The bid for Rover finally goes to Nanjing Automobile after a three-month battle by three companies, of which two are Chinese.
Nanjing is the smaller of the two Chinese firms, with the other being Shanghai Automotive. The third firm is Kimber group based in UK.
The deal was secured on Friday between Nanjing Automobile and Rover sale administrators PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Nanjing Automobile is China’s older carmaker. They intend to shift Rover’s engine and car plant to China but they will retain some plants in UK. UK will also be the base of a new R&D facility.
Currently Nanjing Automobile has three major manufacturing bases – Nanjing Iveco, a wagon joint venture with Italy Iveco, Yuejin Light Truck Co and Nanjing Fiat, a car joint venture with Italy’s Fiat Auto.
Due to China’s expert abilities in piracy, Honda has repossessed blueprints and equipment related to building the MG ZS and the Rover 45 which was based on the Honda Civic.
Rover originally had some form of tie-up with Proton with plans of a Rover-badged Gen2 and a Perdana model based on one of the bigger Rovers.
Source: BBC News
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
Well I hope Proton should learn well from this lesson before they fold up.
19th century – British Empire
20th century – Americans
21st century – Chinese
You dont say ….
DOG THE WAN,
Hei come on Rakyat, Give Chinese a chance. Now the will use ROVER and MG brand to put in on their car LEGALLY lah instead or COPYCAT logo for so long. Stop talking about PATENTs or infringe issues, they will correct it from now on, Nak BerJAYA mah, Tak Kira Apa saja CARA. Good BUY, Good bye.
JELI car maybe can be call LOVER sorry, is ROVER, I think (using my Aszzzs) when arrive at MALAKsseR. Tunggu sekejap and Lihat lah Okay!
Fab_Integra, your remarks "before they fold up"… u mean Proton will fold up. wow…. better do not buy proton cars now, otherwise in years to come, no spare parts.
soowm, your remarks "21st century – Chinese"… great. It is time chinese all around the WORLD can hold the heads high up.
well i think is 'balasan' for england that kill chinese, remenber the opium war?
how they conquer china?…………
hey i said it as "Karma"… it just a cycle of life. sure you can say 19th for British 20th for Uncle Sam & 21th for China, but if we look back deep into our world history, nobody can stand or live forever… in the end nothing really matters…
The Americans nowadays is scared s**t of China. Way to go China! The 21st century will be an Asian Century… After all those orang putih had done to us in the past, devide and conquer us..
The car I think is very good^^ haha