[Rovaman]

My source has told me exactely this and I personnaly thing there is truth in it:

TF to be produced at Longbridge with 200 stuff only. If things go correctly, 600 persons will find jobs there building the TF once production reaches its peak. The ZT will unfortunately be build in China, NOT IN THE UK! The raugh version from China of the car will be completed in Longbridge though..It will remain a fully spec, well equiped car, with a true british spirit. As the ZR is concerned, the car will be a very low-spec. version of the former 25, entirely build in China. Nothing to do with a british car.. The ZS is not going to be produced anymore and anywhere.

 

[AndBurG]

well if thats tru im dispaointed, the ZR will now be the equivalent of a kia rio so i hope its only sold in china and that nanjing develop and release a replacement for over here, they shouldn't spec down the uk best selling hot hatch and then try and sell it again.

The ZS i guessed about with honda pulling all their tooling and designs back. hopefully RD60 will be avilable soon.

ZT final assembly will be done over here but production in china doesn't quite sound right, it would cost a fortune to ship the shells overto be finished off, especially as the production line is still at longbridge. could be done temporarily to make sure it would still sell

 

[MGROVERnut]

By final finish I presume they mean that the interior will be fitted out...

In actual fact whilst this may sound depressing, it's probably sensible in the short term. Once sales reach a certain level then full blown production of future ZT's may become feasable I would have thought.....

Perhaps if SAIC got the 75 and made it in the UK then Nanjing would feel the need to follow suit...

 

[e668ecp]

The ZT and 75 (if they get the name) will be produced at Longbridge and in China from 2007. The ZT lines aren't moving according to my socue who now works for Nanjing MG UK

 

[genpk]

The ZT and 75 (if they get the name) will be produced at Longbridge and in China from 2007. The ZT lines aren't moving according to my socue who now works for Nanjing MG UK

I had heard that all expensive bits for the ZT (or its new version) will be out of China but the remainder of the parts will be manufacturered locally and assembly / quality control will be in the UK ( Longbridge). I believe they wish to retain some Britishness about the cars.I hope that is correct as it will add alot of credability to the brand.

 

[Rover_King]

No more civic/400/45/zs - its the end of an era! Even though I think the zs 180 saloon looks awsome i think the platform has had its life.

 

[Rapid Silver]

No more civic/400/45/zs - its the end of an era! Even though I think the zs 180 saloon looks awsome i think the platform has had its life.

To be honest, the platform had probably had it's life by about 2000, as they were all based on mid 90's Honda designs anyway.

Granted the MG ROVER engineers did a good job turning it into the ZS range, and developed a cracking chassis.

 

[Samuel]

To be honest, the platform had probably had it's life by about 2000, as they were all based on mid 90's Honda designs anyway.

Granted the MG ROVER engineers did a good job turning it into the ZS range, and developed a cracking chassis.

Yeah the underpinnings of the car are so old now they were always going to have to completely overhaul (or indeed scrap) the ZS, and start over.
It comes as no surprise to me at all.

 

[streetrover]

My source has told me exactely this and I personnaly thing there is truth in it:

TF to be produced at Longbridge with 200 stuff only. If things go correctly, 600 persons will find jobs there building the TF once production reaches its peak. The ZT will unfortunately be build in China, NOT IN THE UK! The raugh version from China of the car will be completed in Longbridge though..It will remain a fully spec, well equiped car, with a true british spirit. As the ZR is concerned, the car will be a very low-spec. version of the former 25, entirely build in China. Nothing to do with a british car.. The ZS is not going to be produced anymore and anywhere.

This is certainly the initial plan. It doesn't mean the only things they'll do.

The ZT production line will be used for assembly of the ZT and related models (coupe etc) and will see manufacture down the line if/once sales are sufficiently high enough. I don't tihnk sales would have to be that high for it to be cheaper to produce at longbridge (10,000 plus units).

RD60 will go down the 75 line too - volumes are surely going to be high enough for UK production.

I suspect the poverty 25 is for Chinese sales, and perhaps a small number exported to Europe to be specc'ed up. I would also guess the 25 replacement is work in progress.

