update: Poll is over.
The Rover name is dead and buried in the corporate portfolio of Ford motor company, but Rover lives on in the form of Nanjing MG and SAIC’s Roewe (specifically the 750) but who will come out victorious in the end, will it be Nanjing MG with the whole of Longbridge behind it, or will it be Roewe with their modern, stylish new designs? We’ll let CCT readers forsee the championing brand via our poll.
To take part simply click your choice, SAIC or Nanjing MG, in the poll which is to the right hand side of this text (and either down or up a bit, depending on the day)
The answer is, of course, both, as the Chinese government looks set to force them into cooperation.
In China, I think Roewe may have the advantage, but in the rest of the world, Nanjing will have the advantage with the MG name recognition.
I agree with MGBMAN, I think MG will be more successful in the UK, but I think Roewe will be more dominant in China. Although of course there is talk of a merger.
The two will never, ever merge, I doubt there will even be any more talk of a ‘colaboration’ on the MG/Roewe project.
Internationally, the MG brand is DOA in any country where it unloads at port, especially with the models it has now and even a year from now it probably wont have anything decent to offer in terms of new designs.
SAIC, on the other hand will be pushing out even more new designs by December for the Guangzhou car show. The W2 is going into production soon.
If anyone would want to merge, it would be MG, begging for money I would imagine, either that or SAIC saves it from bankruptcy - the curse of British motoring spreads to China.
Roewe!!!
Customers are voting for Roewe, over one hundred 750 per day have been handed to buyers since early April. IMO roewe as a new brand has been very successfully introduced in Chinese market, in some cities the orders have been packed to August, really crazy.
I want to see Roewe win and acquire all of Nanjing Auto’s assets.
The surprise lead NAC has in the poll can only be due to an influx of the Moonie-esque cultists from the virulently anti-SAIC forum mg-rover.org
Brum Brum,
Possibly right, but it looks like SAIC is catching up?
Brum Brum,
Those MG-Rover forum guys are a real bunch of tools. Like an old boys club giving anyone who shows a liking to SAIC a virtual soggy biscuit.
Every serious discussion on that forum seems to end with this scenario: “You prefer SAIC to NAC MG???” “YOU MUST BE A SAIC EMPLOYEE!!! BURN THE WITCH!!”
Looking at Nanjing’s track record in passenger cars, its financial difficulties, its paultry talent pool (when compared with SAIC), and its location, it’s hard not to vote in SAIC’s favor.
But SAIC is no shoe in when it comes to making this elephant (a la outdated 750 design) fly. So the greatest hope for both, would be a merger.
Like vote, I’m prefer MG to Roewe
First drives to MG 7
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/208467/mg_7.html
http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/FirstDrives/NAC-MG7-1.8/225361/
Not to bad
I think a merger is easily possible: SAIC have loads of money but Nanjing have the hugely valuable MG brand.
Very good news : Longbridge reopening date revealed
MG comeback in Europe (uk in first )!!!
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_method=full&objectid=19034540&siteid=50002-name_page.html
Excellent news, MG is not dead
Well …. What was the result?
Did “SAIC play catch up” or was “Nanjing be out in the lead?”
Give it some time Windy - The holidays have only just finished in China