Nanjing set to resurrect Austin Motor Co.

When Nanjing Automobile bought the MG Rover brand back in 2005 it also picked up the rights to many of MG's 'heritage brands,' including the Austin Motor Company. UK’s Autocar is now reporting that Nanjing may revive the old British label for its new small and mid-sized cars. Other brands acquired by Nanjing during the sale include Morris and Wolseley, and a company exec recently revealed that it has plans to resurrect at least one label as a new budget-oriented brand.

Nanjing’s Quality Director Paul Stowe previously described Austin as “a fantastic brand with an enormous worldwide appeal,” adding “it has a very different heritage to MG, and this allows us to develop and market a very different range of vehicles. For this reason I can definitely see the re-emergence of Austin in less than five years.”

The new cars are set to replace the ZR and ZS from MG Rover’s original lineup, and will be partially developed with the help of Lotus engineering. Nanjing will also provide a range of high-tech diesel engines, most likely sourced from Fiat, for its new cars.