If the deal does materialise, then I should think that a Chrysler
distribution deal would be highly likely. Having said that, although
there is no established MG dealer network (the old British Leyland
having effectively stabbed the original ones in the back in 1979/80!),
and the Land Rover/ Range Rover network is small, I imagine that there
would be a lot of vested interests to overcome with BMW of North America
- both in terms of the manufacturing arm at Spartanburg and in the sales
and dealer network.
It is too early to say how things would be likely to pan out. One
possibility, irrespective of whether or not the Chrysler/BMW deal goes
through, is the assembly of Land Rover, MG and possibly Mini models at
Spartanburg or another new plant. In the past, when the Rover Group was
British owned, a certain xenophobia, patriotism or job protectionism -
depending upon your point of view - would not have allowed these marques
to be built overseas.
Nowadays, with German ownership and both BMW and Mercedes already
building in the 'States, I see no logical reason in principle why the
same should not be true of the British marques. Jaguar (now owned by
Ford) threatened to build their forthcoming small Jaguar in the USA,
until the British Government coughed up a big grant; the industry is
increasingly `global' these days and hard economics tend to overcome
national pride. The fly in the ointment with this plan would be the need
to keep existing Rover plants back home gainfully employed.
So, we may see a new MG and a new Mini and they might conceivably be
built for US consumption within the USA - although there will be much
pressure to keep them here in the UK [for the benefit of another lister
who wanted to know if "UK" was a city code - UK stands for the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]. It is most unlikely that
you will see the MGF - for reasons I could go into another time - but
remember that the MGF was conceived before BMW came along, and had they
arrived earlier, things might have been different.
But folks - this is all still speculation.
----------
From: The Richards
To: David Knowles; mgs
Subject: Re: MG to feature at Speedweek this month?
Date: 09 August 1997 13:50
At 12:03 PM 8/8/97 +0100, you wrote:
>The latest twist to this story, appearing in the British magazine `CAR',
>is that Chrysler wants to buy BMW, and the Quandt family - which owns
>BMW - is said to want to sell. There are already links; Chrysler and BMW
>are co-operating on the new Mini engine - to be built in Mexico - and
>Chrysler's MG-loving Bob Lutz - Swiss born American who speaks fluent
>German - used to be highly placed in BMW and knows Wolfgang Reitzle,
>BMW's present engineering guru and rumoured heir apparent to Bernd
>Pischetsrieder. You only have to see the concept cars and fun cars which
>Chrysler builds these days to see where the synergy would lie. But its
>still all rumour folks!
>
Okay, David, any more speculation perculating up about the possibility
of
BMW/Rover using Chrysler's dealer network to sell the Mini in US, and a
new
MG as well?
Michael, New Bern, NC
67 MGB (powered by Mowog)
74 Interceptor (powered by Mopar)
Series III Land-Rover (powered by Mountain Goats)
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