11 Facts About MG Rover

MG Rover Group was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry.

MG Rover was formed when BMW sold the car-making and engine manufacturing assets of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000.

MG Rover went into administration in 2005 and its key assets were purchased by Nanjing Automobile Group, with Nanjing restarting MG sports car and sports saloon production in 2007.

Rover brand, which had been retained by BMW and licensed to MG Rover, was sold to Ford, which had bought Land Rover from BMW in 2000.

The rights to the dormant MG Rover brand were sold by Ford, along with the Jaguar Cars and Land MG Rover businesses, to Tata Motors in 2008.

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MG Rover was formed from the parts of the former Rover Group volume car production business which BMW sold off in 2000 due to constant losses and a declining market share.

MG Rover took control of the volume component of the former Rover Group, which by now consisted solely of the Longbridge plant in Birmingham.

When BMW sold off its interests, MG Rover was bought for a nominal £10 in May 2000 by a specially assembled group of businessmen known as the Phoenix Consortium.

The Iranian state-owned car manufacturer, SAIPA who had worked with MG Rover installing the K series engine in a car for the Iranian market that was based on the old Mazda 121 and Kia Pride, were rumoured to be potential buyers.

Range further expanded in 2003 with the launch of the smallest model, the Indian-built CityMG Rover, built as part of a venture with Tata, and a flagship model, the MG XPower SV, based on the Qvale Mangusta.

MG Rover sponsored Aston Villa Football Club from 2002 to 2004, with Villa's home kit advertising Rovers and the away kit advertising MGs.