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T-Series MG TF now Chinese

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Guy in our car club is the editor of "MG Driver." He had a lot of 'juicy & interesting' rumors for us at the meeting last Monday. 5 very serious buyers for MG Rover. The most serious, who have supposedly put in bids, are an Iranian company, a Russian millionaire (or is that rublenaire?), an unnamed American and - best of all, and the one I'd like to see most - Honda. Apparently Honda was over at the plant before closing. Had MG actually keep the paint factory open and ready to go in very short notice. Seems Honda is very unhappy with the sales of the B2000 and is looking for another sports car and is very interested in MG. To put Honda behind the MG would be huge. And would be exactly what both marques need! And possibly our only hope of ever having the 'new' MG's available in the states. I wish I would have taken some notes when he was talking!

Found this:

Could Honda buy MG?
Posted May 26, 2005, 5:13 PM ET by Randall Halcomb
Related entries: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Trends



Autocar has been informed that a Honda delegation has made a secret visit to part of the closed Longbridge factory. Apparently, the delegation made the visit in mid-May with senior union officials. Although there are doubts that Honda is interested in the entire MG Rover Group, but Honda may be looking into taking over the MG brand. That would truly make Honda the only potential buyer of MG that could actually make good on promises to expand the MG brand throughout the world. It would also mean that MG would probably come to the US again.
 
According to my 'sources and a couple websites:'
Apparently the rights were sold 'by mistake.' China was interested in the MG, then backed down from what I understood.

SAIC paid $67mil for most of the Rover cars and engines, but the TF and the SV supercar were supposed to be excluded from the deal. BUT ownership was transferred to SAIC last September, according to the British Patent Officer register of designs. (you'd have thought they'd read, read, and re-read the contracts) Seems entry in the register is proof of ownership of a design. Any reversal of this transfer would require permission from SAIC, who are now the legal owners. Today is the last day selected applicants can submit their final proposals.

Seems Iran is no longer interested, China (Shanghai Auto Industy) has the right to manufacture the Rover 75 and Rover 25. Rover's real value isn't in its equipment but in its manufacturing rights. Which China holds.

BUT, "But PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrators to MG Rover, have claimed that the British carmaker has retained the rights to the MG variants of those cars, which use 98 per cent common parts. PWC believes that the Chinese have exclusive rights over very little and nothing that would prevent carmaking beginning again in Longbridge." And China is promising a long legal battle if necessary.

The other 3 viable prospective buyers "are known to be looking at the alternative scenarios of continuing production at Longbridge or relocating it elsewhere. The bidders for what remains of MG Rover were concerned to find out what interest the Shanghai Automotive Industry Group might have in physical assets and intellectual property rights belonging to MG Rover."

I'll hear more scuttlebutt at our next monthly meeting in a couple weeks.
 
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