First look: Made-in-China MGs

CHINESE manufacturer Nanjing Auto rolled out its first MG roadsters and sedans last week, marking a return of the British brand after it rescued MG Rover from financial ruin in 2005.

The two inaugural Chinese-built MGs are the TF roadster and the MG7 series sedan.

For the foreseeable future, the Nanjing plant will be responsible for most domestic and export production while MG Rover’s former Longbridge plant in Birmingham, England, will be reopened next month as an R&D centre and for producing "high-end, value-adding products".

Overseas reports this week have also indicated that Nanjing is close to securing a production deal for MG cars in the US. The Chinese car-maker plans to sell 20,000 MG cars per annum worldwide within five years.