MG sports cars are again rolling off the production line in Great Britain.

The latest MG TF roadster looks much the same as it did 3½ years ago when MG Rover went bankrupt, but things have changed dramatically since.

Now the TF's body and powertrain are made in China and shipped to MG's Longbridge plant in central England for paint and final assembly.

After MG Rover closed, China's Nanjing Automotive Corp. bought the assets of the company and moved the TF's production equipment to China. Since then, the MG's 1.8-liter overhead-cam engine has been overhauled, and the car has been given a few minor cosmetic and structural improvements.

The MG TF, introduced in 1995, was one of Europe's best-selling budget sports cars before MG Rover folded.

The two-seat convertible will be available starting next month only in Great Britain. Plans to manufacture and sell a hardtop version in the United States never materialized.



Response to the reborn MG in England has been strong, according to The Birmingham Post, a newspaper in central England. The paper reported that 70 percent of the first batch of 500 special-edition cars have been sold.

MG, which kicked off the British sports car boom in the United States in the late 1940s, dates back to 1923. MGs were last offered in the United States in 1980, but the brand still has a large following here.