Can you see Nanjing having a massive gap in their product line up and only two volume mass market cars (25 and 75), one of which will be a povertyy spec and the other a luxury one but both wearing the same badge and both being old models? No, unless you think the Chinese are complete idiots and suicidal.

Similarly sports cars. I think more than one model is coming, and UK/mass production will follow when sales are high enough. 600 staff for TF production at its peak implies quite high production levels for the one car, so this is a positive sign IMO.

But do Nanjing actually want volume sales in their most important overseas market? I would have thought so.

 

[AndrewPorter]

Yeah the underpinnings of the car are so old now they were always going to have to completely overhaul (or indeed scrap) the ZS, and start over.
It comes as no surprise to me at all.

I actually saw a Honda Domani in London a week or two ago and it looked neat but pre-historic. The 45/ZS did well to last as long but they needed replacing in 2000 / 2001

 

[Samuel]

I actually saw a Honda Domani in London a week or two ago and it looked neat but pre-historic. The 45/ZS did well to last as long but they needed replacing in 2000 / 2001

Yeah i think the sytle has aged well, both inside and out, its obviously not brand new but looks good for its age.
People that ask me how old my car is expect me to say 2000 or something, when i tell them its 10 years old, they cant beleive it, think about the styling on the equivalent clio. Boxy, old, dated.

 

[Windy]

The ZS is not going to be produced anymore and anywhere.

But the MG-5Z is due for production in late autumn 2007 according to Nanjing, it may not look quite like a ZS but it will be its direct replacement.

(Maybe its mirror image - 5Z ZS)

 

[laser558]

The ZT and 75 (if they get the name) will be produced at Longbridge and in China from 2007. The ZT lines aren't moving according to my socue who now works for Nanjing MG UK

There is a large crane on site at Longbridge currently lifting shipping containers off and onto lorries. Containers have "COSCO" on the side of them and appear to be a shipping line with China connections. Also lorries removing scrap from the site.

Whatever is going on, there is a fair bit of activity, but I suspect that it is more a case of what is being removed to China at the moment rather than anything being installed. Hopefully this will leave what is needed for future plans. One can only speculate as to what is in the containers.

 

[Windy]

One can only speculate as to what is in the containers.

Sometimes a picture helps:

Two of the crates from the UK on
arrival in Nanjing Pukou.

 

[streetrover]

But the MG-5Z is due for production in late autumn 2007 according to Nanjing, it may not look quite like a ZS but it will be its direct replacement.

(Maybe its mirror image - 5Z ZS)

Look at the facelift ZS from the back - almost looks a totally different car! If the model is to be revamped properly then it can become a frnige import like the ZR and both models would be sold alongside their RD60-based replacements.

 

[Windy]

Look at the facelift ZS from the back - almost looks a totally different car! If the model is to be revamped properly then it can become a frnige import like the ZR and both models would be sold alongside their RD60-based replacements.

Hmm - ZS coupe :drool:

A repeat of the R8 coupe being sold alongside the newer saloons? That almost makes sense!

 

[Bob S]

Originally Posted by laser558: Containers have "COSCO" on the side of them and appear to be a shipping line with China connections.

COSCO is China Ocean Shipping Company, truely a first-rate container line and a major world leader from the mainland. I just with the US and UK could come up with something to match it, what with APL owned by NOL Ltd. and P&O off to DP World.

 

[streetrover]

Hmm - ZS coupe :drool:

A repeat of the R8 coupe being sold alongside the newer saloons? That almost makes sense!

ZS Coupe
ZS Cabrio
ZS Estate
ZS hatch and saloon scoobies

alongside:

5Z hatch and saloon
5Z sports
5Z MPV

:lol: :lol:

 

[Roodosutaa]

There is a large crane on site at Longbridge currently lifting shipping containers off and onto lorries. Containers have "COSCO" on the side of them and appear to be a shipping line with China connections. Also lorries removing scrap from the site.

Whatever is going on, there is a fair bit of activity, but I suspect that it is more a case of what is being removed to China at the moment rather than anything being installed. Hopefully this will leave what is needed for future plans. One can only speculate as to what is in the containers.

Maybe they're just shipping away the Chinese workers back home in the containers. It's been a popular mode of transport of late for them