The following is a quote from the May/June 1999 MGB Driver (NAMGBR
newsletter) Written by David Knowles
The information is supposedly provided by BMW:
The BMW Rover portfolio for the next five years seems likely to include:
2000 - New Range Rover (including V12 "uberwagon", related to the BMW X5
now being built at Spartanburg, although the Range Rover will probably hail
from Solihull).
2000 - New "NG" (New Generation) engines come on stream at the brand-new
Hams Hall factory on the outskirts of Birmingham. These engines will
gradually replace most BMW and Rover four-cylinder engines.
2001 - All-new Mini, to be built at reconstructed facilities at Rover's
troubled Langbridge plant, using a new engine developed jointly with
Chrystler and destined to appear around the same time in a new Dodge Neon.
Includes a supercharged Mini Cooper 'S' version.
2002 - The Cowlet-built Rover 75 may make it to the U.S.A., although this
is not certain at present.
2002 - All new Rover medium sized car (a rival for the VW Golf and Ford
Focus), which may not wear the Rover badge at all (Triumph is one bet; BMW
2-series another). There is the possibility that an "MG Magnette" may also
follow, based on this car.
2003 - New MG sports car, possibly to be built at Spartanburg, and
described by Autocar magazine as a "front engined successor to the MGB",
replaces both the MGF and the BMW Z3. Possibility that larger-engined
versions will be Austin-Healeys.
2004 - All-new Land Rover Defender (tough SUV in the Land Rover tradition,
but built using more modern methods and technology). Possibility of a new
low-cost, front wheel drive Austin-Healey Sprite or MG Midget, based on Mini.
The article does not mention specifically that any of these vehicles will
be imported into the U.S. but I would assume that if they are going to
discontinue the Z3 and replace it with a new MG it would be likely that
they will import the MG in the place of the Z3....I hope :).
If this isn't rumor fodder I don't know what is.
At 02:44 PM 9/3/99 -0600, James Nazarian Jr wrote:
>I read last night in European Car that BMW is planning on a return to the
>US market for the MGF and a new Healey in 2003. Anyone have any more info
>on this? or any details on the cars? I realize its a long way away but,
>I am already pinching my pennies to buy the MG. I was only a few months
>old when the B was discontinued so I have never actually seen, let alone
>driven a new MG. Needless to say I am just a BIT excited
>
>James Nazarian
>'71 B roadster
>'74 BGT bastardization with big aluminum heart :)
>'63 Buick 215 cubic inch 'heart'
>
>
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John Walker
john@rmartin.net
drone@d23.com
CB'74 MGB
"in progress" :)
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