24-04-08

NAC & SAIC merge - greater role for Longbridge promised

Chinese car giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) has merged with MG owner Nanjing Automobile Company (NAC), in a bid to create a car building company capable of taking on the rest of the world. NAC MG’s Longbridge facility will serve as a base for SAIC’s European operations, according to SAIC President Chen Hong.

SAIC has been building updated versions of the Rover 75, under the ‘Roewe’ name, and its expansion plans include a new mid-range model, initially for production in China. This is excellent news for XPart, as the expansion into further MG Rover-based model ranges will mean both a greater supply of compatible parts and a much larger world market for them too.

'Working with China's largest automotive corporation, at a time of great Chinese economic expansion, can only be a good thing for XPart,’ says Neil Hipkiss, XPart materials director. ‘Longbridge is ideal as a base for this new expansion to spread across Europe and we look forward to being a part of this new era.'

<< back