Longbridge

The factory MG: Britain, go ahead!

Who would have thought that a legendary brand, car Classic will be saved by Chinese company-manufacturer of mass production? We went to the UK to see revived the MG factory.

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Many legends of British Classics forever. A similar fate awaited and MG-Morris Garages. However, in 2005, the company was reorganized several times, gaining a second wind thanks to investments of SAIC Motor. It has invested in English auto industry 500 million. pounds, creating new models of MG and its dealer network around the world.

Analogy


The British, who spoke on the topic of "what is a Chinese brand MG?" calmly shrugged shoulders: and if the place of residence of the investor? And after a visit to the UK on the edge of the Motor of the MG Birmingham and test drives, we are ready to accept them. Not the Indian Tata bought premium-brand Range Rover and the Swedish Volvosequestered by Chinese Geely! How does Chinese iPhone or Dutch Philips, collect their products in China.

Design model MG in England. Here, in the heart of MG Motor UK, we saw a test laboratory where designers tested new engines and transmissions. We also visited the Holy of Holies-the European Design Centre. And still saw the production in the Longbridže are collected here-of cars brought from China sets.


The Longbridže is a suburb of Birmingham-collect "right-handed" MG, primarily for the UK market.

Made in Britain

Local production to date-SKD-assembled. There are three models for the UK: the new hatchback in class 3 MG, D-class hatchback MG 6 and odnoplatformennyj with him 6 MG Magnette saloon. From the versions for different countries-and the only cars moving in the markets of 40 MG of these machines is not only the right wheel and suspension settings. For example, it is tougher than the instances of "the six" for Ukraine. The MG version 6 with a 1.9-liter turbodizelem-a purely European, it is not available in Ukraine due to the high prices: European integration more expensive machine.


Three models of MG are collected in Longbridže on the wall.

With the Shanghai company SAIC Motor, which produces cars MG for Eastern markets, in England there are painted body with inserted glass, finished interior and other equipment. On the wall the pipeline in Longbridže sets are cars: British collectors assemble engines (petrol-Turbo 1.8 l 160 HP turbo diesel 1.9 l capacity and a capacity of 150 h.p.), transmission, front suspension, rims.


Produced in England and recently introduced in Europe in the segment model MG 3. We will tell about it in the next room «Autocenter».

Quality control

Understanding the importance of high quality and the lack of complaints is now, at a time of market entry for many countries, the British organized the release of control-plot a car as car production cycle. Here the team supervisors checks a lot of little things, including that joints of panels and gap body, quality refinishing. Each car before leaving the platform's product is "storm-test": the machine enters the artificial rainfall, which tests the "machine for water-tightness and resistance to damp weather.


In addition to controlling the build process, each car is checked for quality control section at the end of the conveyor.


Each released on UK car plant is being tested in the rain.

The music of the Quartet

Machines in workshops of enterprises in Longbridže MG are British citizens, and not only indigenous but also those living in the European Union from other countries. The fruits of globalization-black European advisors from the East part collects the English machine. But perhaps the most important fact in this English Quartet-the music of The Beatles, floating from the speakers under the arches. In spite of everything, mark MG not just survive-Morris Garages remained British brand.


Some cars on the track had already been marked as sold.



Guy Jones-Director of sales and marketing of MG Motor UK:

"As the motto of our cars is More fun, more style-more fun, more style. This differs from the majority of the mass of MG cars classmates. We therefore greatly de AEM bet on emotional personality-youth, women. It is for them-athletic appearance, compact-looking models, our social activity in the form of festivals and other outstanding shares. Of course, have to take into account the characteristics of each market, for some you need to modify the cars. So we opened up branches around the world: in Hamburg, Detroit, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and India. All models of MG and SAIC to markets all over the world design European constructors and designers here at Longbridže. We started the development of new models with small markets, countries with left-hand traffic in regions where our brand is easily recognizable and easier to start. So, in the UK alone over the year we have increased the number of our dealers to 8 units, within a year their number will increase from 32 to 50. And next year will start a global expansion in the major European markets. "

Morris Motors wrote:The sniffpetrol review says that due to increased demand the MG3 is coming in fully built. Do we know if that's true? I know the initial 700 were, but then they were supposed to be kit form like the MG6.

snifferdog1 wrote:Thats an interesting read.

Some good pics too, things are looking up at Longbridge.

patpending wrote:....I think I posted a version of the Ukrainian visit some three weeks ago.... maybe a party of Meerkats gets to see more(!)

Different photos... http://www.mguk.org/t1068-mg-ukraine-visit-longbridge

Morris Motors wrote:Well what Pogson says is interesting, but they really should have sorted that out by now!

They've been making these for 2 years, they've been shipping the MG6 for 2 years - why on earth haven't they decided this yet? It's quite basic and means quite a lot - brand perception, import taxes etc.

They are a small outfit in the UK and I can understand that they are busy, but this is really basic stuff that ought to have been settled on day one! Frankly I find it quite alarming that, 2 years after they announced the car, 2 months after launching it in the UK, they still don't know what they are doing!

Dorset Rocket wrote: I heard that when B and Q introduced SAP systems it was chaos and nearly bankrupted them.