TF's comeback is delayed again

MG’s return to British roads is facing yet another delay – and this time
it’s because the manufacturer claims that it is having problems with parts supplied from China.

Describing “breakages of key com-ponents during transport” as the main reason why the Longbridge production lines remain empty, MG bosses say the solution to this latest challenge is to look to suppliers in the UK for support. It’s thought windscreens and side windows for the revitalised TF are among those parts being dam-aged in transit, with the valuable items turning up cracked and shattered.

However, the delay has been greeted with dismay by the firm’s small but only recently appointed UK dealer network – which has been waiting for the arrival of the MG TF since the fanfare of its launch in the spring.

Initially, expectant showrooms had been told that the car would be deliv-ered in early autumn. It now looks as though the model will not appear in dealers before late next spring – a delay of more than six months. While the extraordinary circumstances are being played down by MG owner Nanjing, this is not the first problem to have hit the firm, which took control of the famous British brand after MG Rover called in the administrators in 2005. Originally, Nanjing had hoped to bring production back to the UK in late 2006, but a series of delays caused by financial concerns slowed progress to a near-standstill.

The company has successfully built and opened a Chinese factory to assemble versions of the Rover 75 called the MG 7. However, a lack of cash has forced it into a partnership with fellow Far Eastern maker SAIC, which produces a similar 75-based car called the Roewe 750.

Although support for the MG brand remains strong, every delay is thought to make life more challenging for those hoping to re-establish it as a credible sports car maker.