END OF MG-ROVER?
APRIL 2005
Click below to read the latest news.

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ROVER STEPS OUT IN LEATHER.
March 2005
MG Rover Group launches its new advertising for Rover, targeting a discerning, affluent audience.

It is the first work from St Luke's since the agency was awarded the business and marks a return to Rover's focus on product quality and design heritage.

The press and radio campaign features Rover's new 'Leather as Standard' proposition, whereby all 2005 Rover 25 and Rover 45 models come with leather upholstery as part of the standard package.

This campaign principally targets 'empty nesters' who are taking advantage of their freedom to choose the kind of life they want to live. This is reflected in the new end line: "Rover - Your Space" which features in both the press and radio ads.

The press campaign, which will appear in national newspapers, Sunday supplements and consumer magazines, uses the values of the marque to create an up-market, aspirational feel to the ads. The photography, together with the strong black and red colour theme signals a renewed sense of sophistication.

Two 40-second radio ads support the leather proposition with a sensual but humorous approach. The first, 'Aromatherapy', plays with the smell of leather, whilst the second, 'Cloth', examines the differences between the look, feel and durability of leather upholstery and that of cloth.

Steve Robertson, director marketing and product services at MG Rover Group, says of the new ads: "This campaign illustrates the value that Rover is putting back into our products. By offering leather as standard on Rover 25 and 45 we are creating a unique proposition which will appeal to our target audience."

Neil Henderson, joint MD of St Luke's adds: "We've gone back to the brand's roots and picked up on the quality, style and attention to detail that Rover is rightly proud of."

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New Year, New Hopes, New Car.
February 2005
A new wave of confidence is sweeping through Midlands car-maker MG Rover. New models are being drawn up in preparation for its ground-breaking link with China's biggest automotive company [Shanghai Automotive Industries Corporation (SAIC)].

And heading the new range is the medium-sized new car Rover hopes will compete head-to-head with such heavyweight contenders as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and VW Golf.

At the same time MG Rover has committed itself to boosting its sales operations both in the UK and Europe in moves designed to reverse the sales slump of 2004.

Under the SAIC joint venture, over the next few years four new cars are planned to replace the existing Rover fleet, to be built both at Longbridge and in China.

The first off the production line will be a brand new five-door medium-sized car to replace the Rover 45.
The first published photograph of the, as yet, unnamed car reveals a funky, cutting edge.

MG Rover says the car has been designed by its in-house team led by product design director Peter Stevens. This world renowned product design director, previously with McLaren, Lamborghini and Lotus, is the man behind the Jaguar XJR-15, the Lotus Elan M100 and, the redesign of the Esprit. He took a job as lead designer at Rover Group in 2000.

His latest work has been greeted with enthusiasm within MG Rover - "We are all very excited about the new car, although it will not be officially launched until 2006," said a spokesman.

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New Year, New Office.
January 2005
The Rover Owners Club and MG-Xtra have today completed the move into a new office. This will enable us to offer an even better service to our members.

As a result of this move we now have a new postal address and phone number.

The new number is:
01543 451760
The new address is:
RoverTorque (The Rover Owners' Club), PO Box 3805, Cannock, Staffordshire. WS15 4ZG. UK

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