tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11531897071501056622024-03-13T06:57:04.012+07:00The Re-Birth of MGPaul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-51804564963077966342010-02-13T03:22:00.003+07:002011-06-06T06:48:11.990+07:00New BlogYep, after almost no encouragement, zero public pressure and very little expectation I have decided to put finger to keyboard and start writing a blog again - why? well despite everything I really enjoy writing - it gives me a buzz to write online, and what else do you do when you spend half of your life traveling to airports, waiting in airports and enduring the hell that is air travel.<br />
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If you want to follow my ramblings, please go to......<br />
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<a href="http://www.paulstowe.blogspot.com">http://paulstowe.blogspot.com</a>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-79420404266546447912008-01-27T09:11:00.000+07:002008-01-27T09:20:55.686+07:00Carry on Cabby!This is the last post I will make on this BLOG - why? well I have decided to move on and write a new one! To read more please use the following links :<br /><br /><br /><br />Outside of the Great Chinese Fire Wall:<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.carryoncabby.blogspot.com/">http://www.carryoncabby.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Inside of the Great Chinese Firewall:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://www.carryoncabby.blogspot.com">http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/http://www.carryoncabby.blogspot.com</a> <br /><br />ATB<br /><br />PaulPaul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-28566234496635859242007-09-19T10:20:00.000+07:002007-09-19T10:49:05.535+07:00House HuntingI have written before about the contrasts in China, and that these are what you love or hate about the country. Well these contrasts are more evident in Shanghai than majority of cities I have visited.<br />I guess most people have an affinity with Shanghai, they have either visited, or the have seen the skyline and the building’s from films such as Lara Croft, Mission Impossible and James Bond (Not to mention Paul Merton’s recent TV series), so everyone has an image of what they will see before they arrive – what TV, Films, Magazines and news articles don’t show you are the extremes of the everyday people who live, work and play in this enormous city. <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br />Just across the HuangPu River in Pudong, you have an area call<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCWbMXUKXI/AAAAAAAAAMc/E5wsyhP_-jI/s1600-h/Lujiazui_skyline,_Pudong,_Shanghai.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111750970985163122" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCWbMXUKXI/AAAAAAAAAMc/E5wsyhP_-jI/s320/Lujiazui_skyline%252C_Pudong%252C_Shanghai.jpg" border="0" /></a>ed Lujiazui, this is where the worlds financiers have located and contains probably the most famous sights of Shanghai, The Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, HSBC Bank and an assortment of the best hotels in the world. Here you will find the usual pin stripped men and women of the financial world, a place to work, eat, sleep and play, along with the thousands of tourist that visit each day. </div><div><br />On the other side of the river you will find the Puxi area of Shanghai, is where the first modern day foreigners settled, and gave rise to the famous Bund area with its colonial archite<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCWrcXUKYI/AAAAAAAAAMk/EAAMz85nOqQ/s1600-h/Xintiandi_Cafes.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111751250158037378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCWrcXUKYI/AAAAAAAAAMk/EAAMz85nOqQ/s320/Xintiandi_Cafes.jpg" border="0" /></a>cture, nearby a district called the French concession, which as the name suggests was an area set aside for the French during the Foreign occupation of the city, it is still inhabited by many foreigners and is a chic, cosmopolitan area. Where dozens of fancy restaurants mingle with classy boutiques and designer hotels. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br />The choices of where to live in Shanghai are enormous, unlike Nanjing where you can only select between half a dozen or so expat compounds – the accelerated growth, and invasion of the foreigners in Shanghai, has led to a building boom for high class, extremely expensive and in some cases bizarre housing compounds, all designed to make us foreigners feel at home. </div><div> </div><div>Several of these have been the focus of report<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCW7cXUKZI/AAAAAAAAAMs/y47ka8RuW_c/s1600-h/shangnine4e.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111751525035944338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCW7cXUKZI/AAAAAAAAAMs/y47ka8RuW_c/s320/shangnine4e.jpg" border="0" /></a>s before; probably the most famous of these is the Thames Town complex (which isn’t actually in Shanghai, its about 35Km outside in a place call Songjiang), this is a pastiche of all things English – including windmills, churches, village greens, mock Tudor houses, corner shops and small bars – all of which are deserted.<br />When we decided to move to Shanghai we limited our choices due to 2 distinct factors, The first being that having experienced traffic in big Chinese cities, we realised that it that it takes twice as long to get anywhere, and our desire not to have our children spend hours travelling to and from School, meant that we would choose somewhere that was local to the school of our choice, and secondly I would be working quite far out of the city and needed somewhere with good transport links to my work. </div><div><br />The injection of foreigners has seen an enormous growth in foreign schools, these employ English speaking teachers from around the world – they charge exorbitant rates for an education that finds itself tending to non-English speakers, rather than providing advanced education for private school money. Not a great situation, but then beggars can be choosers! We had decided that the British International School in Puxi, fitted our 2 criteria best – so all that was left was to identify somewhere to live. </div><div><br />Close to the school are many housing compounds, in many different styles. The <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCXmcXUKaI/AAAAAAAAAM0/xfk6X38cse4/s1600-h/ph_1_5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111752263770319266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCXmcXUKaI/AAAAAAAAAM0/xfk6X38cse4/s320/ph_1_5.jpg" border="0" /></a>closest 3 are the Shanghai Racquet Club, a resort based on the club med way of life, with apartment living in low rise structures, individual swimming pools dotted around each building, and a fantastic club house with professional tennis courts and coaches, a sprawling pool, large gym, squash courts, 2 restaurants, a shop and a beauty salon, all of this without a cash register in site – you pay with a membership card and settle your bill at the end of each month. The place has a holiday club atmosphere about it all, and caters to those who want to completely forget that they are in China. </div><div><br />The next and the most impressive is a place called Forest<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCYFcXUKbI/AAAAAAAAAM8/boY8jrlCs18/s1600-h/Forest-Manor-Aug23-1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111752796346263986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCYFcXUKbI/AAAAAAAAAM8/boY8jrlCs18/s320/Forest-Manor-Aug23-1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Manor, this has to be one of the most prestigious housing developments in the world, yes I did say world. Each house is individually designed, with rents ranging from $8000 per month, up to a staggering $32,000 per month. For that you get your own replica Whitehouse, including men in black style guards whispering into earpieces, and your very own golf buggy to help you ferry the kids back and forth to the lavish club house.<br />Well the choice we made wasn’t as ostentatious as Forest Manor (our budget barely got us past the security gate to have a look!), and the Racquet club just didn’t feel real – I love going on holiday because it is something different, living in a resort complex for more than a few weeks, seems more like hell than heaven to me!<br />We fell in love with our chosen abode as soon as the electric gates opened, and our car past under the hacienda style entrance.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCaRsXUKdI/AAAAAAAAANM/EE6epG208Ww/s1600-h/DSC02534.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111755205822917074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCaRsXUKdI/AAAAAAAAANM/EE6epG208Ww/s320/DSC02534.JPG" border="0" /></a> It’s hard to explain exactly what it’s like, but imagine a cross between Bonanza, High Chaparral and the BBC soap Eldorado. With grapevines hanging from the carport, lime trees in the garden and whitewashed villas dotted around creeks and plantations, its incredibly beautiful, strangely authentic and completely surreal experience – quite what the dozens of local workers who tend to the gardens, empty the rubbish, clean the swimming pools and man the security think heaven only knows – to be honest I’m not quite sure what to make of it either, but while the sun is shining and I can reach out from my garden chair to pick a lime for my bottle of local beer – life is pretty good! </div><div> </div><div>To think that only 30 minutes away from our Spanish / Mexican style dwelling, you can be amongst a forest of skyscrapers, 20 minutes a range of colonial buildings, 15 minutes from the tree lined avenues of the French quarter and never more than 5 minutes away from enormous tower blocks that provide the majority of accommodation for the 17 million inhabitants of Shanghai, in fact I was discussing this with a movie producer who said that China was quickly becoming the place to shoot movies, and was on the brink of an explosion due to the variety and availability of real life sets, cheap labour, inexpensive hotels and an ever improving access from the Chinese official’s. Why was I speaking to a movie producer? Well someone has had the foresight to make a film about the trials and tribulations associated with MG-Rover, PVH and NAC MG debacle – not sure if it will ever make the spotlight of Hollywood or even Bollywood, but I imagine the households of Nanjing and Longbridge will be glued to their goggle boxes!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5111755746988796386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 556px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 197px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="300" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RvCaxMXUKeI/AAAAAAAAANU/HnRBwSAwlCo/s400/HollywoodSign.jpg" width="496" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-34430636710616127752007-09-09T17:34:00.000+07:002007-09-10T15:06:12.566+07:00It takes all sorts!<p align="left">Many months ago when I started this BLOG, I didn’t feel it necessary to introduce the company I worked for – well at least the brand. MG has to be one of the most well known brands across the world - better known than I ever imagined!<br />Whenever I was in new company and asked, “Whom do you work for?” “Nanjing Auto”, or “NAC MG” would always get the same response “Who?” Whenever I responded with “MG”. The response was always – oh “Rover”, “Yes I know – didn’t they used to make funny sports cars” or “My granddad used to own an MG”!<br />So you see outside the circle of enthusiasts (Or Chinese!) it will always be a reference back to the hey day’s of the British Motor industry – but at least it is always something I could explain fairly easy, and the majority of people would identify with the company or the brand fairly quickly. My new company of choice doesn’t quite have the same global identity – or does it? </p><p align="left"><br />I spent the last couple of weeks in the UK, a time to reflect on what has happened, and the future – but also a time to meet up with old and new friends. The conversation always started with – “So I hear you have left MG, who are you working for now?” If I answered with “MBH” (Manganese Bronze Holdings), “LTI “(London Taxis International) or “GEELY” I received the same response “Who?” Admittedly once I explained that LTI are the company that build the Iconic London Taxi – everyone instantly understood – maybe not the company, but at least the product!<br />So to save me going through the same explanation several hundred more times – I thought I would use my BLOG to give a brief explanation of the companies, and the product that will absorb my life for the next who knows number of years!<br /></p><div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPQeJrZy_I/AAAAAAAAAL0/TF6akd-9kqQ/s1600-h/Geely_logo.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108155618780892146" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPQeJrZy_I/AAAAAAAAAL0/TF6akd-9kqQ/s320/Geely_logo.gif" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPQqJrZzAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/hmPpVp5uTGI/s1600-h/lti-logo.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108155824939322370" style="WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 88px" height="94" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPQqJrZzAI/AAAAAAAAAL8/hmPpVp5uTGI/s400/lti-logo.gif" width="169" border="0" /></a></div><br /><br /><div align="left">The actual company I work for is a joint venture between separate entities, <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPNV5rZy6I/AAAAAAAAALM/kMfqWjmJFD8/s1600-h/lti_vehicles_logo.png"></a>MBH (British) and GEELY (Chinese). <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPNgJrZy7I/AAAAAAAAALU/kyrKFqbFadU/s1600-h/Geely_logo.gif"></a>This is an important fact, mainly because most of us have seen the rest of the UK manufacturing industry disappear in to foreign ownership. This is in fact an expansion. MBH (The owners of LTI) have seen good growth in their European and North American expansion programmes, and can see the enormous potential for growth in Asia – to do this you need an Asian partner, which is where GEELY come in. </div><div align="left"><br />GEELY were the first private carmaker in China, and their story is incredible. Shufu Li Founded the company in 1998, he was born in 1963 into a farming family, and his personal rag to riches story requires a full BLOG entry on its own. I actually got to meet the guy personally, a few weeks ago, and was incredibly impressed by his powerful presence yet quiet demeanor. </div><div align="left">He has headed up an automotive company that produced a only handful of vehicles in 1998 through to a planned production of 300,000 vehicles in 2007. </div><div align="left">With a business plan that simply identified a market, filled it and made money from it - simple but very effective. Whilst everyone else fought over the middle class and business purchasers – GEELY provided what the majority needed, economical, simple and reliable forms of transport. His empire has expanded to building factories all over China and exports to over 40 countries (compare that to NAC MG’s or even MG-Rover’s recent performance!). Having secured the lower end of the car market, GEELY now has ambitions on the rest of the automotive sectors (Just take a look at the latest vehicles to see where those ambitions lie). </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108153084750187458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPOKprZy8I/AAAAAAAAALc/6Bk3X0bVYIk/s320/geelykingkong.jpg" border="0" /><br />Not satisfied with there global passenger car plans, GEELY Identified a market for a purpose built taxi, and have decided to join forces with LTI, to engage in a program of vehicle development, that will see the Iconic London Taxi as the first product being built from the partnership.