Austin-Healey, one of the most famous names in British motoring, could be on its way back to its traditional West Midlands home at Longbridge.
Just a fortnight after MG’s new owners, Chinese car makers Nanjing Automobile, relaunched production at Longbridge, the firm has struck a deal paving the way for a Healey revival.
It has signed a deal with Healey Automobile Consultants and HFI Automotive, the group that has been planning to produce the first new Austin Healey in more than three decades.
Motoring enthusiasts are now hoping that new Healeys and Austin-Healeys may sit alongside them on car dealer forecourts nationwide.
In a brief statement overnight NAC said it had reached an agreement with Healey Automobile Consultants and HFI Automotive “to collaborate on the future development of the Healey and Austin Healey brands and sports cars bearing their name.”
The deal ends arguments about ownership of the brands and trade marks and expands opportunities for joint trade between the companies.
Running prototypes are understood to already be under test. The Healey name was founded by Donald Healey in 1946 and linked up with Longbridge-based Austin Motors to produce some of the most popular British sports cars of the post-war period.
The company kept on building cars in a link-up with West Bromwich-based Jensen until the Black Country firm went out of business in 1975.
Nanjing has said it hopes to make around 15,000 MG TF roadsters a year, and is marketing MG in China as “Modern Gentleman” – rather than the original “Morris Garages”.
7 Comments
It beggars belief that the British car industry cannot do the same - we seem to be a defeated nation in every way these days !!!!
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We have no british car industry!!!!
Whilst we have a goverment that has no interest in manufacturing and believes we can survive by being a nation of service industry the decline will continue.
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Good-afternoon!
Not so,Mr Payne!The British motoring industry at large,has seen
better times,I must admit,but not
all is lost,yet!If foreign capital,
Chinese in this case,can start up
old British motoring brands,and turn heads all over the world,it
might renew interest in British cars again!The Chinese seem to have
the future,AND THE CASH,TOO,TO DO
SO!Do bare that in mind!Be proud
again,Britain!
FJ Bartling,Hilversum,Holland
FJ Bartling,Hilversum,Holland
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You obviously do not work in the UK Automotive sector living in Holland, Mr ignorant!!
I do and have done for the last 30 years. The car manufactures that do remain in the UK actually buy a huge % of parts from low cost countries like China, India and Eastern Europe.This obviously does not generate wealth locally.
Many UK companies are not deemed strategic if they do not have factories in the above countries.
So Sir please be aware of the total picture. We are fast becoming a country of assembly plants that are NOT UK owned.
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At last, a company realises the marketing name of a brand.
Lets hope that the revival, will out strip the sales made by bmw with the mini.
Lets hope that it is not to long before they are shipped to the uk.
As i would certainly be interested in purchasing one.
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SO F J - AS THE 4TH SO CALLED RICHEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD WHY CAN’T THE BRITISH COME UP WITH THE CASH ALSO ?
YOUR COMMENTS CONTRADICT THEMSELVES RATHER, SO YOU WILL FORGIVE ME IF I CHOOSE NOT TO HEED YOUR ADVICE !!!
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If BMW couldn’t turn around Rover’s fortunes, who possibly could?
Maybe Rover’s demise was in part due to the its militant legacy from the 70’s, which Honda in Swindon and Toyota in Derby don’t suffer from?
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