What do MG, Austin Healy, Chrysler, and China have in common? - July 4th, 2007
Nanjing Auto of China is answering the dreams of classic car lovers from around the world. On May 29th Nanjing re-opened the MG plant at Longbridge, Birmingham to fire up production of three new TF sports cars.
The goal is a production of 25,000 units by 2008. Additional plans called for a chain of 50 UK dealerships and perhaps even a U.S. plant in Oklahoma.
Now Nanjing has announced the revival of the Austin Healy, a sports car that has not been built in more than 35 years. The agreement with Healy Automobile Consultants is the opening round of an envisioned global network of dealer partnerships.
Nanjing is already showing off a prototype of the new TF, which put in an appearance at Silverstone’s 2007 MG Car Club gala and was received with great enthusiasm.
The news is not only good for sports car lovers but is most likely a harbinger of things to come. Chrysler, for instance, has a partnership with Chery Automobile, an eastern Chinese company, that will bring Chinese built Chryslers to American shores within 2 to 3 years.
South of the U.S. border, Zhongxing Automobile, in partnership with Chamco, is set to import around 50,000 SUVs and pickups into the Mexican market.
Great Wall, also a Chinese entity, currently exports to Russia and will be moving into Eastern Europe, while Brilliance of China is working markets in Germany and the Netherlands.
Most folk remember how foreign the Korean-built Kia seemed when it reached American shores in 1992, but the stage would seem to be set for Americans to deal with even more exotic names or to be driving vehicles sporting old and venerable brands powered by new and distinctly Chinese-produced innards.
Posted on July 4th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: general |
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