Chinese owner of iconic MG car brand to build Europe plant

China's largest centrifugal shaper SAIC says it volition physique its archetypal mill successful Europe, aft income of vehicles connected the continent jumped.

The state-controlled institution - which owns the iconic MG marque - says the caller works volition nutrient electrical vehicles.

However, a spokesperson told the BBC that SAIC has not yet decided whether MG models would beryllium be made astatine the site.

MG, which has roots dating backmost implicit a century, was made successful the UK until accumulation was moved to China successful 2016.

On Thursday, an SAIC spokesperson told the BBC that the steadfast was inactive successful the process of securing a tract successful Europe and finalising different details astir the project.

"We person galore brands including MG, IM and Maxus. We are inactive deciding which volition beryllium built astatine the factory," the spokesperson added.

Sales of its vehicles extracurricular China surged by 40% successful the archetypal 3 months of the year, according to SAIC.

The MG marque accounted for the bulk of overseas sales, arsenic the fig of the cars sold successful Europe much than doubled successful the aforesaid period, the institution said.

The latest announcement comes astir 7 years aft SAIC halted MG assembling astatine the Longbridge works successful Birmingham.

The Longbridge works built cars including MG and the archetypal Mini. It was acceptable up successful 1906 and survived World Wars One and Two.

In the years that followed, the tract fought disconnected post-war economical slump and the emergence of the centrifugal manufacture abroad.

It besides recovered from onslaught action, mergers, takeovers and drops successful its stock value.

Production astatine the works was halted aft MG Rover collapsed successful 2005. The marque was yet bought by SAIC.

In 2011, the MG6 was launched. It was the first MG car successful 16 years to beryllium assembled astatine Longbridge.

The five-seater conveyance was designed successful the UK but its parts were made successful China.

Chinese carmakers - including SAIC, Geely and Great Wall - person seen their marketplace shares turn successful caller years.

Exports from China person been boosted by the request for electrical vehicles and income to Russia arsenic galore Western countries imposed sanctions connected Moscow aft the penetration of Ukraine.

As good arsenic its manufacturing plants successful China, SAIC besides has accumulation facilities successful Thailand, Indonesia, India and Pakistan.