MG Production Halted

MG production has stopped at Longbridge, and it seems likely that this will be the end of MG production in the UK.

The headline is a bit of deja vu. We last saw it back in 2005 when MG went bust, but it’s not a historical reference. Unfortunately production at the MG plant at Longbridge has stopped and doesn’t look as if it will restart until at least March 2010 – if at all.

We reported back in May on a couple of new models from MG – the MG TF and an 85th Anniversary model – which should have given MG a reason to carry on. But it looks like buyers just aren’t interested in an antiquated sports car, especially when the price point doesn’t really reflect the shortcomings of the car.

But part of the plan was to raise awareness ahead of the launch in the UK of the MG6 we saw at the Shanghai Motor Show and its saloon sibling which will probably be the MG5. Based on the old Rover 75 platform they may not exactly set the world on fire, but they do promise to be a reasonable budget offering.

MG owners Nanjing have halted production because they can’t guarantee financial stability. Redundancies are threatened and it is starting to look as if this may be the end of MG production in the UK. We’ll still see the MG6 and MG5 in the UK next year, but they will be made in China.

Another sorry twist in the MG saga.