<br /><br />The history of LTI is quite different to GEELY’s, and is probably a more familiar tale of rise and fall!<br />To those “in the industry” it is still referred to as “carbodies”, the original name for the company that started in Coventry as far back as 1919 .<br />That name was very appropriate because it built separate vehicle bodies to supply the UK’s expanding motor industry, including providing every cabriolet body for all of Fords products up to 1964, and supplying bodies for companies such as Rolls Royce and Bentley, however it was probably most famous for supplying the body of the FX3 to Austin (MG link!),<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPOZJrZy9I/AAAAAAAAALk/oDLKpUwilyc/s1600-h/fx3-studio-shot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108153333858290642" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPOZJrZy9I/AAAAAAAAALk/oDLKpUwilyc/s320/fx3-studio-shot.jpg" border="0" /></a> this became the most recognized form of the London Hackney Cab (Black Cab, London Taxi etc.) of all time. In 1959 it took over this business from Austin, and became a full vehicle producer. Building a variety of London Taxi themes over the years, and changing hands several times during the process it finally became part of MBH in 1973, and it changed from the original “Carbodies” name to LTI (London Taxis International) in 1984.<br /><br />I guess whilst the company is interesting in itself – the history of the London Taxi is even more fascinating.<br /><br />The history of the London Black Taxi goes back as far as 1625, when they were operated by inn keepers to ferry drunken soles home after hours (nothing changes there then!), the 1st Taxi rank opened outside the Maypole Inn on The Strand (London).<br />Soon after this Charles the 1st, and then Oliver Cromwell set up legal rulings to control the industry, and over the years the rules governing the industry, have been developed and now build into ensuring that London arguably has the best Taxi service in the world!<br /><br />The design of the vehicle derives from some of the weird and wonderful laws that surround the vehicle regulations – called the “conditions of fitness”. For example:<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPTFprZzCI/AAAAAAAAAMM/P2Cz3TBGiXM/s1600-h/rv4546-3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5108158496408980514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPTFprZzCI/AAAAAAAAAMM/P2Cz3TBGiXM/s320/rv4546-3.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPRNprZzBI/AAAAAAAAAME/bRuAb3DqNcQ/s1600-h/0087747.jpg"></a>The height of the vehicle comes from its requirement to seat a gentleman without <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RuPO5ZrZy-I/AAAAAAAAALs/-Ei3HYQml4g/s1600-h/pd502296_s.jpg"></a>him having to remove his bowler hat! (This has been preserved due to the vehicles current need to seat a wheel chair passenger).<br />The driving position, and that of the front wheels is all to do with the fact that the turning circle needs to be within 25ft (7.6m). A requirement that stems from the fact that the original taxi’s were horse drawn, and were required to travel down the centre of the road, to prevent the horse manure from blocking up the drains or fouling the pavements!<br /><p>The entrance itself must not be more than 15 inches (38cm) above road level – again harking back to a time before kerbs and footpaths. All of this goes into ensuring that the shape of the vehicle is far more famous than the badge that adorns each cab – I cant think of anything else similar, but would welcome suggestions!<br /><br />Other interesting, but maybe not pertinent facts about London Taxis<br /><br />The London Taxi is also (and properly) referred to as “Hackney Carriage”, the word Hackney derives from the French “hacquenee”, which literally means ‘ambling nag’ which is a reference back to the horses that used to pull the carriages.</p>The term <em>CAB</em>, comes again from the French for ‘Jump like a Goat’. As the original cabs came from France and used to bounce over the cobbles of Londons Streets.<br /><br />Wilhelm Bruhn invented the taximeter in 1891, and is where the term ‘TAXI’ comes from. <em>Taxe</em> from the French for ‘Price’ and <em>‘metron’</em> from the Greek for ‘measure’.<br /><br />London Taxis don’t have to stop when you hail them, legally Taxis are only plying for business when they are stopped, and cannot refuse a fare under 6 miles or one that will take less than 1 hour.<br /><br />London Taxi drivers are not legally obliged to give change. If you pay with the incorrect change, they can insist on sending the change to the passenger’s home by post!<br /><br />Only 1% of London’s Taxi drivers are women.<br /><br />So as you can see, a very strange joining of companies, but then as my dad would say – it take’s all sorts!Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-50302655347882772482007-08-31T00:00:00.000+07:002007-08-31T00:13:46.341+07:00Mile High Club!I decided to write this BLOG entry whilst sitting in 1st Class on a flight to the UK, why? Well for the last 2 years I have made the return journey from Shanghai to London sitting in Cattle class with my knee’s tucked firmly underneath my chin, and a screaming toddler trying to give me a back massage by kicking the seat behind me for 12 hours. Having made the 12-hour trip a dozen or so times in the last couple of years! I felt that it was <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rtb5nlMhJ_I/AAAAAAAAAK8/lZDNqlBZNz0/s1600-h/airline_seat_space.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104541686065866738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rtb5nlMhJ_I/AAAAAAAAAK8/lZDNqlBZNz0/s320/airline_seat_space.gif" border="0" /></a>time to travel in style for once. <div><div><br /><div>I have always been one of those people that felt 1st/upper/pompous class has always been that – a privilege for the rich and the stupid! Those who see no issue with spending at least 10 times that of what it costs to travel economy – just to show everyone that they are more important than the rest of use mere mortals. An opportunity to jump the queue, to stand at the front, to get a bigger plate and to attract the prettier hostess! Something that was more about status than comfort or convenience. After all we all travel on the same tube of death, we all take-off and arrive at the same time, have to go through the excruciating immigration and customs procedures, and wait for the wheel of pain to deliver our man-handled luggage! However I am here now to crush a concept that it’s all about status!</div><br /><div>The fact that your exclusivity starts with a knock at the door by a man in a suit and a cap, to take you to the airport, in a car that most of us can only dream about owning, rather than screaming down the phone at the taxi company who forgot your booking, before squeezing your case into the 1970’s built saloon vehicle that you would have paid the tat man to dispose of 20 years earlier! </div><br /><div></div><div>Then you avoid queuing by walking straight to the front of the queue, dropping off your bags and bypassing the long line of people waiting to clear immigration and security (I guess security believe that terrorists don’t fly 1st Class?) a quick shoulder / back massage in the private lounge, followed by a champagne reception in your executive suite on board what seems to be a parallel universe of air transport!<br />This all before the plane has left the ground makes you think that money is good, money is great – give me more! </div><br /><div>Once you are In the air and the on-board beautician has finished clipping your toe nails and massaging your shoulders for the third time – lunch is served, of course only after you have chosen from the in-house menu that would put Gordon Ramsey to shame. Followed by copious amounts of fine wine and top shelf spirits all designed to remember the flight, and tell your friends and family how fantastic it was (see how it works!). Not content with the hand to mouth service, you even have the opportunity of walking to the cabin bar! A bar, Christ what happened to smuggling the duty free on board and pouring the Barcardi into plastic cups until you had run out of coke? Here you can sit around other smug travelers and go into detail about just how big the last deal you brokered was, or how property prices in London don’t really reflect the investment you made 5 years ago! </div><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104541896519264258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rtb5z1MhKAI/AAAAAAAAALE/eH-iX8m2irU/s320/VirginAtlantic-06.jpg" border="0" /> <div>So fed and drunk, you retire to your seat, which by now has been transformed into a bed, forget trying to squeeze your leg into a cross position, or even dumping your exhausted body onto the folding table in front of you (Chinese style!), this is a fully fledged 180 degree flat bed, complete with goose feather pillow, Egyptian cotton sheets and fluffily teddy bear. The last time I had such a comfortable sleep was way before the birth of my two children – forget hiring a baby sitter, just book a long haul flight in 1st class.</div><div><br />You are then woken by a selection of the best looking air-crew (notice how I avoided the word hostess!), so that they can feed and provide you with sustenance for the last 4 hours of your luxury trip, a glass of named Champagne and a quick foot rub, prepares you for the final km’s of you journey, maybe its time for to catch a quick movie, plug in your laptop and write those business critical emails or just a chat with the onboard financial consultant? Before you know it you have missed Spiderman 3 and Harry Potter 12 – Christ in Economy that’s the best part of the flight!</div><div><br />So after all this luxury – was it worth the extra money? Too bloody right! Well ok – only if someone else is paying! I looked around the cabin, and using my in-depth powers of observations would suggest that only 10% of my fellow high rollers actually paid for their own tickets – the rest (like me) were subject to a very friendly company travel policy.</div><br /><div>To put that statement into context, I remember traveling back from Washington DC with Hans Peter Langer who was head of Group Quality for Rover And BMW group - in cattle class, then traveling this same journey Shanghai tp London with Yang Junhu – S&M General Manager of NAC MG in economy – both companies had similar travel policy’s, which were basically that you travel in Economy regardless of position or status.<br />Then in contrast, I also remember flying back from Mumbai with Kevin Howe – I traveled in Economy, his Directors traveled in Business and he traveled on his own in 1st Class! Even then he wanted to be seen as more important. That flight is particularly infamous with those that traveled on it – and now with all of you that continue to read.<br />I had just finished an assignment in Pune, home of the ‘Shity Rover’ (The Indians name for the car – not mine!), the board meeting on that day requires a full BLOG, just to give justice to the language and physical fisticuffs that filled the day with blue air and the odd spattering of blood! </div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rtb5T1MhJ-I/AAAAAAAAAK0/Vckis1Rpqes/s1600-h/GlassEye7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5104541346763450338" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rtb5T1MhJ-I/AAAAAAAAAK0/Vckis1Rpqes/s320/GlassEye7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>But to cut things short, we arrived at Mumbai airport to long and arduous queues, Mr. Howe decided that the ‘Crew” channel was shorter and barged there way into the departure lounge – leaving the rest of us to tackle the Indian authority’s. Finally on the plane, one of our team became ill somewhere over middle Europe, in his attempt to make the toilets; he fell and smashed his glasses – leaving a shard of glass piercing an eyeball, concerned, the flight attendants called for medical support. Kevin perturbed by the ensuing chaos decided to take a look for himself. On hearing the Doctors call to land as quickly as possible, Kevin demanded that the flight continued to its destination. On questioning the patient, the Doctor could see that the plane was not landing anywhere else but Heathrow! Kevin’s whispered words to the patient gave him 1 option, not comfort!</div><br /><div>With this in mind, I can see the reason for flying luxury class, not so you can kick a man when he is down, but to enjoy 12 hours of your life, rather than waste it! If nothing, its worth me feeling refreshed and relaxed when I arrive in my home country, and my ability to write 2 BLOGS this week rather than the normal 1 – that surely was money well spent? (Well someone else’s money!).</div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-40687128556872797912007-08-26T13:17:00.000+07:002007-08-26T13:48:54.095+07:00Firstly I have to thank those of you who sent me messages of good luck – I really appreciate all of those of you that have been interested in what I have been up to over the last however many months. I have been amazed at the response to my resignation from all over the world – an indication perhaps on just how important the MG brand has become to people of all ages, colors, creeds and cultures.<br /><br />I have received several emails asking for me to explain why I left NAC MG; it seems a straightforward question and one that shouldn’t be too difficult to answer.<br /><br />However consider this.<br /><br />I could be negative in my response leading to accusations of being bitter and twisted, and also provide essential material for the doomsayers out there! They would lap up any negativity in my writing, and fuel their already pessimistic and untrusting rhetoric. After all I probably have enough material to sink a battleship, and make any prospective customer, importer or journalist think again about the whole MG proposition.