LONGBRIDGE HERITAGE AT RISK
Redundancies at MG Motor UK renews worries about historic cars, buildings and artefacts
The safety of a private collection of significant British classics assembled by MG Rover at Longbridge was once again called into question on 10 May, when MG Motor UK’s parent company, SAIC, announced 140 redundancies.
The West Midlands site, opened by Herbert Austin in 1905, closed under MG Rover ownership 100 years later, and is commemorated every year by Pride of Longbridge events. Once one of Europe’s largest car manufacturing plants, its staff numbers peaked at 25,000 in 1968.
In a recent statement issued to Classic Car Weekly, SAIC said that Longbridge, currently used to develop and emissions-test new MG models, is now under an ‘operational review’. Twenty staff members are to remain at the Longbridge site and 20 at MG’s site in Marylebone, London, including two designers.
CCW understands that cars kept at Longbridge are being sold off ad-hoc. The Rover 75 coupé concept that was destined to become the possible re-launch of the Riley brand has been sold to a former production manager for a reputed £4000. However, SAIC spokespersons would not comment further on the future of the rest of the vehicle collection, which includes a number of Minis, significant 75s and several MGF prototypes.
Instead, CCW was referred back to the official corprate statement, which read: ‘SMTC UK (SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre Limited) is conducting an operational review at its Birmingham base. SMTC UK is currently consulting with its staff to find the most appropriate solution and further updates will be issued in due course.’
Much of the Longbridge site has been redeveloped after owners St Modwen received it back from SAIC. All that remains is the former Elephant House design studio (now the MG Sales Centre), the former Austin head office building ( home to Herbert Austin’s preserved office, saved by apprentices still working on the site during the downtime between the downfall of MG Rover and the resumption of production in 2008) and the erstwhile ‘Kremlin’ administrative block, emptied but not demolished in 2016.