China’s Nanjing Automobile Group, the new owner of the MG brand, is planning to start production of the iconic label in England within weeks. Reuters is reporting that the newly formed post will be producing up to 6,000 TF sports cars a year at the original Longbridge plant. This comes after a two-year hiatus after the collapse of MG Rover and the loss of 5,000 jobs, however, only 250 staff are expected to work on the new line.

Nanjing Auto outbid main rival Shanghai Automotive to buy MG Rover for close to £53 million back in 2005. Last year, the company announced ambitious plans to build a factory in the US at a site in Oklahoma, however, Managing Director Yu Jianwei has admitted they “don't have a timetable for US production.”

Production of some models has already been started in China celebrating Nanjing's 60th birthday, with the first cars using MG technology set to be on the road by the end of March. Company spokesman Lv Qiang told reporters that “production in England will begin in April or May.”