever again return to the glory days of mass production there is a great deal of promise on the vehicle development front. In a vote of confidence in the UK's engineering capabilities, NAC are investing in Longbridge as a global centre for R&D. Instead of simply adapting Chinese designs to suit local European tastes the Longbridge facility will have the ability to design and develop new models, working in an equal partnership with Nanjing. Based on his research into international vertical joint ventures (IVJV), Michael Wynn-Williams believes that this kind of global vertical structure can utilise the unique capabilities of both sides and so provide a solid foundation for the long-term future of NAC, with Longbridge as the source of R&D excellence.
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