Ever since MG Rover went bust in 2005 and was bought by Nanjing Automotive, rumors have flown about when the automaker’s Longbridge factory would resume production of its iconic roadster and other models. Well after a long wait, to the delight of enthusiasts MGs are once again available in the UK…just not ones made by the Chinese parent company.
A new endeavor launched by Englishman William Riley called MG Sports and Racing Europe has begun selling a supercharged coupe called the MG X-Power WR. Based on the old company’s most expensive model, the new sports car is built in Eardiston, UK, and priced between approximately $150,000 and $175,000, with seven models sold so far and 35 additional orders in the pipeline.
Riley was able to build the car by purchasing the rights to the MG X-Power badge from the administrators PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and plans to eventually expand the company by building a 100,000 square foot factory employing up to 200 people. The new MG has already exported five cars to America as well.
Nanjing Automotive finally began building MGs for the Chinese market in March of last year (and showed off their lineup at the Shanghai Auto Show), but so far promises of a return to the UK have come to nothing. Regardless of what the future holds for MG Rover, Riley insists his small company is “in this for the long run.” At the end of last year Nanjing was taken over by fellow Chinese automaker SAIC, and in February a delegation visited Longbridge to examine possibilities for the plant’s future. For now MG fans continue to wait, but in the meantime you can buy your very own brand new Morris Garages sports car from just 40 miles down the road. All you need is $150,000 and a little entrepreneurial spirit.
Source: Motortrend
