Port's vital role in classic car rebirth

9:49am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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MOST parts for the new sports car to be produced by the Chinese at the former Rover factory in Birmingham will be imported through Southampton.

The Longbridge factory will be assembling the new MG TF LE500 sports car, pictured, out of parts made in China and shipped across the globe in containers.

It is a vote of confidence in Southampton Container Terminal, which is recovering from a crane collapse that saw operations severely restricted for months.

Another major motors customer, Honda, lost production of 1,000 cars because of the incident, which delayed a shipment of parts and forced it to close its Swindon factory for the day.

The Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) confirmed this week that production of the TF LE500 - a reworked version of the existing MG TF mid-engined sports car - will begin at the Midlands plant in August.

The work is just the start in a planned expansion that will ultimately see Longbridge producing four models, each of which could funnel more business through the port.

The auto industry is an increasingly important plank of business at the port.

Port director Doug Morrison said: "Anything that generates additional business for Southampton is good news. The car business we have is vitally important to us. You don't want all your eggs in one basket, whether it's containers or cruises."

Already UK-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini and Ford Transits are shipped out of the country from Southampton, while it is a point of entry for scores of other vehicles from manufacturers like Renault and grey imports from the Far East. It is also a centre for the "high and heavy" trade, which sees mechanical giants such as airport safety fire tenders, doubledecker buses, articulated lorries and earthmoving equipment ferried out of the country.

Chairman for NAC MG UK, Mr He Xiao Qing, said: "I am delighted to be in a position to talk about a launch date for the TF LE500 following a process of planning, reorganisation, active quality improvements and parts optimisation that we recognise resulted in frustration for our stakeholders."

The new car is expected to appeal to a wide range of car-buyers looking for an authentic sports car driving experience.