<br /><br />I could of course continue to be positive and optimistic about the company and the future for the brand, but then this may beg the question – “So why did you leave?” surely if things were so rosy and wonderful any reason to leave must have been superficial or mercenary? This type of stance could be deemed as less than professional, committal or be considered just plain stupid!<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RtEewFMhJ7I/AAAAAAAAAKc/o1j9T1V-HaI/s1600-h/cash.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RtEfQFMhJ8I/AAAAAAAAAKk/xaa72Ore8l4/s1600-h/logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102894213920532418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RtEfQFMhJ8I/AAAAAAAAAKk/xaa72Ore8l4/s400/logo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is where you can become torn between your allegiance to the brand, and those that try to breath life back into it, and your own personal / professional reputation.<br />For these reasons I will continue to keep quite, and only divulge the real reasons to those who buy the book. ‘Calling all publishers out there – I am now free of any corporate silencing shackles – offers on a email please!’<br /><br />For me this represents a new chapter, one no less exciting or difficult.<br /><br />I have taken on the role of introducing another one of the UK’s most famous and iconic vehicles into Asia; this time it’s not a brand but a complete vehicle style and transportation proposition. The company that makes the vehicle has been around since 1919 and remains in its original premises; it claims to be the largest British Owned vehicle manufacturer (an inherited and somewhat disappointing fact!).<br /><br />The vehicle itself is recognisable around the world; some of you may remember that I used to teach my colleagues at NAC about British Culture, History and Icons (The famous tea and cake making lectures!). At the end of the lecture I used to show silhouettes of famous British Icons (The Queen, Stone Henge, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, The London Eye, even (sadly) David Beckham etc.) and then ask the audience to identify them. The three that were universally recognised were the Queen, David Beckham (who was far more popular!) and the vehicle I am now responsible for making in China - The London Black Cab.<br /><br />Some of you who follow what is happening here in China will already know that Manganese Bronze Holdings plc the company responsible for manufacturing the iconic vehicle, created a Joint Venture partnership with one of China’s largest and fastest growing vehicle manufacturers – Geely. Forming a company call Shanghai LTI (LTI is the UK name for the manufacturing arm of Manganese Bronze Holdings plc and stands for London Taxis International).<br />Based out of Geely’s, Shanghai Maple production facility we will occupy a newly equipped production facility designed to not only manufacture the current incarnation of the iconic black cab (The TX4), but also future generations of both Taxi’s and passenger vehicles.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102890318385194898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RtEbtVMhJ5I/AAAAAAAAAKM/I-xF90oHn50/s400/cab_westminster.jpg" border="0" /><br />Before I go any further, and get accused of raping another part of British Manufacturing history, the site will compliment the Coventry factory – and in no way aspires to replace the design, engineering or production capabilities of the original plant. The factory in Shanghai will provide a production base for LTI’s expansion plans into new and emerging Asian pacific markets. It gives the company the opportunity to develop a vehicle more suited to the Chinese consumers requirements and expectations.<br /><br />Import duty on foreign built vehicles into China is astronomical, and raises the price of the current British built cab into the luxury car sector, a cost that local taxi firms could not and would not pay. Anyone who has been to some of the big city’s here in China know that the taxi market is currently occupied by old and shabby VW Santana’s – a vehicle that has remained largely unchanged for the last 20 years – but still remains the car of choice for many of the country’s taxi company’s, because of its low initial outlay and servicing costs. The consumer however has become more sophisticated and is starting to demand a more luxurious and practical form of transport.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102891520976037794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RtEczVMhJ6I/AAAAAAAAAKU/tMV_hy_MkIo/s400/santana.jpg" border="0" /><br />I will continue with my BLOG, and as always it will be split between industry news and personal views. I still have many friends and contacts at MG, and will follow the company’s progress in China as a distant spectator, as well as reporting a steady flow of news and progress from my next big challenge!<br /><br />Thanks again for all the emails of support.Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-70559483996390110762007-08-20T09:19:00.000+07:002007-08-20T09:23:38.684+07:00The end of the road….Firstly I must apologize for the lack of BLOGS recently, and also for the postponement of the BLOG promising to answer all of those questions sent in by the many MG enthusiasts around the world. Two reasons for the delay, firstly the impact of the SAIC takeover is still echoing around the walls of NAC’s facilities, and has thrown conjecture and chaos into some of the future planning. The answers I had prepared seem obsolete in light of the current situation.<br /><br />The second reason is as follows…<br /><br />Over the past 18 months or so, my life and that of my family’s has been in the news – from breakfast with the BBC, walking along warehouses full of Longbridge history with Sky, and being interviewed by what seemed to be every news crew in the world at the opening ceremony’s in Pukou and Longbridge. The story of MG has surprised and amazed any preconceptions I had when I joined NAC, and the interest across the world has been overwhelming.<br /><br />Last week, following weeks of discussions I confirmed my resignation with Mr Zhang Xin, General Manager of NAC MG. I had offered my resignation several weeks ago, and have been working with NAC to try and find a solution to the issues that have driven me away from a company, and a brand I love so dearly. However after countless nights without sleep and days with mixed emotions I feel that I can no longer continue in my position as NAC MG’s Quality Director.<br /><br />I would like to use this opportunity to thank all of you out there who have sent me messages of support, and advice – as well as those who have offered often conflicting views – they always help to keep your feet on the ground!<br /><br />I would also like to wish the very best of luck to those who will continue to try and keep a little bit of history, respect and decorum for this historical brand.<br /><br />I hope that some of the people I have met along the way, will keep in touch and maybe even continue to follow my exploits as I carry on my enormous adventure working in China – albeit not for the company that brought me here! I have met many interesting,intelligent and observant people along this journey, I hope that those friends I have made continue to keep in touch.<br /><br />I will write a more explanatory reason of why I have decided to leave when it becomes more appropriate. For now I just wanted to let those of you who have taken the time to read my BLOG (even with the spelling and punctuation mistakes!), be the first to hear this news.<br /><br />Best Regards and Good Luck.<br /><br />PaulPaul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-13740721995874004672007-08-02T09:46:00.000+07:002007-08-02T10:19:08.525+07:00MG-Roewe?In my last BLOG I suggested that the most over asked question I received was about the comparison between the ROEWE 750 and the MG7. Well no sooner do you report something, than everything changes. Since last Friday, when both NAC and SAIC went public with there plans for world automotive domination – my phone hasn’t stopped ringing!<br /><br />It was something that had been muted ever since SAIC’s chairman Chen Hong, announced on the opening day of the Shanghai Motor Show that both companies should look at ways of cooperating. Since then the press has been full of speculation, while the companys took a vow of silence.<br /><br />The press release itself was typically Chinese, revealing very little and allowing the journalists very little to work with, which however means that they have the opportunity to report as much that can be gained from reading between the lines, and gaining quotes from “Insiders”, “industry experts” and I noticed that in several reports – even quotes from my BLOG!<br /><br />The release kick-started a frenzy of phone calls from all corners of the media, from as far away as the US, Europe and of course from the ‘independent’ media in China.<br />So to prevent my brain continuing to boil from over using my mobile, I thought I would go into print on what I know.<br /><br />Before everyone gets excited – I don’t know a lot! In fact what I am going to write is based purely on my interpretation of what I read and what I see, this is by no means a company statement or an official line (That would have been a very short – “No Comment”). I thought I would get that in before the hacks that read my BLOG decide to use it as an exclusive!<br /><br />It is very obvious that the Beijing government is embarrassed by the constant media reference to two Chinese company’s building the ‘same’ vehicle, and competing for the same target audience. Beijing also has a responsibility to ensure that the money it provides to develop the Country is well spent, and provides the best ‘return on investment’. Providing money to finance two company’s to compete against each other, by many people - may not be seen as the best way to spend 'tax' payers money? To this end, Beijing sent the message to both local governments ‘get you act together’, and see what can be done to reduce costs, improve profitability and develop the local Chinese industry to beat the foreign opposition – not each other.<br /><br />Once this message had been delivered, both corporations had to tow the government line. To be honest that was what I thought it would be, just a façade of small announcements of cooperation to keep the Beijing government happy, maybe even a very public deal to work on a joint skunk project to develop an orange juice powered engine or something – whilst never really going the full way to a joint venture or even – dare I say – a “merger”.<br /><br />I say I thought this would be the case, because during the last few days my mind has been changed to actually believe that there may be more to this. During one of the normal factory tours this week, and in amongst a group of 20-25 people I thought I recognized a few of the faces mingling around the vehicles on Display. I approached their guide who was a senior manager for the company – and she informed me that they were here from SAIC, and had been on a tour of NAC assets! In fact they had been here since Monday – only 48 hours after the announcement.<br /><br />Now this may be part of a reciprocal visit by NAC senior management to Shanghai to review SAIC’s assets? Or perhaps a valuation tour, to ensure that any investment they make is actually buying them something (We don’t want to make the same mistake twice do we chaps?), Or just part of the normal due diligence process? I don’t know – but in my eyes this sparks a very open and positive step towards some form of cooperation behind my expectations.<br /><br />So what would cooperation mean for NAC? And more importantly you’re probably thinking - for Longbridge? In my view the move can only be perceived as a positive step for both the MG brand and the UK factory. SAIC have an abundance of money, vast experience in the Chinese car market, they have employed some of the best engineer’s available whilst recruited some real heavy weight professionals to help them deliver worldwide domination. NAC on the other hand, has passion, a magnificent brand, fantastic facilities and a European headquarters – they are loved by the media, and offer a personal face to the rest of the world – something SAIC have been struggling with.<br /><br />Of course cooperation could mean that MG becomes absorbed by another faceless conglomerate, making sterile cars for sterile markets, but knowing some of the engineers who are at the forefront of vehicle design for the ROEWE brand, they will fight to the end, before letting that happen.<br /><br />So what does the future look like? Could it mean that the engineers at the former Ricardo2010 operation all move back home to the PDC? (Product Development Center – Longbridge), That we will see the ROEWE 750 be re-badged at an MG750 for the European market? And what of the new cars under development by SAIC/ROEWE? – Who would have thought that 2 years after the demise of MG-Rover, that we good be at the dawn of a complete new range of MG vehicles hitting the UK, European and even World Streets – funny old world!<br /><br /><br /><br />This weeks Poll – A merger between NAC and SAIC – Good? Or Bad?<br /><br /><br /><strong>Last weeks Poll Results:</strong><br />Which Car do you prefer MG7 or Roewe 750.<br />MG7 = 84%<br />ROEWE = 15%<br />Not sure what happened to the other 1% - perhaps they preferred the Honda Accord?<br /><br />(Those of you who sent questions in – don’t worry all will be revealed next week, along with one or two surprises!)Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-13887428179201335492007-07-26T10:07:00.000+07:002007-07-27T10:32:05.738+07:00ROEWE 750 Vs MG7?<div>Can you guess what the most over asked question I get is?<br /><br />Well you would be wrong is you said any of the following:<br /><br />When will the MG7 be on sale in China?<br />Will we build MG7’s at Longbridge?<br />What are the differences working for Chinese management Vs Western management?<br />Can Chinese built cars be as safe as European built cars?<br />How much do you pay the workers in Nanjing?<br />Is there really a market for the MGTF in China?<br />Did I know that I looked like Kevin Howe when I grow my Goatee?<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091714118228013074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqlnA3LScBI/AAAAAAAAAJs/u1veghaZeBc/s400/kevin-howes+brother.jpg" border="0" />Kevins the one on the right!<br /><div><div><div><div><br /><p>Or even do I want to buy a DVD, watch or a handbag? (Chinese Joke!)<br /><br /><em><strong>The most frequently asked question is “What do I think of the Roewe 750?”