Currently reading: Update: Vauxhall denies it will sell MGs

MG Motor products will not be sold alongside Vauxhalls in the same showroom

Vauxhall has denied reports that its dealers could be used to sell MGs as the brand returns to a full-scale British sales effort.

MG has been owned by GM's Chinese partner SAIC since 2007. GM's regional boss in China has claimed that the firm is in talks with SAIC that could allow the classic British brand access to GM's dealer networks in the UK - which means Vauxhall and Chevrolet.

The move would be a key one for SAIC, which is keen to expand across Europe in 2011 and 2012, because it would give it considerably wider reach than any roll-out project could achieve, and in a much shorter time frame.

"We have agreed in an MOU [memorandum of understanding] that we would discuss the potential for MG to be distributed in the UK," said Kevin Wale, GM China's president and MD. "And that's what we are doing at the moment."

But Vauxhall has since clarified Wale's comments.

"SAIC and GM have a significant joint venture in China," said an official Vauxhall statement. "As a part of the General Motors Corporation - the UK is GM's fourth largest market - Vauxhall is pleased to assist its global organisation.

"Vauxhall Motors' Retail Network Development department is assisting SAIC/MG Motor (through an MOU) with network development to enable MG Motor to develop its retail network in the UK. A number of possible opportunities will be explored under the MOU but these do not include selling MG Motor products alongside Vauxhall in the same showroom".

SAIC expects to start series production of the MG6 at the Longbridge production facility early in 2011, with first deliveries of new UK-built models in April.

MG is also preparing to launch the MG3 small hatchback at the Guangzhou motor show later this month.

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PRODIGY 15 December 2010

Re: Vauxhall dealers 'could sell MGs'

Straff wrote:
I realise that this will upset a few people here... but aren't we looking at the Emporer's new clothes? MG saloon cars have been rubbish since the early 60's. The sort of people who bought the things are, for the most part, dead. Why are they flogging a dead horse? Rebrand the thing as something else and stick to sports cars

It won't upset me, because I know that I drive a car that will outhandle most things from the same class and only cost me £2,500 for a 4 year old car because most people assume wrongly that it's rubbish. To say that every MG Saloon car since the 60s is rubbish is ludicrous and also contradicts Autocars expert road testers too. The Maestro looked pants but was a decent driver, the Metro was a pocket rocket, and the Z range were best in class when launched and the ZR was the nations favourite hot hatch for a while. Rover were the brand that were bought generally by older clients but during the later years the 25 was popular with younger folks. The MG6 is modern enough to take on the Koreans, and the Koreans are the new world order! Eventually if people get over their prejudices then MG may even be cross-shopped with the inferior Fords and Vauxhalls ;)

pigface wrote:
I drive an MG saloon car and it's certainly not rubbish and I'm certainly not dead. My ZT V8 is quite a machine and great fun to own, albeit some of the fit and finish is awful. Why rebrand a world recognised and still revered marque for something new? I take it you don't work in marketing!

A cracking car you drive which highlights what the engineers in longbridge can achieve on a shoestring.

pigface 15 December 2010

Re: Vauxhall dealers 'could sell MGs'

I drive an MG saloon car and it's certainly not rubbish and I'm certainly not dead. My ZT V8 is quite a machine and great fun to own, albeit some of the fit and finish is awful. Why rebrand a world recognised and still revered marque for something new? I take it you don't work in marketing!

thebaldgit 15 December 2010

Re: Vauxhall dealers 'could sell MGs'

This would not have made any sense. Not many people were buying MG's before they went tits up, and there would have been no point in bringing them back alongside cars which they had no relationship to.