[Howard]

Thought this was quite interesting.... apologies if it's already posted elsewhere but I couldn't find it.

Times Online June 5 2006

UK group in move to build Rover cars in China
By Christine Buckley

A BRITISH consultancy and 150 former MG Rover engineers are aiming to start up production of Rover cars in China.

The move could lead to the creation of a European research centre in Britain for Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), the Chinese company that owns the intellectual property rights to make cars based on the Rover 75and 25.

Ricardo, the engineering group, is working on turning the intellectual rights into production and on creating a range of cars including a stretched version of the 75. Ricardo has formed a separate business unit for the operation, which is based at its Leamington site, and has offered to sell this to SAIC by 2010 to establish a research and development centre in Britain.

When SAIC was in the final bidding round for the assets of MG Rover, which it lost to its Chinese rival Nanjing Automobile Corporation, it said that it intended to use Britain as a European research base.

Ricardo originally advised SAIC that buying the whole of MG Rover when it was a going concern would be inadvisable because of the carmaker’s pension liabilities, among other issues. SAIC had been in joint venture talks with MG Rover for several months before it grew increasingly concerned about the financial strength of the organisation.

SAIC intends to build Rover- based cars in China by the end of this year or the start of 2007 using new equipment. Nanjing has also said that it will soon begin manufacturing cars from the 75 and 25 production lines, which it has shipped to China. When both companies’ cars are produced, there could be a fight over copyright if they look similar.

Both companies are also in talks with BMW, the owner of the Rover brand, about buying the name. Rover is thought to retain some value as a prestige brand name in China.

Nothing especially new to us mg.organistas but at least the Times is trying to keep up, although it does leave (as usual) some rather perplexing questions about WTF IS GOING ON???.

 

[Windy]

Thought this was quite interesting.... apologies if it's already posted elsewhere but I couldn't find it.

Times Online June 5 2006



Nothing especially new to us mg.organistas but at least the Times is trying to keep up, although it does leave (as usual) some rather perplexing questions about WTF IS GOING ON???.

"Trying to keep up"

Chinese news thread had that much back in mid January and more recently far more detail: http://forums.mg-rover.org/showpost....postcount=1017
__________________

 

[ChrisMG]

Go

Good news, I just wish the cars were built in this country!:bgrin2:
________
Alaska Dispensaries

 

[PatrickT]

Rover is thought to retain some value as a prestige brand name in China.

Well to me this just shows how inexcusably stupid The Times are and how lazy this journalist is.

Five minutes of half hearted research woudl tell them that while Rover is "devalued" in the UK it has oodles of prestige value in a very large number of global markets, although China isn't one of them as they for the most part have never encountered Rovers before.

Rover never lost its value in more enlightened markets....

 

[MGROVERnut]

"Trying to keep up"

Chinese news thread had that much back in mid January and more recently far more detail: http://forums.mg-rover.org/showpost....postcount=1017
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The timing of the Article is interesting, because perhaps SAIC are leaking info just at the moment they try to buy the Rover brand?

 

[Windy]

The timing of the Article is interesting, because perhaps SAIC are leaking info just at the moment they try to buy the Rover brand?

Indeed, but the article has also reappeared in the Chinese news today along with a seperate one about hydrogen powered Rover 75 cars so probably just publicising their "independant development" not anything to do with the sale of the Rover brand.

 

[MGROVERnut]

I just have a feeling SAIC are going to get the Rover brand. I suppose I think they will get it for 2 reasons:

1.) SAIC are in excellent financial health
2.) SAIC don't want the embarasement of loosing out AGAIN
3.) Ford isn't cash rich and Nanjing hardly seem to be rolling in it...

So news articles like this tend to make me think SAIC are determined or confident they will get it....probably wrong but just a feeling...

 

[GSi]

It does contain one piece of additional data - why Ricardo (2010) Ltd is called what it's called as that's when SAIC can buy it.

 

[Windy]

It does contain one piece of additional data - why Ricardo (2010) Ltd is called what it's called as that's when SAIC can buy it.

Actually, its not called that any more, its changed its name slightly.