<br /></strong></em><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqhTQnLScAI/AAAAAAAAAJk/2sFr_BaNduM/s1600-h/MG7+ROEWE+Comparison3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091410923601686530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 386px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px" height="129" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqhTQnLScAI/AAAAAAAAAJk/2sFr_BaNduM/s400/MG7+ROEWE+Comparison3.jpg" width="433" border="0" /></a><br /></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><br /><p>My answer is always the same, I think SAIC, and the boy’s (and girls) at Ricardo 2010 have done a magnificent job. Everybody raves on about how we at NAC moved 20,000 tones of equipment, built an 800,000 sq meter factory, re-sourced over 3500 parts and brought 3 car models into production in around 18 months, but when I look at what they have done – even I have to bow down to their achievements.<br /><br />I haven’t been close enough to the project (ROEWE) to get all of my facts correct, but from what little I know, this is what they have managed to achieve in the last couple of years:<br /><br />· Re-Design the complete vehicle (to the layman the vehicle may not be visually so different, but the CAD work that must have been done to incorporate the new rear end, and ensure all of the surfaces were correct for producing new press tools must have been an immense task).</p><br /><br /><p>· Designing, engineering and developing the press & BIW tooling from scratch is an enormous feat of engineering, quality and manufacturing development. This work would normally take several years, and a vast number of experienced engineers. I have to admit the results are amazing. The fact that they have stretched the vehicle by 100mm and that all of the doors, boot and bonnet fit nicely is testament to the hard work carried out, in such a short space of time.</p><br /><br /><p>· When it came to finding and sourcing all of the parts that go together to make vehicle, SAIC had probably a more difficult proposition than we did. NAC had ‘acquired’ a vast proportion of the tooling required to make the parts that go together to create a modern vehicle, whereas SAIC just had some parts, various drawings, and in some cases – nothing at all. Having done some of this work myself – I know how difficult it must have been to find suppliers, design and develop tooling, mature the parts for quality and finally assemble everything together.</p><br /><br /><p>· ROEWE have done an incredible marketing job, I remember how far my jaw dropped when I arrived at the 2006 Beijing Motor Show, and saw that ROEWE hoardings that circled the car parks around the airport, and then again as I sat near the Bund in Shanghai, and watched the ferry’s go up and down the Hung Pu river with ROEWE commercials being beamed out across one of the most famous skylines in the world.<br /><br />I am sure they have achieved much more (including the development of various new engines, platforms and the vehicles, that my spy’s at the company elude to!). But to keep the conversation on track, I will only comment about 750.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgUanLSb8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/lCcMxcgPynU/s1600-h/MG7+ROEWE+Comparison2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091341826167828418" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="370" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgUanLSb8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/lCcMxcgPynU/s400/MG7+ROEWE+Comparison2.jpg" width="335" border="0" /></a><br />When asked about competition, I also believe that ROEWE have done NAC a great favor by changing the vehicle enough to ensure that they are as much a competitor, as a VW Passat, an Audi A4 or Honda Prelude. The situation would be very different if they had decided to keep the car as the original – then we would truly have 2 identical vehicles on sale, with only different badges to choose between them, as it it’s - the rear end changes, and the significant interior changes are enough to differentiate between the two cars. </p><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>So with this in mind I can judge the quality based upon the vehicle in the market place, and not only as a competitor to the MG7. From a purely aesthetic view of the vehicle I think the 750 certainly has a place on the roads of Shanghai and Beijing, its stately presence stands out from the acres of A4’s, Passats and Buick Regals. The vehicle looks masculine and purposeful, as well as very classy. </p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgU2XLSb9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/74Vmi2KYlO4/s1600-h/MG7+ROEWE+Comparison4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091342302909198290" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgU2XLSb9I/AAAAAAAAAJM/74Vmi2KYlO4/s400/MG7+ROEWE+Comparison4.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><p>The Interior is refined and modern, yes it has lost some of the ‘Britishness’ that made the Rover 75 so great, but I can see what they have done, and I like the results.<br />Build quality is fair to good, but what amazed me was the fact that they hadn’t resolved some of the original design quality concerns from the Rover 75, the bumper to bonnet to fender and head light fit, the door seals and interior trim fitment concerns, all remain – perhaps as testament to the original vehicle? </p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgVQHLSb-I/AAAAAAAAAJU/G3DO1_Z6C2Y/s1600-h/photo_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091342745290829794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 277px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 170px" height="170" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgVQHLSb-I/AAAAAAAAAJU/G3DO1_Z6C2Y/s400/photo_1.jpg" width="333" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p><br /><br /><p>After Beijing I wrote a report for the senior management team at NAC MG about the quality of the ROEWE 750, based upon viewing several vehicles at the motor show – I said then, that we didn’t have much to worry about. The show cars, they were appalling.<br /><br />My guess was that they were rushed into displaying the cars prematurely; rumor has it that SAIC had used their corporation strength to delay the show several months, to the anger of everyone other manufacturer, and under pressure they couldn’t delay any longer.<br /><br />I had the opportunity to review a newer vehicle last week, and was pleasantly surprised by how much it had improved, yes it still had the original design issues, but at least the company hadnt stood still over the last 9 months, and the car I saw was much better than those in Beijing.</p><br /><br /><p>So to summarize, I see the ROEWE 750 as much a competitor as any other vehicle in the same class, and that it isn’t any better or any worse than an MG7 – its just different. Some people will go for the original British interior and exterior styling of the MG7, whereas others will prefer the fashionable exterior and interior changes of the ROEWE 750. The market in China is big enough to find customers for both tastes. </p><br /><br /><p>Oh but one thing I have to say before finally closing the book on this discussion – that badge! I am sorry, despite the changes, ‘improvements’ and revisions to the vehicle – I couldn’t live with the badge staring at me from the steering wheel every day. Perhaps a nice Austin or even a ambassador badge to replace it? Something to think about as both NAC and SAIC reportedly head towards a closer working relationship!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5091344055255855090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqgWcXLSb_I/AAAAAAAAAJc/kXFpopTpmr8/s400/austin2.gif" border="0" /></p></div></div></div></div><br />Just Added a Poll to the BLOG - Please Vote, I would be interested in your opinions.</div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-48638992083676686312007-07-20T12:22:00.000+07:002007-07-20T13:34:15.867+07:00Working in China is very different<div><div><div><div><div><div><div>Working in China is very different from working in the West, an obvious statement you may think - but just how different can it be? I mean apart from the language, we all have similar education levels and the same basic requirements to engage in buying, selling and providing a service. Just how different can it be – well the differences are what you either love or hate about China, its what creates immense frustration in some visitors, and in other’s creates an absolute passion for the place.<br />I fall between the two, there are times of complete an utter disbelieve as to how decisions are decided, plans are established, or purchases are made. These sit alongside moments of immense satisfaction and enlightenment when issues that would have taken months or even years to gain approval for in the west are decided with a single word from the right person. This is the rollercoaster of China.<br /><br />Whatever your job or profession, working in China means that you spend a lot of your time travelling, be it by air, train or road – you have to get used to the fact that this is not a country – but a continent in its own right, and you could have literally thousands of miles between your next supplier or customer. One of the key tasks for the new MG owners Nanjing Automotive was to identify, select, develop and approve hundreds of new suppliers, for thousands of parts. As Quality Director I would be involved in the selection, development and most importantly approval of the parts, this would mean a lot of travelling!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBN4ZyITOI/AAAAAAAAAIM/IkArtyKIAZo/s1600-h/img1079d.jpg"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBQhpyITPI/AAAAAAAAAIU/DdoyMKsdjiE/s1600-h/dscn99-4826d.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089156118010678514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBQhpyITPI/AAAAAAAAAIU/DdoyMKsdjiE/s400/dscn99-4826d.jpg" border="0" /></a>During my time travelling around the country, I have visited city’s as big as most country’s in Europe, with dazzling skylines that put the like’s of New York, London or Sydney to shame, all filled with the luxury chain stores more akin to the high streets of Knightsbridge, the boulevards of Paris or the piazza’s of Rome.<br /><br />This is where the majority of our suppliers are housed in purpose built factories; part owned by major international conglomerates, replicates of similar facilities in the UK, France, Germany & the US. With the latest equipment, production processes and quality controls.<br /><br />However, on occasion you do get to see the other side of the Chinese supply base. In the villages and towns that seem to have been left behind by the mega-citys of Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. Left behind both financially, socially and culturally. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBSNJyITRI/AAAAAAAAAIk/b4iXDDRGiFY/s1600-h/DSC00290.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089157964846615826" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBSNJyITRI/AAAAAAAAAIk/b4iXDDRGiFY/s400/DSC00290.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBKC5yITNI/AAAAAAAAAIE/PM6AHynIWXU/s1600-h/DSC00736.jpg"></a><br />These villages haven’t evolved much since the Cultural Revolution some 30 years ago. Life for the people who live there, hasn't changed at all – they still struggle with providing the basics for their families, food, clean water, an education etc.<br />People who try to find new work on a daily basis, earning little more than $1 a day, working in Victorian conditions, for Edwardian hours.<br /><br />Theirs is a very simple life; living in self built houses, most without running water, sanitation, and electricity. Every part of their life echoes the existence of those caught in the industrial revolution in the UK at the turn of the century. Similarities don't end there, Chinese villages also have their fair share of “Mill Owners”, and it never surprises me that with every backwater village and every mud-laden track that leads in and out. If you wait longer enough a gleaming Black 7 series BMW or Audi A6 will trundle on down, carrying the owner of the local factory. The poor are getting richer, but not nearly as fast as the speed that rich are accumulating wealth, and the trappings along with it. </div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089156693536296194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBRDJyITQI/AAAAAAAAAIc/S6IryhKvAbE/s400/Immigr5.gif" border="0" />My visit is always met with curiosity rather than animosity. I often wonder if people in other countries would be as accommodating or as accepting of this strange visitor, my experiences of receiving foreigners in the west has often filled me with embarrassment at our lack of hospitality, our ignorance of alien customs, and our complete inability to accept that not everybody in the world speaks English. My presence always tends to distract from the actual purpose of the meeting or visit at first, but once the novelty has worn off the business of lunch isn’t far away! The first thing anyone has to understand is that lunch is the most important aspect of the business deal. Like the presence of the executive saloon, it doesn't matter how remote a factory is – there will always be a fairly decent Chinese restaurant nearby. Even if they have to wake the chef, stoke up the boiler to provide some heat and light, and rummage around the local store for some speciality dish – the meal will absorb an average villagers life savings within the 2 hours it takes to get through 20 or so courses of various animal parts, boiled, stewed and sometimes prepared raw for the visiting party. All of this will be washed down with plenty of Bei Ju (White Spirit) to warm the cold that pierces every exposed inch of flesh, and to hopefully help with the proceeding discussions around cost, delivery and quality.<br /><br />The actual discussions are normally brief, most of the negotiations have happened behind the scenes and my presence is normally more ceremonial rather than functional. Embarrassment would be immense on both sides of the room if demands from our visiting party could not be guaranteed, or if assurances made that changes and improvements identified, wouldn’t instantly be put in place. This is something that you can certainly fall foul of when undertaking your first visits, our western mentality leaves us with certain expectations regarding workers safety, or evidence of policy’s and procedures for manufacturing, or purchasing. It’s hard to remember that these are factories still dragging themselves into the 20th century, let alone moving out of the 21st century. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBVD5yITSI/AAAAAAAAAIs/zv8ttPUdhFs/s1600-h/img0847d.