Quick answer: MG is a British car brand by heritage but Chinese by ownership. Founded as Morris Garages in Oxford, England, in the 1920s, MG has been owned by Chinese giant SAIC Motor since 2007. The badge and sporting history are British; the ownership and most manufacturing today are Chinese. So MG cars are best described as British-born, Chinese-owned, and globally built.
Ask ten people who owns MG and you will get a dozen answers. The badge feels quintessentially British, the styling nods to a century of Oxford sports cars, yet the company behind it is one of China's largest carmakers. Both things are true at once, and that is what makes MG's identity so confusing.
This guide settles it. We cover where MG came from, the collapse that changed everything, who owns it now, and what "British" really means for the cars on sale today.
What Does MG Stand For?
MG stands for Morris Garages, a car dealership in Oxford, England. In the 1920s its general manager, Cecil Kimber, started modifying standard Morris cars into faster, sportier versions that quickly found fans.
That set the brand's philosophy for the next century. MG built affordable, lightweight, fun-to-drive sports cars for ordinary people, not just the wealthy. It is a formula the brand still leans on today.
The legend was built on models that defined open-road motoring: the MG T-Type Midget that introduced America to the marque, the elegant MGA of the 1950s, and the MGB that became a global icon.
The Collapse That Changed Everything
By the late twentieth century, MG had passed through a string of British owners: the British Motor Corporation, then British Leyland, then the Rover Group. Each merger left the brand a little further from its independent roots.
In 2000 the business became MG Rover Group, Britain's last major independent carmaker. It could not survive alone. In April 2005 MG Rover collapsed, ending volume car production at the historic Longbridge plant in Birmingham.
What happened next is the twist most people miss. The remains of this British icon did not stay British.
Who Owns MG Now?
MG is owned by SAIC Motor, one of China's largest state-owned carmakers. The path there ran through two Chinese companies and two years of corporate wrangling.
When MG Rover fell in 2005, its assets were bought by Nanjing Automobile for roughly £53 million. Two years later, in December 2007, the far larger SAIC Motor acquired Nanjing Automobile and folded the MG brand into its passenger-vehicle division.
Today MG vehicles are designed and developed by SAIC, with most manufacturing in China and regional plants in Thailand, India and Indonesia. Cars were assembled at Longbridge in England from 2007 to 2016 before production moved fully to China.
So Is MG British or Chinese?
The honest answer is both, depending on what you mean. Here is how the two identities split.
| Aspect | British | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Brand origin | Founded Oxford, 1920s | — |
| Heritage and badge | British sporting marque | — |
| Ownership | — | SAIC Motor, since 2007 |
| Design and engineering | — | SAIC, China |
| Manufacturing | Longbridge 2007-2016 only | Mainly China |
So when someone asks whether MG is "still British", the accurate reply is that MG is a British-born brand under Chinese ownership. The heritage is real and the company honours it in styling and marketing, but the corporate reality is a SAIC-owned global operation.
Worth knowing: this British-heritage, Chinese-owned pattern is common now. It mirrors how Volvo sits under China's Geely while keeping its Swedish identity. Ownership and heritage are not the same thing.
What This Means for MG Owners
For buyers and owners, the ownership question matters less than the ownership's effect. SAIC's scale is why MG can price sharply, offer long warranties, and roll out electric models like the MG4 so quickly.
It also shapes parts and servicing. Because MG is now a globally sourced, SAIC-built brand, replacement parts and accessories follow the current model range rather than the classic British cars. If you run a modern MG, we stock parts and accessories in our MG parts collection.
The classic British MGs remain a separate world of specialists and enthusiast clubs. The British Motor Museum holds much of that heritage, while the modern brand lives on at MG's official UK site.
MG Ownership: Common Questions
Is MG still a British brand?
Not in ownership or manufacturing. MG was founded in Oxford, England, in the 1920s, but since 2007 it has been owned by SAIC Motor, a Chinese state-owned company. The heritage is British; the ownership and most production are Chinese.
Who owns MG cars now?
SAIC Motor, one of China's largest carmakers, owns MG. SAIC gained control in December 2007 after acquiring Nanjing Automobile, which had bought the collapsed MG Rover Group's assets in 2005.
What does MG stand for?
MG stands for Morris Garages, a car dealership in Oxford, England. In the 1920s its general manager, Cecil Kimber, began modifying standard Morris cars into sportier versions, and the MG marque was born.
Where are MG cars made today?
Most MG vehicles are designed by SAIC and built in China. SAIC also produces MG models in Thailand, India and Indonesia for regional markets. Cars were briefly assembled at Longbridge in England from 2007 to 2016 before production moved fully to China.
Is MG a good car brand?
MG has become one of the fastest-growing brands in markets like Australia and the UK, helped by sharp pricing, long warranties and a fast-expanding EV range such as the MG4. The badge carries genuine British sporting heritage, even though the company behind it today is Chinese-owned.
What happened to the original MG?
The original British MG passed through BMC, British Leyland and the Rover Group before MG Rover collapsed in 2005. Its assets were bought by China's Nanjing Auto, then folded into SAIC in 2007, which relaunched MG as a global brand.
The Bottom Line
MG is a century-old British marque that now belongs to China's SAIC Motor. It was born in Oxford, nearly died at Longbridge, and was reborn as a global brand under Chinese ownership in 2007.
Call it British by heritage and Chinese by ownership, and you have it right. For today's owners, that combination has meant more models, sharper prices and a fast-growing EV line-up carrying a badge with genuine history behind it.
