MG Motor UK Limited (MG Motor) is a British automotive company and a subsidiary of SAIC Motor UK, which in turn is owned by the Shanghai-based SAIC Motor. MG Motor designs, develops and markets cars sold under the MG marque. All MG vehicles are currently assembled in China, and MG Motor is the largest importer of Chinese made cars into the United Kingdom. The marque returned to competitive motorsport in 2012, and won the 2014 British Touring Car Manufacturers Championship. Following the collapse of MG Rover in 2005, the Chinese automaker Nanjing Automobile acquired the Longbridge plant and the MG marque for GB£53 million (US$97 million).
Nanjing Automobile formally established NAC MG UK Limited as a holding company for the plant and marque on 12 April 2006. In March 2007, Nanjing Automobile unveiled the first MG vehicles manufactured in China, the MG TF, MG 3 and MG 7. Assembly of cars restarted at Longbridge in August 2007, with production of the MG TF LE500. In 2007, Nanjing Automobile was acquired by SAIC Motor, and in early 2009 NAC MG UK Limited was renamed MG Motor UK Limited. The first all-new model from MG for 16 years, the MG6, was officially launched on 26 June 2011 during a visit to MG Motor's Longbridge plant by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao. This car was imported briefly into the UK, but it was not a sales success and was withdrawn from sale in 2016.
MG Motor was voted third place for the ‘Best Manufacturer’ category in the Auto Express 2014 Driver Power survey. 2014 also saw MG celebrated its 90th birthday. MG enjoyed further celebrations with a record-breaking year that saw the company lead UK car industry growth in 2014. The brand’s sales rose by 361% during 2014 part thanks to the introduction of the MG3 to the product range, with a total of 2,326 cars sold in the UK. MG Motor operated the historic Longbridge plant. There is a major research and development facility at the site which employs around 500 people, together with a design studio. Until 2016, final assembly of some MG models took place at Longbridge using complete knock down kits produced in China.
In January 2012, MG Motor announced that it would enter the 2012 British Touring Car Championship through the newly established MG KX Momentum Racing team. In its debut season the team ran two MG6s driven by Jason Plato and Andy Neate. Plato ended the season in third place, with the car yet to find its feet in wet conditions. The team returned in 2013 with Sam Tordoff driving, who performed well in his debut year having joined through the KX Academy scheme. Plato once again came third, with Tordoff sixth. In 2014, MG won the Manufacturer's Championship to break Honda's four-year reign. After just three years of competition, the MG6 GT sealed the title by 95 points at the season finale at Brands Hatch.