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089161104467709218" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBVD5yITSI/AAAAAAAAAIs/zv8ttPUdhFs/s400/img0847d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Employee safety is an issue that always concerns us foreigners – the thought of Social welfare, adverse publicity, and large compensation bills are always at the front of our minds. Not so in China, when asking factory managers about presses operating without guards or safety equipment, a look of bemusement normally follows. The average compensation for lose of life is around $4000, the increase in productivity is worth the risk to most General Managers in China. This is one point that I have laboured over with many a senior representative of our suppliers – China welcomes foreign help in modernising the country in terms of technology, and thankfully they are quick to listen and react when improvements in safety are demanded as aggressively as demands for improved quality or reduced costs.<br /><br />Working conditions are next to hit the visitor; most factories are dimly lit, with no heating in the harsh winters and no air-conditioning in the stifling summers. Concrete floors and walls, leaking roofs, and gapping gaps between the rusting steel framed windows. The conditions are grim to say the least, and the workers hustle together at break times to share cheap cigarettes and slurp hot jars of green tea.<br />An average working day starts at 7 in the morning and finishes when the light becomes too poor to continue.<br />These aren’t the conditions of some sweathouse churning out poor quality parts to meet the demands of the poor in Asia, as you walk around the facility’s you will find components being made for some of the most famous western brands. The tool shops are strewn with jigs, fixtures and parts heading for Turin, Birmingham, Frankfurt, and even Detroit to name but a few, mixed with these are the relics of what is left of MG-Rover’s legacy Complete with the tool stamps of names from a bygone era. Nanjing not only acquired to assets for building the vehicles, but they also acquired the tooling for at least 50% of the parts. The majority of equipment was shipped to China, and has found itself relocated in these sometimes-isolated factories, far away from the busy suburbs of the cities. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089163200411749682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RqBW95yITTI/AAAAAAAAAI0/mGufwdqTfSU/s400/chicken140906_700x467.jpg" border="0" /><br />It’s very strange to see tools made by some the historic suppliers to the British automotive history now nestling down with local Chinese lumps of steel – again a country full or irony.</div></div></div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-61941525762739757322007-07-16T11:18:00.000+07:002007-07-16T12:59:00.362+07:00Another month another Country!Its only July and already this year I have visited over 6 different country’s and dozens of city’s. Including Tokyo once, Hong Kong twice, Beijing 3 times, London 4 times, Shanghai over 10 times and my latest adventure – Kuala Lumpur. <div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>I have to admit to having a passion for architecture, especially tall buildings! Eastern Asia, seam’s to have overtaken the US as the home of the modern skyscraper, and is now home to 8 out of the world’s top 10 tallest buildings. </div><div></div><div></div></div><div><div><br /></div><div>No.1 Taipei 101 - Taipai, Taiwan</div><div>No.2 Petronas Tower No.1 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia</div><div>No.3 Petronas Tower No.2 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia</div><div>No.4 Sear Tower - Chigago, USA</div><div>No.5 Jin Mao Tower - Shanghai, China</div><div>No.6 Two International Finance - Hong Kong</div><div>No.7 CITIC Plaza - Guangzhou, China</div><div>No.8 Shun Hing Square - Shenzhen, China</div><div>No.9 Empire State Building - New York, USA</div><div>No.10 Cental Plaza - Hong Kong</div><div><br />I have been fortunate enough this year to visit 7 out of the top 10, and my favourite was always the Jin Mao – maybe because it has a bar at 88 floors up, overlooking one of the most exciting city’s in the world. I will always remember my first time at the top sipping a chilled glass of wine, and watching helicopters circling below!<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RpsFMJyITMI/AAAAAAAAAH8/SOOfuu8PNvY/s1600-h/s664xy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087665910387854530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RpsFMJyITMI/AAAAAAAAAH8/SOOfuu8PNvY/s400/s664xy.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Jin Mao tower is the 5th tallest building in the world, standing at over 1380 feet, but is slowly being dwarfed by the latest addition to the Shanghai skyline - the new Shanghai Financial building. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is being constructed only 20 feet away, and will tower over the Jin Mao by a further 300 feet. the immense building already casts a shadow over the Jin Mao, although in my opinion isnt as pretty!</div><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>My latest encounter with a VTB (Very Tall Building - otherwise known as FTB, I will let you<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rpr42ZyITHI/AAAAAAAAAHU/2XGG4lVGJnQ/s1600-h/DSC03256.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087652342586166386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rpr42ZyITHI/AAAAAAAAAHU/2XGG4lVGJnQ/s400/DSC03256.JPG" border="0" /></a> work out what the ‘F’ stands for!), was a trip to the Petrona’s Tower’s in KL. The building is famous not only for its appearance in the film Entrapment (Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones), but also for its ‘Sky Bridge’. </div><div>This is a viewing platform that stands between the 41st and 42nd floor’s, allowing breath-taking views across KL’s impressive city skyline. I have to admit the building does seem to have been constructed just to be tall!</div><div>You have to wonder why someone would go to such extreme lengths and costs to build such a vast structure.<br />Well I guess the reason why so many of the modern tall buildings are being constructed in Asia, is because they are displays of incredibly ambitious and immensely aggressive economies. I am sure Freud would call them gigantic phallic symbols, statements of a nations desire to be known on the world stage, and show everyone just how important and technically advanced they have become (despite being built by American, British and Japanese Engineering teams!).</div><div><br /></div><div><br />It may also be the reason why the US, has all but stopped building them, London has never really been serious (Canary Warf stands at No. 169 in the list!) And other major developed countries of the world have never bothered, these are places that don’t feel a need to prove anything to anyone anymore.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rpr8N5yITJI/AAAAAAAAAHk/6PLtx0l6IDE/s1600-h/DSC02345.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087656044847975570" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rpr8N5yITJI/AAAAAAAAAHk/6PLtx0l6IDE/s400/DSC02345.JPG" border="0" /></a>I have to admit that on my journeys through some these Asians hotspots, I am amazed at the advancing infrastructures. Gleaming Airports, high-speed rail networks, 8 lane high ways with automated traffic control and alert systems, sophisticated public transport – under-ground, over-ground, priority lanes, taxi-s running on electric, gas, and even hydrogen. Public High Speed Wifi Zones, 3G Networks, brand new hospitals, schools, hotels and supermarkets. The roads are filled with the latest metal from Germany, Japan and the best the emerging markets can produce. Shops are stuffed with luxury items from Paris, New York and Milan. Visitors could be fooled into thinking they have indeed landed in super rich, super efficient metropolises. The people seem happy, prices are reasonable (cheap by UK standards) and crime is apparently non-existent. </div><div><br />Perhaps all of this is exactly like the skyscrapers, put there to portray a highly advanced society, financial stability, forward thinking and advanced planning ability’s. Whilst just a few blocks around the corner the gap between the rich and the poor widens, public health issues spiral out of control, governments control every aspect of communication, and the prisons numbers are only reduced by the ever increasing number of executions performed daily. </div><div><br />Very few tourists are allowed to venture far from the glitz and glamour, and it probably takes many months, or even years to unearth the real truth behind it all. I guess most of us are happy with our ignorance, and just enjoy the oversized hotel rooms, with breathtaking views and direct air-conditioned walkways to the clinical shopping malls, stuffed with offerings for our hard earned hard currency’s. We have enough doom and gloom at home, and don’t want to be reminded that rape, murder, exploitation, prostitution and burglary’s happen in down town Shanghai as well as in our own leafy suburbs. </div><div><br /><br /></div><div><br />The purpose for my visit to Kuala Lumpur?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rpr-a5yITKI/AAAAAAAAAHs/Px3RcgzRWXc/s1600-h/Dsc02106.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5087658467209530530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 431px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" height="237" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rpr-a5yITKI/AAAAAAAAAHs/Px3RcgzRWXc/s400/Dsc02106.jpg" width="245" border="0" /></a> well it was a family compromise – I fit in a little site-seeing and VTB photography, and the family use it as a stop over to Langkawi – a tiny island just off the coast of Malaysia, for some sun, sand, sea and monkey spotting! </div><div> </div><div>(But I did get to spot a Rover 216i Cabriolet while I was there! – that was a poor attempt at keeping the BLOG topical, or should I say 'Tropical')</div></div></div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-72771151074917840982007-07-04T16:28:00.000+07:002007-07-04T17:26:34.531+07:00Its Over to You......Feeling lazy this week - must be because I am off on a well-deserved break.<br /><br /><strong>The Plan</strong> - A whole week sitting around the pool, relaxing and forgetting all about MG, Nanjing and China - well ok we can all dream! <div><div><div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083283497065275074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RotzaH8uXsI/AAAAAAAAAG0/dRmdb808EAw/s400/palm_trees.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>Reality</strong>- Continuous phone calls, emails to answer, running after the kids, rubbing after-sun into my bright red skin, and a week spent on not so luxurious toilet facilities whilst swatting mosquitoes as big as pigeons!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083284295929192146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rot0In8uXtI/AAAAAAAAAG8/D_770RCBs1A/s400/mosquito-researcher-insect-photo-cartoon.jpg" border="0" /><br />I guess I have not delivered all of the secrets many of my readers have wanted to read? All of this talk about Dragon Boat Races, crazy driving and even crazier journalists - probably hasn’t hit the spot with those of you who want to know where our latest high-powered diesel will be sourced?<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083285081908207330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rot02X8uXuI/AAAAAAAAAHE/bJHryWYIjT4/s400/Big+Engine.bmp" border="0" /><br />So – it’s over to you. Email me your questions, and I will endeavour to answer them.<br /><br /><div></div><div>As soon as I have enough to fill a decent BLOG I will publish it. </div><br /><div>The questions can be about MG, Nanjing, China, Dragon Boat Racing, Where to get Guinness in Nanjing, how many degrees the tower in Pisa leans, the heart rate of a butterfly if you like! (I draw the line at questions about Longbridge – sorry!)<br /><br />Email your questions to <a href="mailto:paulstowemg@hotmail.com">paulstowemg@hotmail.com</a></div><br /><div>Don’t worry – I will think of something to write about, between being buried in sand by the kids!</div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-1691172283603714012007-06-30T19:17:00.000+07:002007-06-30T20:12:11.146+07:00It must be hard being a journalist in China!During the last two weeks we have been conducting an exercise called The Quality Tour, yes I know the name sounds naff – it wasn’t my idea or my words, in fact I nearly choked when I heard the proposal by the PR team at NAC MG.<br />The plan - as it was explained to me, was to ‘invite’ 200 –300 hundred of China’s journalists, to a day devoted to explaining how we control quality on the new range of vehicles produced in Nanjing.<br />“Wow” I can here you shouting, and “why weren't we invited?”, ok I guess none of you said that either! I agree, even to someone who has devoted most of his working life to the field of automotive quality, I wouldn’t exactly be running towards that type of event either!<br />The day would involve a trip to the Museum and Gardens tourist attraction, sorry I mean the MG factory tour, followed by lunch, and then a series of speeches, one from the brand manager, one from yours truly, one from whichever senior manager was available that day, and finally a banquet on the evening. In all we would conduct 3 events across the 2 weeks. <div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZRyn8uXpI/AAAAAAAAAGc/ZqaHJcTJNZ4/s1600-h/IMG_1930.jpg"></a><br />I guess I should explain why some of us are now calling the factory the Museum and Gardens tourist attraction (Rather than the MG Factory), well you see ever since 27th March, we have been entertaining visitors to the factory by the bus load. Every day more and more visitors come. In the beginning it was the expected rush of local, provincial and national politicians, then the suppliers, then the group employee’s both working and retired. But this continued month after month. (I wont mention the visitors from SAIC - oh <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZS_H8uXqI/AAAAAAAAAGk/dxVXmSEx3SM/s1600-h/Latest+Factory+Picture+July+07.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081840473953164962" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZS_H8uXqI/AAAAAAAAAGk/dxVXmSEx3SM/s400/Latest+Factory+Picture+July+07.jpg" border="0" /></a>just did!)<br />It was only until I bumped into a couple of westerners last week, that I found out why we are still receiving so many visitors. The couple, Hank and Rose from New Jersey - were on a tour of China, before settling down in blue rinse Florida, they were way overweight, badly dressed, loaded with high tech. Camera gadgetry, and sweating like, well like overweight, badly dressed Westerners!