SAIC Roewe

By Ben Whitworth

Motor Industry

16 October 2006 09:40

Rover lives on! This is Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation’s Roewe 750E - the Rover 75-based saloon - caught here undisguised weeks ahead of its official unveiling at next month’s Beijing motor show.

Under a shroud of secrecy the Roewe underwent an official naming ceremony last Friday in Shanghai. The name Roewe, transcribed rather oddly as ‘Wrong Way’ in Chinese and pronounced ‘roo-eevee’ means honour, power and prestige. The Roewe’s badging – chequered black and red and adorned with rampant lions and an ornate ‘R’ – also bears a striking resemblance to the Rover’s shield-shaped Viking longboat logo. It appears to mimic the Rover name which SAIC tried unsuccessfully tried to purchase from BMW earlier in the year for around £11million. The sale, however was thwarted when Ford exercised its first rights option to buy the name, part of its £1.4billion purchase of Land Rover from BMW in 2000. Hence the need for a different but similar name. "This brand name is a combination of both East and West,” claimed SAIC. “It reflects our determination and confidence in building our own brand, with world-class technology.”

State-owned SAIC bought the rights to the Rover 25 and 75 models for around £67m in late 2004, months before MG Rover went into administration. Although no official production timetable has been set by SAIC, it’s understood the Roewe 750E will come to the UK in right hand drive at the end of next year.

By Ben Whitworth