http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/59216/healey_on_comeback_trail.html
Tuesday 16th August 2005
Could one of Britain's most famous names be set to return? And could
it be built at an existing UK factory? Unlikely as it sounds, one man
is backing Austin-Healey to roar into showrooms with production at
Peugeot's Ryton plant in the West Midlands.
Professor Krish Bhaskar, whose Triple A consortium made an
unsuccessful bid for MG Rover, reckons Peugeot will shut the ageing
site within two years, because the new 207 won't be built there. He
wants to convert it to produce four sports cars under the British
badge.
Bhaskar's bold ideas don't end there. His proposals include making a
Mercedes CLS rival, which could use the Riley name, as well as a trio
of SUVs badged Wolseley. Bhaskar, who has extensive experience in the
motor industry, said: "The cars have to be suitably different to
anything else in order to make them viable.
"We've done preliminary research and are sure there is a market for
the products." The project would cost a staggering #1billion, although
Bhaskar claims to have the necessary financial backing to make it
happen. There are issues over the names, though; Austin-Healey is
owned by the Healey family, while BMW and MG Rover's new owner Nanjing
have the rights to Riley and Wolseley respectively
--
Patton Dickson - '57 A-H 100-Six
Homepage - http://Austin-Healeys.com/
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