<br />I couldn’t understand why they were visiting a factory in what is a not so nice part of Nanjing. Pukou is very hot, very humid, dusty and well off the beaten track. Expecting them to be a couple of avid MG enthusiasts, they shocked me when they told me that the factory tour was on a list of “Things to do in Nanjing”, given to them by the local tourist board! It seems now every hotel, tourist office, tour Bus Company and tour operator in the area, was touting us as the latest 'must see' venue – hence our not so subtle name change!</div><br /><br /><div><strong>Back to the event.<br /></strong>When the request was made for me to do the speech – I couldn’t for the life of me understand why any journalist would want to come and listen to some boring old foreigner telling them about six sigma, CMM machines, vehicle validation, and inspection criteria, let alone listen to someone spell out that the company was started by William Morris, and Cecil Kimber for the 50th time. </div><br /><div>My memory jumped back to the slating we received off some of the press at the opening of Longbridge, when we dared not to inform everyone of launch dates, dealer locations and vehicle prices. At least then we had a good enough reason to invite them (despite what some may think, the re-opening of the factory that had been the heart of the British Motoring Industry for over 100 years was pretty significant!).<br />I dared to ask if we would be announcing prices, launch dates, even giving them an insight into future product plans – a short shake of the head, indicated that this was purely an exercise in keeping the company in the press. I guess the media in any other country would have simply refused to spend several days of planning and attendance, not to mention the several hundred (and in some cases thousands) of kilometers away from there homes, just to report the ramblings of a strange looking and sounding foreigner.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZOz38uXnI/AAAAAAAAAGM/But4pBFy1v4/s1600-h/xin_2306042710317571525436.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081835882633125490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 287px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" height="175" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZOz38uXnI/AAAAAAAAAGM/But4pBFy1v4/s400/xin_2306042710317571525436.jpg" width="276" border="0" /></a>However they all turned up, and even looked interested as they toured the factory for the second time in 3 months, although I have to admit that by the time it came to my speech the majority of the crowd were fast asleep, it’s a bit of an anti-climax to a weeks worth of preparation and a dash of nerves before speaking, only to see your audience catching fly’s and snoring loudly!<br />We had a couple of different people give the closing speech, but the one I have to admit to being blown away by, was Zhang Xin’s. He is an admirable performer in front of a crowd, an enigmatic figure who never uses notes or a script – this would be the strangest moment in front of a nations media I would ever see.<br />The day had gone as normal, tour, lunch, boring speeches, snoring and then Zhang Xin got up.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZOaH8uXmI/AAAAAAAAAGE/hPyG6CwUmEY/s1600-h/the-one-thing.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081835440251493986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZOaH8uXmI/AAAAAAAAAGE/hPyG6CwUmEY/s400/the-one-thing.jpg" border="0" /></a> The music started – not your normal rousing Chinese anthem, but a Michael Bolton classic, he grabbed the microphone and stood up on the stage – I peered threw the fingers of my hand, that was by now covering my face in embarrassment, I expected him to burst into the chorus of “Time Love and Tenderness”. Thankfully he refrained from singing, and proceeded to take the press through the holiday snaps of his recent visit to the UK. The press lapped it up, loving every Scottish castle, Cotswold pub and embarrassing jumper he wore. I would have thought his plan was political and professional suicide; surely the reports would have ripped him apart, destroyed him as being a complete egomaniac or disillusioned fool.<br />However all I knew about Chinese PR and how to deal with journalists mustn’t worth a bean; the following days reports were about how he was a gentle man, who may have been misread by the press as a hard nose dictatorial leader. How he had really absorbed the essence of what it means to be British and how it was obvious that the MG project was not just another motoring job, but one that was his passion and his life.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081836269180182146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 467px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="258" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RoZPKX8uXoI/AAAAAAAAAGU/_EpgUDf94GQ/s400/xin_2206042710318673116334.jpg" width="444" border="0" /> <div>I can’t imagine how it would have all gone down in the West, but somehow I couldn’t see Wolfgang Reitzle, Alan Mulally or even Rick Wagoner doing such a thing (Let alone Kevin Howe!). But then one element I had neglected to include, was the fact that the press was all paid handsomely to be there in the first place – I would never suggest that this was the reason for the style of reporting, or even that it influenced the acres of newspaper lineage that followed – but it does beg the question as to the Chinese press’s neutrality when it comes to reporting. </div><br /><br /><div>By the way this isn’t unusual – members of the Chinese press are paid for every engagement they are invited to – in fact they wouldn’t get out of bed without their hong bao.</div></div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-64046143184347703092007-06-24T09:47:00.000+07:002007-06-24T10:01:47.193+07:00Did MG put Nanjing on the Map?<div><div><div><div><div><div>I am sure that I will receive a barrage of complaints for even suggesting that a defunct British motor company could be responsible for raising such an important Chinese city’s profile – but you have to ask the question – how many people in the UK (I will stick to the UK as I cant answer the rest of the western hemisphere) had ever heard of Nanjing before MG moved here?<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3c3dJEmFI/AAAAAAAAAFU/gBOaJE6LUUQ/s1600-h/Nj03.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079458800017381458" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3c3dJEmFI/AAAAAAAAAFU/gBOaJE6LUUQ/s320/Nj03.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I have had this conversation with many people, from various countries, different religions and social backgrounds, and It seems clear that although few will admit to never having heard of Nanjing before; they all agree that MG has certainly raised the city’s profile over the last 12-18 months.<br />I even dared to suggest this scenario to a reporter for the local English magazine in Nanjing called ‘MAP’, I felt that the play on words would provide a great headline, and an interesting story for locals to debate “MG puts Nanjing on the MAP?” my ears are still ringing from the torrent of abuse she hurled at me for even thinking such a thing.<br />In my defense I can only put my ignorance down to a poor upbringing, and an even poorer education system, if only I had worked harder at school, widened my understanding of Chinese history, and maybe read a little more – I wouldn’t fall into the bracket of an ‘ill educated, small minded buffoon” as suggested by the same reporter!<br /><br />So I guess if they wont report the story, then at least I can pose the question to those of you who read my BLOG.<br />From the people I have spoken to (excluding any Chinese friends) the main split seems to be those who consider themselves ‘intellectuals’ these have had a classical upbringing, and of course recognized Nanjing for its Chinese political, social and historical importance over the past 2500 years. Then there are those (including myself) who may have heard something about the atrocities suffered by the people of Nanjing during the Japanese invasion of 1937, although I have to admit that I only knew of this due to a previous trip to Shanghai, when I asked the question why a group of Chinese Students were jumping up and down on a Toyota Camry!<br />And finally the group of people who had unfortunately never heard of the city before Nanjing’s involvement in the purchase of MG-Rover’s assets?<br /><br />So to put the record straight I wanted to give you a potted history of Nanjing, and perhaps let a few people know why the reporter looked at me as if I had just had a double lobotomy!<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3dMNJEmGI/AAAAAAAAAFc/jBqQV1hvqEk/s1600-h/Njautumn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079459156499667042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3dMNJEmGI/AAAAAAAAAFc/jBqQV1hvqEk/s320/Njautumn.jpg" border="0" /></a>The history of Nanjing (and China for that matter) goes back a very long way! In fact fossils of Homo sapiens have been found in the eastern suburbs of Nanjing that date back to the mid-Pleistocene period, some 350,000 years ago, and it is thought to be the home of some of the earliest inhabitant on Earth!<br />One of the reasons we may not have heard of Nanjing, maybe be because it has been called by various names in the past, including: Jinling, Jianye, Jiankang, Jiangning and Tianjing. Its current name Nanjing means South Capital – and as the name suggests – it has been the capital city during some of the most significant periods in China’s history.<br />It first became a city around 472 B.C. under the supervision of Minister Fan Li, and in A.D. 229 Emperor Sun Quan of the Wu Kingdom made Nanjing his Capital. It reigned as capital city during Eastern Jin, Song, Qi, Liang and Chen Dynasties from 317 – 589 A.D. earning the city its fame as the “ancient capital of six dynasties”.<br /><br />Following this, Nanjing once again became the political center of China in 1368 when Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty, he also spent 21 years building the 33.65 kilometer wall that surround the ancient city limits, and created what was the largest city in the world at that time.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3datJEmHI/AAAAAAAAAFk/9GBprb3I9XI/s1600-h/300px-IwaneRidesIn.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079459405607770226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3datJEmHI/AAAAAAAAAFk/9GBprb3I9XI/s320/300px-IwaneRidesIn.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Nanjing’s most important modern era was when Dr. Sun Yat-Sen established the Republic of China, and made it the capital city in 1928. Although the next decade would see a very turbulent part of Nanjing’s history that was defined by the Japanese invasion in 1937, and the subsequent massacre of c300, 000 innocent Nanjing inhabitants over a 6 week period.<br />The capital city changed hands a couple of times during the War, with Nanjing again becoming the capital as late as 1945 to 1949. Following this, Beijing regained the capital city status during the commencement of the Peoples Republic of China, and leaving Nanjing as the capital of Jiangsu province.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3d6tJEmII/AAAAAAAAAFs/is_kUiZ97k8/s1600-h/800px-XuanWuLake_all.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079459955363584130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3d6tJEmII/AAAAAAAAAFs/is_kUiZ97k8/s320/800px-XuanWuLake_all.jpg" border="0" /></a>Nanjing is now known as a special tourist attraction for most of China, and the local population swells during the national holidays. The most visited areas are based around the purple mountain, and include the impressive mausoleums of Emperor Sun Quan, Zhu Yuanzhang and Dr Sun Yat-Sen, the remains of the great wall that surrounded the city, the memorial to those that died during the Japanese massacre and countless historical gardens and houses. Stand on the top floor of the Nanjing Train Station in the early evening, and the view is amazing, to your left is the imposing Purple Mountain, directly in front the fading sunlight reflects off the enormous Xuanwu Lake onto the rising skyline of a booming city. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3eKdJEmJI/AAAAAAAAAF0/P1AlZFQ0r7E/s1600-h/Nanjing_A2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079460225946523794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3eKdJEmJI/AAAAAAAAAF0/P1AlZFQ0r7E/s320/Nanjing_A2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I guess I shouldn’t really be debating how influential the purchase of the MG brand has been to the profile of Nanjing, even if it has – is this such a bad thing? If a positive episode in a city’s history enlightens more people to that history and culture then this must surely be good? Even if it has inspired just one person to Google Nanjing or borrow a book from the local library, then that can only be seen as positive. Don’t get me wrong I am in no way suggesting that this is an important milestone In the history of the city, all I am suggesting is that this has enabled a few more people to become aware of this wonderful and colorful Eastern Chinese capital.<br /><br />Maybe those that are least sensitive to this issue, are those in the local government, speaking with the many representatives I have met at various functions, they all express just how important this has been to the development of the area, and the knock on effect it is, and will continue to have in terms of both commercial and tourism activities.I remember doing a live interview with BBC World Service, about the MG Project, and as I put the headphones on to hear the interviewer – they said to me, “don’t worry there are only 120million people listening!” – maybe that 53 million pounds looks like a pretty good investment after all?<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079460466464692386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rn3eYdJEmKI/AAAAAAAAAF8/-ijoHmL4USg/s400/810px-Yenanjing.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-18598141733974062022007-06-19T13:28:00.000+07:002007-06-19T13:48:44.185+07:00Dragon Boat Race Pictures<div align="center">Just thought I would add some photo's from our latest (well ok first!) victory!</div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077659127115978738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rnd4EtJEl_I/AAAAAAAAAEk/IsaYAWzWJ4o/s400/Dragon+Boat+Picture+2.jpg" border="0" /> The MG Drummers!</div><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077659848670484482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rnd4utJEmAI/AAAAAAAAAEs/sbTbFsBsrMg/s400/Dragon+Boat+Picture+3.jpg" border="0" />Flying the Flag.</div><div align="center"> </div><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077660260987344914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rnd5GtJEmBI/AAAAAAAAAE0/AUZs_vWEK3s/s400/Dragon+Boat+Picture+5.jpg" border="0" />Heads Down Chaps. </p><p><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077660754908583970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rnd5jdJEmCI/AAAAAAAAAE8/LgpGLEhTO3U/s400/Dragon+Boat+Picture+6.