What these guys are really buying is the name. Its a internationally recognized name and with bold leadership...and cheap manufacturing outside of the UK...it could make a profit. I thought the Chinese would rush in and just buy the company for the name.
Where MG screwed up...they made a great car for guys 35 to 45...and they should have marketed it that way. Their advertising was lousy and they just depended on the name to sell the car.
"...it could make a profit."
Not on your life.
1. Iran can't compete w/ the Chinese for mass production and low cost labor.
2. Most people in the world who can afford a car want one by a major player.
3. There is already a glut of automobile capacity in the world.
4. It takes a Toyota or GM etc in order to be able to compete. There is no way that a smaller company can compete for long, especially in the "how low can you go" market.
It wasn't marketing. They built unreliable, poor quality cars and they had a lot of trouble adapting to the US safety regulations.