While I know it makes zero difference in the grand scheme of things… I couldn’t in good conscience buy a car direct from the Chinese state.
There seems to be shed loads of MGs on the roads though. Is the frugal demographic that buys them here in the UK really looking for a 2 seater roadster though?!
As an MG TF owner of many years I can assure you that there are some MG drivers who are very much looking for an MG 2 seater roadster, we’re just old school ‘Rover MG’ enthusiasts. Admittedly mine is actually a Chinese LE500, but it’s basically the Rover model with some improvements to the HG and front end.
Whether that translates to MG Motor UK (SAIC) drivers is another question, but there is definitely still a strong fan base for an MG roadster in some quarters.
Plenty of parts on the MX-5 made in China, particularly electronics.
I don’t have a problem with that but it’s quite a different proposition to buying a £30k+ car from a Chinese state owned company.
You need to get over it. If you cancelled everything in total in your home, including your mobiles, that either was made under licence or originated from China from the drawing board up your life would grind to a halt, as would hospitals here in the UK ,dental equipment, heart sensors, Apple watches, ICE, you name it.
Whether we approve of “them” or not, fact is they keep global consumer junkies like us in business and life style happy. You might want to check where Volvo & BMW’s etc are made.
My GP father had both his Beetles vandalised in the 50’s & 60’s with German stuff sprayed on them.
Some X WW2 service families left his practice.
I’ve just ordered a new Suzuki Turbo Swift. The Japanese beheaded my great Uncle in WW2 when he was enslaved to build a railway line, and I’ve run two 5’s for 16 years. Traitor?
You’d be horrified probably to study where a lot of Merc’s post war finance came from, and to whom a good few Merc post war top dogs owed their family bloodlines to. 
And what about VW anyway? Produced by the first gen Porsche somewhat under threat from Adolf …not to forget the tanks…and of course the rest is history. As will Beijing be one day hopefully.
Sorry pal, but if it ain’t got a fair bit of Chinese in it, it won’t work and perhaps neither would you!
Nothing much really changes.
You make some great points there SF. Anti regime rhetoric is often pushed by the media and infiltrates everyone’s thinking because they dont have any other direct reference points. Its always better to leave the geopolitical stuff to the governments ie if they dont want commerce to become dependent on a given country then they need to encourage and sponsor production center’s elsewhere that will supply the people and commerce’s needs for goods. I come across quite a few Chinese and generally find they are polite, hard working, innovative, conscientious and just want to earn money for themselves and their families. We have to split the people up from the Communist party as they are two very distinct things. The media will have its narrative though even though its often only loosely based on facts.
The ownership is more complex than you might think. Ownership is split between some entities that relate to the central government and essentially local government. I think actually very little revenue finds its way into CCP coffers, if that is the worry. The annual reports are available online as SAIC is a public company.
And don’t forget most of us drive cars made by a company that once happily supplied rifles to the Japanese government that could have been used in some atrocity someplace.
I have no intention of boycotting anything made in China or buying from Chinese companies.
The state ownership of MG and a car being the second biggest purchase you make just makes it a line I’m not willing to cross.
Will Xi miss my business? Of course not.
Will I be missing out by not driving an MG? No, there are plenty of other generic cars to choose from.
As for working back through the history books, I’m not particularly interested in the past as it is completely out of my control.
There we have it…
As a small time manufacturer of MX-5 accessories I buy in some parts direct from manufacturers in China via Alibaba. When contacting them via the messaging system they reply promptly and helpfully. They always seem very friendly too.
I recently found that a product I purchased two year ago was missing some parts. According to the Alibaba platform rules I have 30 days to check orders and report any problems. I contacted the supplier and told them what was missing. They are sending me the parts without any hassle.
The people are very nice, don’t blame them for their government. Could be said for a lot of countries.
Is that the case these days? I suspect most purchasers of new MX5s are not cash buyers. They’re not even financing the entire cost of a car. 90% of new car purchases in the UK are now PCPs. You’re only financing bit of a car, the depreciation over 3 or 4 years.
My second biggest purchase, after my house, has been a £25k conservatory. 60% up front, cash please, delivered 2 years too late and 100% British. The British manufacturer forgot to supply the glass. The British builder kept badmouthing the Irish company who did my £6k driveway (done to schedule, payment only by bank transfer on completion), the Albanian chap who did my patio and fencing for £3k (also insistant only on bank transfer to his business account, upon completion, as he was very keen to properly regularise is business).
If I decide on a nice new MX5, if I purchased in the way that 90% of owners do, then its costing me £17k, a long way behind that conservatory.
I’m spending the thick end of £7k this year for a couple of extended trips to Thailand (£1500 in airfares per trip). If and when I get another car, it might be the 6th or 7th biggest purchase, someway behind that new kitchen I need (£5k, payment up front) and bathroom (£5-10k).
I’ll never buy a new car. I’m a Director of Research for a FTSE listed company, and I choose a 27 year old grey import Roadster and a 19 year old Jaaaag. Between the two cars, I barely put on 4k miles a year. My sister, one of those underpaid school teachers, meanwhile has just taken delivery of another JCW Mini, on a PCP. Its an arrangement that suits her.
The explosion in attended car washes in the last decade shows how our relationship with cars has changed. I rarely see anyone on my street spending their sundays scrubbing a car in the drive. Its either £5 in the jet wash at Asda or the local splish and splash.
I think we can have a discussion of cars, irrespective of the politics of national origin.
Here in Thailand, the roads are full of mostly Japanese, Korean and Chinese branded cars, though most of these will be Thai assembled. The Havals and BYDs are pretty sharp looking cars (BYD being interesting, given Warren Buffett’s shareholding). The Ora Funky Cats less good looking, or rather, more curious looking.
What is interesting is, scanning the used ads, used MGs in Thailand are about the same as used Hondas and Toyotas. Suzukis are strong money.
Absolutely. A product I used to deal with meant direct contact with the Chinese manufacturer and my experience was exactly as you described.
As I said, I have no issue with buying Chinese made goods or from Chinese companies (I’m typing this on a Xiaomi phone…) But that doesn’t mean I want to buy a car direct from Xi.
It does look good though, styling wise the only thing I’m not keen on is the scissor doors.
I’ll take the MGA thanks.
I still don’t understand why on earth I’m still looking at this thread…
…
I don’t like the looks of this car…
I don’t really see an electric car to become my “fun” car… an A to B utility tool yea possibly.
1.8 t is laughable… to be argued as a its a “light” fun car.
I would rather distil my pi$$ to feed my aging mx5 with fuel rather than buying this.
…
Yet I’m still lurking around… No… I refuse to be converted. I don’t like electric cars…
I think… 
[quote=“ckleanth, post:80, topic:133577, full:true”]
I still don’t understand why on earth I’m still looking at this thread[/quote]
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Oh I know how to do that and I have contemplated of doing so a number of times but…
I think I’m sticking around in case i find a glimmer of hope i start liking the electotrickery trend but at this point in time its like being slapped on the face and coming back for more.
Kinky I guess… 
Launch video
But the MGA was actually a bit of a rubbish car.
Feeble at taking corners slowly.