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">So Close!<br /></p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077661369088907314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rnd6HNJEmDI/AAAAAAAAAFE/SAr8VBXI_Yk/s400/Dragon+Boat+Picture+9.jpg" border="0" />Fighting to touch the trophy!</p><br /><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077663014061381698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rnd7m9JEmEI/AAAAAAAAAFM/BIy9G-rSWgQ/s400/Dragon+Boat+Picture+13.jpg" border="0" />The celebrations!<br /></p><br /><p> </p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-49536028413642235922007-06-18T15:55:00.000+07:002007-06-18T16:36:05.484+07:00Ford - 0 MG - 1<div><div>It promised to be a fantastic day. Saturday 26th June marked a day of celebration for Nanjing, this was the day of the 7th Annual Sheraton Dragon Boat Race on Mouchu Lake, Nanjing. 32 teams from in and around Nanjing had entered, some of the most famous ones were Dyson, BASF, The Sheraton Hotel, A O Smith, Sunlife Insurers, DHL, Honeywell, AIG, 3 Teams from Ford, the 4 times holders of the cup Carrefour and of course MG!<br /><br />I captained the MG team and regained my position of ‘First Oar’, we had been training for the last couple of months, and since our previous defeat in ChangZhou we had reverted to the original team – the team that got us to 4th place in last years competition. My fellow English men, Bob and John joined me in the race, and we had the great camaraderie back, with MG chanting and a recital of “Row, Row, Row your boat, gently down the stream” after we finished our training sessions.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077333740393633746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RnZQItJEl9I/AAAAAAAAAEU/ChAWtqyNHfY/s400/DSC01034.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>The sun was shining and a gentle breeze kept the temperature down to a manageable 30 degrees – cool for this time of the year. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RnZKPtJEl6I/AAAAAAAAAD8/qwhOC0KF19w/s1600-h/DSC01037.JPG"></a>Thousands lined the banks of the lake, and the show opened with a display from each team, most chose to win the crowd by getting a bunch of young girls in very short skirts to perform a cheerleading dance, we however chose to do something more traditional and had the MG drummers perform. After the opening ceremony the drummers joined our fans on the side of the lake, and would bang as loud as possible as we passed in our boat – a great boost of encouragement during the last half of the race.<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077335471265454050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RnZRtdJEl-I/AAAAAAAAAEc/yJO0tUGqUCM/s400/DSC01037.JPG" border="0" /><br />In the first round we were drawn against the 4 times champions Carrefour, they were this years favorites again. We knew all we had to do was keep up with them, the competition was a timed event so it wasn’t just good enough to beat the others in your heat, you were racing the other 31 teams for a place in the semi finals (only 12 went through to the next round). As predicted Carrefour beat us – but only by 1 tenth of a second! We had to wait until the last 8 teams finished to know if we would go through to the semis. The times came out and we were in the next round, qualifying 6th fastest.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RnZKttJEl7I/AAAAAAAAAEE/DEq1quDWL9g/s1600-h/Mouchu+Race.jpg"></a>The semis would also be timed, and we were drawn against Carrefour again! Our game plan was the same – keep up the champions! </div><div>Also in our heat was Ford, privately I desperately wanted to beat them. The Goliath that is Ford Vs the David of MG.<br />My dreams came true and we beat Ford, not only that but we beat Carrefour as well – albeit by the same 1 tenth of a second they had beat us by in the previous race! We still had to wait until the other semi’s had finished before we knew if we had made the finals – it was a tense and nerve wracking 30 minutes before the news came through – we had done it, the roar from our team was joined by the drums, and just in case any one from the neighboring provinces hadn’t heard the news – our shouting certainly woke everyone up.<br /><br /><p><br />The three finalists would be us, The Nanjing Sheraton who had recorded the fastest time all day (by 5 seconds!), and our old enemy Carrefour! In our hearts we had already won – we had hoped for a top ten position, to be guaranteed at least 3rd was incredible. The nerves were shot as we prepared for the final; we had a group hug and a rousing speech to inspire once more. </p><p>As we paddled out to the starting area I noticed my son on the bank nearest us – I waved my oar at him and he gave me a thumbs up, this was all I needed to lift my spirits. We started off fantastically and by half way were a 3rd of a boat in the lead, however Carrefour were catching up fast, as we were exhausted towards the end of the race, with each stroke they got closer, and closer. We stuck our heads down and dug deep into our reserves making a last dash for the finish line – I didn’t know the result, for me it was too close to call – then I turned and looked at the Carrefour team, they were enraged, throwing their oars into the lake, it was then I had realized the impossible had become fact. I stood up in the boat to congratulate my team. We had won the biggest Dragon boat contest in Nanjing, fairly and squarely beating 31 other teams to the first place position – the celebration were incredible and continued on into the night – this was a day I would always remember. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077328500533532610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RnZLXtJEl8I/AAAAAAAAAEM/ZBfwTpCSEqU/s400/clip_image002.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-73086044194963864862007-06-12T18:37:00.000+07:002007-06-12T19:17:03.449+07:00Taxi anyone?<div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6GONJElzI/AAAAAAAAADE/n7LpeDK6MBA/s1600-h/chineseroadsign.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075141408697128754" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6GONJElzI/AAAAAAAAADE/n7LpeDK6MBA/s320/chineseroadsign.jpg" border="0" /></a>The first thing you must understand is that very few westerners drive in China. There are a good number of reasons for this, some obvious and some – not so obvious.<br /><br />The obvious ones are easy for any visitor to see on arrival - the general lack of driver discipline, the complete disregard for any legal system, and the visitors inability to read the road signs, all add together to form a fairly compelling case against driving here.<br /><br />Then there are as many un-obvious reasons that go against any desire to venture out onto the open road? The difficulty in obtaining a local license, the complicated insurance system, the lack of a vehicle rental service, and even the ability to fuel the vehicle can be extremely difficult in a country where you don’t speak the language or understand the local customs. It all adds up to being something that most foreigners decide that they would rather not delve into.<br /><div><br /><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6HI9JEl1I/AAAAAAAAADU/x9DKak7_OO8/s1600-h/china_468x312.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075142418014443346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6HI9JEl1I/AAAAAAAAADU/x9DKak7_OO8/s400/china_468x312.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I believe is what the Chinese prefer. It keeps us strange foreigners off the road, promotes a very healthy Taxi, public transport and in particular - a lucrative chauffeurs service.<br />The majority (80%+) of ex-patriot inhabitants of China indulge in the services of a chauffeur driven vehicle. Usually a large 7-seat people carrier, complete with DVD players in the headrests, blackout windows and multi-zone air-conditioning. Top of the picks is the Buick GLB, in any colour you like, as long as its dark blue! </div><br /><div>They provide everything from the school run, to ensuring the busy joint venture executive gets to his next lunch, or dinner appointment, but most Importantly they provide the lady of the household the transport she need’s to enjoy her spa morning’s, banquet lunch’s, margarita afternoons, and of course the obligatory shopping day’s. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>In a country where labour is so cheap, the use of hired help becomes normal, rather than just the indulgence of the rich and famous. Drivers, maids, gardeners even personal coaches are written into most people’s contracts. Like some lost forgotten British colony, China still pampers to those who, well wish to be pampered. </div><br /><div><br />For my family and me life is quite different, I wasn’t working for some enormous International conglomerate whose annual budget for a foreign worker would be circa $500k per annum. I was working for a state owned company who paid its workers an average of $6 - $10k a year, add to this a desire to add a sense of independence into our controlled lives – it was clear that I would have to go through the pains of obtaining the right documentation and permissions in order to drive myself in China.<br />The story of how I actually gained my driving license is worth a chapter of its own, but for now lets just say I skimmed the edges of a few rules. Fortunately working for an automotive company helped when it came to finding a vehicle, however nothing could have helped me with actually driving here! </div><br /><div><br />I could detail evidence from a years worth of driving on some of the worlds most dangerous roads, how I have encountered incredibly crazy and stupid maneuvers, list facts and figures issued by the World Health Organization showing just how many people die, here on the roads each year, and go into specifics of how to handle the unscrupulous forces that manage the roads. But again these findings are probably something best left, well until I have left (China).<br /><br />What I have done, is listed the Top 10 of regular 'irritations' encountered on the roads around Nanjing (and anywhere else in China for that matter!)<br />In no particular order: <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6H2tJEl2I/AAAAAAAAADc/K7ipdcSBRVw/s1600-h/overloaded11.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075143203993458530" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6H2tJEl2I/AAAAAAAAADc/K7ipdcSBRVw/s320/overloaded11.jpg" border="0" /></a> </div><br /><div><br />· 10% of Drivers Reversing against the flow of traffic – this can be seen particularly where drivers have missed the exit on a highway, and have to reverse against the oncoming traffic - traveling at over 100kph. </div><br /><div><br />· 20% of drivers have held a license for less than 3 years, resulting in daily encounters with unsure, wary and inexperienced newcomers to this very aggressive environment. </div><br /><div><br />· 30% of car’s and trucks driving without or obscured number plates – Yes I know I’m a fine one to talk! </div><br /><div><br />· 40% of Motorists who completely ignore any of the road traffic laws, including traffic lights, parking rules, speed limits, road signs and warnings – and most of all, any kind of road manners. </div><br /><div><br />· 50% of vehicles exceeding the speed limit – and the other 50% crawling along at half the speed limit in the fast lane of the highway – not sure which is the more dangerous, but you can guess which one causes more accidents in China! </div><br /><div><br />· 60% of drivers like to occupy two lanes of any highway – straddling the white lines allows them to choose the clearest route if they find slower vehicles on their journey. Apparantly this is similar to the nations goverment policy - dodging between left and right, picking the most suitable at any point in time - but never commiting to one or the other!</div><div><br />· 70% of vehicles with the occupants not wearing seatbelts – made worse by the fact that you see dozens of children sitting on there parents laps – even when they are driving!</div><div><br />· 80% of motorists who never use indicators, door mirrors or rear view mirrors, they also like to drift from lane to lane without any warning. </div><div><br />· 90% of drivers, using their full beam headlights on permanently during the evening. Blinding the oncoming drivers and anyone who is unfortunate to be in front – oh and the other 10% drive with no lights at all – particularly Buses! </div><br /><div><br />· 100% of Trucks overloaded, by both weight and by the pure volume of goods being transported. This is the biggest danger to all drivers on Chinese roads; they drive with at least twice the recommended weight on board, for hours that would scare the authorities in Europe! You regularly have to swerve to avoid spilled goods off trucks with enormous payloads, and every time you stop at a crossing you pray that the truck thundering towards your stationary car – still has the breaking performance to stop. </div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075143856828487538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6IctJEl3I/AAAAAAAAADk/2a0nCF-P8mI/s400/1023743.w315.jpg" border="0" /><br />After all of that, its no wonder that I see at least one accident every day, admittedly the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6LitJEl4I/AAAAAAAAADs/szOM5qbQT30/s1600-h/drivingchina.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075147258442585986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 204px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px" height="146" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rm6LitJEl4I/AAAAAAAAADs/szOM5qbQT30/s400/drivingchina.jpg" width="176" border="0" /></a>appalling traffic in the city, limits this to mostly slow speed ‘scratch’s’ – but out on the highway this results in some rather dramatic statistics - On average12 people die on the roads every hour, of every day. If you add to this the fact that 1 person every minute is seriously injured by motoring accidents it all amounts to a rather powerful argument against wanting to drive, and why maybe it is a good idea to hang up my MG7 keys and climb into the back of a trusty old Buick! </div><div> </div><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(By the way I have had a few comments about my poor grammar, and the lack of photos in my BLOGS - whilst I can improve the picture count - It will take a while to perfect the grammar!)</span></em></div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-31524551272200775052007-06-08T09:41:00.000+07:002007-06-08T10:26:00.323+07:00It's all Chinese to me!