Longbridge plant

The Longbridge plant is an industrial complex situated in the Longbridge area of Birmingham, United Kingdom. It is currently owned by SAIC Motor and is a manufacturing and research and development facility for its MG Motor subsidiary.

Opened in 1905, by the late 1960s Longbridge employed around 25,000 workers. A wide variety of products have been produced at the site during its history, although the core product has been cars, most notably the original two-door Mini. During the Second World War the main plant produced munitions and tank parts, while the nearby East Works of Austin Aero Ltd at Cofton Hackett produced several types of aeroplane such as the Short Stirling and the Hawker Hurricane.

Originally a printing factory built on green fields the site has had a variety of private owners, as well as a period of state ownership. Since the collapse of MG Rover in 2005 part of the site has been redeveloped for commercial and residential usage. The remaining 69 acres of the site are owned by SAIC.

Longbridge

Coordinates: 52°23′42″N 1°58′44″W / 52.395°N 1.979°W / 52.395; -1.979

Longbridge is an area of south-west Birmingham, England. For local government purposes it is a ward within the district of Northfield Kings Norton.

Since 1905, the area has been dominated by the Longbridge plant, which produced Austin, Nash Metropolitan, Morris, British Leyland, and most recently MG Rover cars. The factory became dormant, and some parts of the older sections of the site were demolished after MG Rover fell into administration in April 2005. The company, renamed MG Motor (owned by MG Rover's would-be partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) resumed full MG TF sports car production at the factory in August 2008 and in late 2010 started final assembly of the MG6.

Situation

To the immediate south-west lie the Lickey Hills, a favourite recreation spot for the people of southern Birmingham. From the south-east the railway line from Barnt Green divides Longbridge off from the Bittell Reservoirs: Longbridge railway station on the Cross-City Line stands opposite the Longbridge plant, near the Bristol Road (A38). The Austin Sports and Social Club is one of the many social clubs in the area.

Longbridge (disambiguation)

Longbridge may refer to these places in England: