11 Facts About Longbridge plant

Longbridge plant is an industrial complex in Longbridge, Birmingham, England, currently leased by SAIC as a research and development facility for its MG Motor subsidiary.

Longbridge plant returned to England in 1893 as manager of an Australian company relocating to Birmingham.

Longbridge plant was part of a significant rapid mobilisation process which took place across Europe on the outbreak of World War I Machines that had been used to build Austin cars were employed to produce munitions, and all the resources of the factory were harnessed to serve the armed forces.

Works and Longbridge plant had grown to over ten times their prewar size, no peace-time products were being made.

Major wartime additions to Longbridge plant included a large steel-foundry, a very large sheet metal pressings shop and a very large and complete hardening and heat-treatment shop.

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Longbridge plant produced parts for tanks, while aircraft were produced at the Austin Aero shadow factory at nearby Cofton Hackett.

Longbridge plant laid plans for a rapid expansion, new models, and overseas marketing.

Expansion work at Longbridge plant was completed in 1979 to allow a new assembly line for the forthcoming new supermini car, which was launched in 1980 as the Austin Metro.

In 1989, a new Longbridge plant-built model was launched, the second generation Rover 200 .

However, continuing heavy losses alarmed BMW shareholders and in 2000 Rover Cars and the Longbridge plant factory were sold to the Phoenix Consortium, who renamed it MG Rover Group, in a management buyout for the token sum of £10.

At the time many financial commentators claimed that the Longbridge plant was not modern enough and that the company would surely run out of money within a few years.