From Companies House (I like the "Nature of business" :lol:

Name & Registered Office:
RICARDO (2010) CONSULTANTS LIMITED
SHOREHAM TECHNICAL CENTRE
SHOREHAM BY SEA
WEST SUSSEX
BN43 5FG
Company No. 05437330

Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 27/04/2005

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
5020 - Maintenance & repair of motors

 

[ChrisMG]

Go

Are Ricardo just an engineering firm? I take it there is no chance they will take any stake in the operation?
________
Bmw N52

 

[GSi]

Are Ricardo just an engineering firm? I take it there is no chance they will take any stake in the operation?

If Ricardo took a stake I would guess that it might prejudice their consultancy business.

PS Windy - thanks for the correction! I think the nature of business decsription is the first one Ricardo saw about the motor industry so they just picked that!

 

[Liam Olf]

Are Ricardo just an engineering firm? I take it there is no chance they will take any stake in the operation?

I doubt it, at least not in the long run. I think it says in the article that they will sell their side of the engineering operation in 2010 to SAIC.

 

[streetrover]

Ricardo originally advised SAIC that buying the whole of MG Rover when it was a going concern would be inadvisable because of the carmaker’s pension liabilities, among other issues. SAIC had been in joint venture talks with MG Rover for several months before it grew increasingly concerned about the financial strength of the organisation.

So it wasn't just Rothschilds...

Name & Registered Office:
RICARDO (2010) CONSULTANTS LIMITED
SHOREHAM TECHNICAL CENTRE
SHOREHAM BY SEA
WEST SUSSEX
BN43 5FG
Company No. 05437330

Is that anywhere near Daewoo's old R&D centre? In the Chinese news it quoted someone at SAIC (probsbly called Wang!) as saying they were basing their R&D model on Daewoo's.

 

[paynemgzr]

Ricardo originally advised SAIC that buying the whole of MG Rover when it was a going concern would be inadvisable because of the carmaker’s pension liabilities, among other issues. SAIC had been in joint venture talks with MG Rover for several months before it grew increasingly concerned about the financial strength of the organisation.

So it wasn't just Rothschilds...



Is that anywhere near Daewoo's old R&D centre? In the Chinese news it quoted someone at SAIC (probsbly called Wang!) as saying they were basing their R&D model on Daewoo's.

daewoos r&d ofiices were in worthing about 4 miles further to the west.it was behind sainsburys on the A27.
if i remember rightly daewoo bought/rented the building after I.A.D. moved out
to bring things round in a circle locally as shoreham isn't far away . I.A.D. designed the montego estate!!

 

[GSi]

daewoos r&d ofiices were in worthing about 4 miles further to the west.it was behind sainsburys on the A27.
if i remember rightly daewoo bought/rented the building after I.A.D. moved out
to bring things round in a circle locally as shoreham isn't far away . I.A.D. designed the montego estate!!

I thought it went something like:

* Daewoo bought IAD, and downsized it as Daewoo struggled
* Daewoo then went into a kind of administration process in which it continued to trade but was slowly dismembered!
* Ricardo bought what remained of IAD
(Of the rest of Daewoo Automotive, GM bought the Korean car factory, SAIC a half-share in the Ssangyong SUV operation, and a Ukranian company the Polish FSO assembly plant)

 

[ZRsteve]

I thought it was IAD - Daewoo - TWR - bust

 

[Rubber Duck]

Yep. TWR's centre at Downlands Business Park (Worthing), which handled the RD60 development, was indeed the Former Daewoo Technical Centre. Menard Engineering bought TWR Automotive Engineering from the TWR administrators and shortly after closed Downlands, consolidating to the old Nissan site a few miles away, then pulling back to the HQ site at Leafield.

The Ricardo site is unconnected, although you can imagine there was a healthy automotive community in that area at one time.

I understand that the main SAIC-Rover operation is at Ricardo's Leamington site.

 

[genpk]

I find it rather strange that press releases are still using the Rover name when talking about SAIC's new cars considering that technically the new cars they are going to build are not Rovers at this point in time.
I would think BMW could,if it wanted to,take issue with the use of the name on more than one occassion by SAIC when used in connection with SAIC's projects. They may have bought the specs to build the old 75 but not for the use of the Rover name - yet.