Can Chinese carmaker Nanjing resuscitate the MG brand as it launches a 'new' MG TF called the LE500?
After a £50m investment in the old Longbridge plant, the 135bhp 1.8 litre TF returns with a limited edition (LE) run of just 500 cars. The TF LE500 marks the initial run of the rear-wheel drive two-seater. The plant will then go on to build a more standard 1.8 litre TF '135' and an MG 85th anniversary model too this year.
When production started late last year a modest 48 cars were being produced per week at the massive plant. There is no shortage of veteran and experienced workers to feed the Longbridge production line that once employed 6,500 people. At the moment, there are 450 people at the plant, but that is changing as MG's owner has very deep pockets. MG UK hopes to produce 30-40,000 cars per year in the next three years and to grow from there.
The Chinese firm is not saying whether it is selling the TF at a loss, but it is retailing the car for a lot less than it cost during its original production run in the UK. In its home market, the MG TF LE500 sells for £16,400 (€17,756), as opposed to £24,000 (€25,984) before the firm went bust! In Ireland, because of our VRT and CO2 based taxes, the TF LE500 sells for €32,995 with, thankfully, no additional charges.
Nanjing, which bought MG Rover (now called MG UK), has merged with SAIC (Shanghai Automotive) to make a huge global car company and can certainly buy market share if it wishes. The car's body is built in China and shipped to the UK for finishing. The exterior is all but the same and inside the car has been tweaked a little to enhance the cabin which, despite being freshened up, still looks dated.
The iPod generation is catered for with the addition of a trick aftermarket stereo. The boot is big enough for 'the shopping' and in there you'll find the bonnet release. Under the bonnet is a full size spare wheel, the battery and a few mechanical bits and pieces plus a light.
The 1.8 litre engine has a new head and is a nippy unit and while a power output of 135bhp seems a little low these days, the lightweight TF makes good use of the power. The best engine in the old TF was the 160bhp unit. While some things have changed slightly, the clutch remains heavy, and the five-speed gearshift is far from MX-5-like.
LE models come with leather seats and there is a colour coded removable hard roof as standard. The annoying thing with the TF driving experience is the fact that you still seem to sit on and not in the car! The seats are simply set too high. That said, the experience of open-topped motoring in a rear-wheel drive mid-engined car is way ahead of what most cars offer in terms of inducing a grin.
The limited run of 500 cars has nearly sold out. MG says it will build a 'D' segment family car next and then a full model line-up in the next three to five years.
The MG TF failed in the past to be as good as the brilliant MX-5 and, sadly, despite its welcome rebirth, cannot compete with the Mazda - except on price. The irony is that without MGs of old providing the inspiration, the Japanese drop top would never have been made!
The fact that the MG TF LE500 is a limited run could make the car worth a punt for MG enthusiasts. MG Ireland is the new seller here and has 10 cars. A Cork dealer is to join K&C garages in Dublin as retailers shortly, with Galway and Waterford set to follow in the coming months.
Michael Sheridan