<span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Aujourd’hui a été une grande journée pour MG avec la réouverture officielle de l’usine de Longbridge. C’est un pas important pour le retour de la marque MG en Europe. Pour célébrer cet événement, nous avons l’opportunité d’interviewer directement Paul Stowe, qui travaille directement chez la Nanjing Automotive Corporation (NAC), le nouveau propriétaire de la marque octogonale. </span><br /><span style="color:#330099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Paul, tout d’abord pourriez-vous vous présenter pour celles et ceux qui ne vous connaissent pas ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Mon nom est Paul Stowe, je suis le directeur de la qualité pour « Nanjing MG Automobile Company », et je suis localisé au siège de la compagnie à Nanjing, Chine.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Aujourd’hui nous avons vu des voitures de préproduction sortir de l’usine de Longbridge. Il y a eu beaucoup de spéculation sur quels modèles y seraient assemblés. Les MG7, MG3 et autres voitures seront-elles assemblées à Longbridge également ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Le discours du président de la NAC a été très clair sur ce sujet : si nous observons une réponse positive du marché à la relance de la marque MG en Europe, et pour les véhicules construits à Longbridge, alors nous ALLONS introduire de nouveaux produits à Longbridge. L’usine a une capacité pour peindre plus de 130 000 voitures par an, et une capacité d’assemblage de 80 000 unités par an – nous sommes très enclin à utiliser cette capacité dès que possible.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : A ma connaissance c’est la première fois que NAC entre sur le marché Européen, NAC qui cela dit en passant est le plus ancien constructeur automobile Chinois. Pénétrer le marché au travers d’un marché de niche comme celui de la TF paraît curieux. Y a t-il des raisons pour lesquelles la MG 7 ne pouvait pas être offerte avant la TF sur le marché Européen ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Comme vous l’avez dit, la MG TF est un produit de niche et ainsi peut être vendu par des distributeurs spécialisés. La MG 7 est un produit de masse et demande une stratégie de vente très différente, incluant un réseau plus complexe de distribution et de services. Nous avons à construire notre réseau de distribution et de service en Europe à partir de zéro. Nous avons choisi de faire cela à partir de la MG TF en nombre limité, pour s‘assurer que nous pourrons fournir le meilleur service possible aux clients. Avec le développement et la croissance du réseau suivra le développement des produits. </em><br /><em></em><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : A quand les premières TF vendues en Europe continentale, en en particulier en France ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : On peut s’attendre à voir les premières TF vendues en Europe durant le second semestre 2008.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : La “nouvelle TF” qui a été présentée aujourd’hui arborait une nouvelle face avant. Les premiers commentaires sur notre forum à propos de cette nouvelle face sont assez positifs. La version finale de la voiture qui sera introduite en Europe gardera t’elle ce nouveau avant et il y a t-il des changements par rapport à la TF de 2005 dont vous pourriez déjà nous parler ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Je ne peux pas commenter sur des changements spécifiques au véhicule, cependant nous pensons que la voiture entrant sur le marché Européen aura des améliorations significatives tant sur le plan du style que sur le plan technique, par rapport aux précédentes MG TF construites par MG Rover. Vous avez pu remarquer un aperçu de certain de ces changements durant la cérémonie d’inauguration de Longbridge, mais les changements sont plus que cosmétiques, nous avons examiné la mécanique de chaque partie/pièce du véhicule, et nous pensons que la nouvelle MG TF sera construite sur des standards plus élevés que les incarnations précédentes.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : garderez-vous la dénomination “TF” pour le roadster ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : oui</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Il y aura-t-il une version Coupé de la TF pour l’Europe et si oui quand ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Comme Mr Yu l’a confirmé, le Coupe fait réellement partie de nos futurs plans. Quand reste encore à être confirmé , mais je peux confirmer que ce sera plus tôt que tard !</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Quelles motorisations seront disponibles pour la TF sur le marché Européen ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Nous nous concentrons actuellement sur le moteur série 1.8 N, de 135cv. C’est une version bien améliorée du moteur original, et dispose d’une fiabilité elle aussi bien améliorée, le tout conforme aux normes EU4.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Avec les nouvelles limitations concernant les émissions de CO2, ces moteurs se sont-ils pas déjà dépassés ? Les concurrents investissent énormément pour produire des nouveaux moteurs high tech polluant moins. Est-ce que NAC fera des partenariats avec d’autres constructeurs comme Toyota afin d’offrir des moteurs plus modernes sur les MGs ?</span><br /><br />Paul : Dans le cadre de notre plan produit, nous avons un programme motorisation très développé, qui inclue divers développements afin d’assurer que nous sommes compétitifs sur tous les marchés. Nous avons réalisé d’important investissements dans ce projet, pas seulement pour les 2 prochaines années – mais pour le long terme, c’est pourquoi nous comptons développer des véhicules et des moteurs qui permettront d’asseoir NAC MG sur le long terme. Nous travaillons avec plusieurs partenaires pour nous aider à développer les futures motorisations afin de répondre aux toutes dernières réglementations sur tous les marchés.<br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Comme vous le savez beaucoup se posent des questions sur la qualité des voitures fabriquées en Chine. Beaucoup déjà dans le passé ont choisi de ne pas acheter de MG TF à cause de la fameuse rupture du joint de culasse que pas mal de propriétaires ont connu. Pouvez-vous nous réassurer sur ce sujet et nous parler de changements technique sur les moteurs de série K et le système de refroidissement ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Comme je l’ai déjà mentionné la motorisation sur cette MG TF révisée est plus fiable, en fait nous avons couvert plus de 1 million de km de tests sous tous les climats, sur tous les terrains et dans tous les scénarios de conduite. Les principaux changements incluent un tout nouveau joint de culasse, incorporant un joint métallique multi couche en remplacement du joint original en plastique, un « ladder frame » réenforcé (Arnaud : je ne suis pas sûr de la traduction de ladder frame),et l’installation d’un système de thermostat pour libérer la pression.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Quel pourcentrage de la production des MG TF sera pour le marché Chinois ? Y a-t-il vraiment un marché du cabriolet en Chine si on considère des facteurs comme la pollution en zone urbaine, le sable et la poussière dans certaines régions, et l’infrastructure routière médiocre en dehors des zones urbaines ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Nous avons une seconde ligne de production basée à Nanjing pour la production de MGTF, et une importante proportion des véhicules qui y seront produits seront vendus en Chine. Vous avez assez raison sur le fait qu’il n’y a qu’un petit marché pour les cabriolets en Chine, seulement c’est une économie en croissance avec une société plus riche – les consommateurs implorent de trouver quelque chose d’un peu différent que la norme. Nous espérons répondre à cette demande, et peut-être même créer une demande ! Je conduit une MG TF dans les rues de Nanjing depuis quelques semaines et les réactions sont formidables – il m’a même été offert des sommes d’argent importantes pour avoir la voiture, « but desperate would-be owners on more than one occasion! » (Arnaud : pas sûr de la traduction exacte).</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Au delà de la MG TF qu’est-il prévu pour les MG 7, MG 5, MG 3 et les futures autres modèles MG pour le marché Européen ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Nous discutons actuellement avec divers importateurs d’Europe continentale des produits que nous croyons pouvoir vendre en Europe, ceci avec notre plan produit nous aidera à développer nos véhicules et notre stratégie de vente pour l’Europe. Ces marchés sont clés pour NAC MG, ils sont au centre de notre développement produit, des ventes et bien sûr de nos objectifs qualitatifs. Nous avons un plan d’export très établi pour MG, et vendre des voitures en Europe continentale et un de nos objectifs clés.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Est-ce que NAC MG a déjà contacté des distributeurs en France, Belgique et autres pays d’Europe continentale ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Cela a été un processus de communication en 2 sens, nous avons parlé à plusieurs parties intéressées et les discussions progressent très bien. Plusieurs des parties intéressées nous ont rejoins à l’inauguration à Nanjing, ainsi qu’à Longbridge plus récemment.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Est-ce que les pièces spécifiques aux anciennes MG F/TF seront disponibles directement via NAC ? est-ce que NAC recommencera la production de ces pièces ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Nous avons travaillé étroitement avec X-Part pour s’assurer que nous pouvons fournir des pieces pour les modèles précédemment produits, ce qui inclue la MG F et la MG TF, en fait nous avons fourni des panneaux de carrosserie depuis plus d’un an, et continuellement nous étendons notre gamme de service pièces détachées selon les demandes du client.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Les personnes de moins de 30-40 ans en France souvent ne connaissent pas la marquee MG, et ceux connaissent ont tendance à penser que c’est sympa mais pas fiable. Est-ce qu’une communication spécifique pour les autres pays a-t-elle déjà été élaborée ? est-ce que vous prévoyez de l’évènementiel pour la France, la Belgique, etc… ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Quand viendra le temps nous travaillerons avec nos importateurs sur un marketing spécifique pour chaque pays. Nous connaissons la marque, et nos importateurs connaissent leur marché ! Nous travaillerons étroitement ensemble pour s’assurer que chaque marché aura la communication la plus efficace.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : A propos du positionnement tarifaire, les fans ont peur qu’avoir un label « bas coût » serait dommageable pour la marque MG. Nous voyons MG comme des voitures de sport « abordables » plutôt que « bas coût » qui sonne comme « mauvaise qualité/voitures inférieures ». Que pouvez-vous nous dire sur le positionnement tarifaire et comment prévoyez-vous de communiquer sur le positionnement produit/prix ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Bien que je ne sois pas en mesure de communiquer de manière spécifique sur le prix, je suis profondément d’accord avec votre opinion. Trop bon marché et vous diminuez la marque, trop cher et vous n’êtes pas compétitif. Nous vendrons les voitures à un prix où les consommateurs en auront pour leur argent, tout en assurant que le positionnement de la marque et le résiduel des voitures restent protégés.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Qui a trouvé le slogan “A New Journey” et quel message/image vous souhaitez véhiculer avec ce slogan ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Le thème « A New Journey » vient d’une collaboration entre les départements ventes et marketing de NAC/MG et les agences de marketing et de relation publique. Cela vient de l’héritage de cette marque Britannique icône et recommence avec le processus d’assemblage des véhicules sur le site historique de l’Automobile Britannique – Longbridge.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Nous avons vu beaucoup de scepticisme sur le retour de la marque MG et le redémarrage de l’usine de Longbridge. Mais aujourd’hui nous avons pu voir l’inauguration de l’usine de Longbridge même si beaucoup reste à faire. Que diriez-vous à des investisseurs pour leur faire croire en vos objectifs ? Est-ce que NAC a sécurisé assez de fonds pour permettre le développement de la marque MG à l’étranger et considérez-vous établir des partenariats avec d’autres constructeurs, en particulier SAIC ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : NAC a investi énormément d’argent pour le futur à long terme de MG, à la fois en Chine et à Longbridge. Nous avons le support total de nos investisseurs, incluant les locaux, provinciaux et le gouvernement national. Le développement de la marque à l’étranger est fondamental pour nos investissements et nos futurs objectifs. Bien que le marché Chinois est clé pour notre expansion et notre croissance, l’export et la production en Europe est tout aussi important pour le futur de MG. Quant aux partenariats, NAC MG a créé des partenariats mutuellement bénéfiques depuis le début il y a 2 ans. Nous avons travaillé tout durant avec un nombre de compagnies très respectées sur tous les aspects du design de la voiture, du développement et de la production, et nous continuerons à le faire, pour s’assurer que nous protégeons les intérêts de nos investisseurs, et pour fournir les meilleurs véhicules possibles à nos clients.</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : A propos de vous Paul, vous avez créé un Blog ce qui est une sympathique initiative. Auriez-vous créé un outil de communication comme celui-ci si vous étiez impliqué dans une autre marque plus généraliste (comme Renault, Rover ou Ford) ?</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : Il se trouve juste que je travaille pour MG, vit en Chine et adore écrire sur mes expériences. NAC MG est une compagnie très ouverte, et raisonnablement me donne de la liberté. Cependant NAC MG n’est pas affilié avec mon blog, y sont présents mes idées qui ne représentent pas forcément les idées de la compagnie dans laquelle je travaille. Je pense que si j’avais travaillé pour une autre compagnie j’aurais quand même écrit un blog – mais peut-être je n’aurais pas eu une réaction aussi fantastique !</em><br /><br /><span style="color:#330099;">Arnaud : Est-ce que NAC s'inspire de la manière dont BMW gère la marque Mini ? (et la question associée qui tue : Il y aura t-il une prise pour iPod dans la TF ? )</span><br /><br /><em>Paul : ha ha personnellement j’adore la manière dont BMW a mis en valeur/ « marketé » la Mini, tout du showroom jusqu’aux brochures est vraiment « slick » (Arnaud : pas de traduction exacte, en gros « cohérent ») et individuel. Je pense que nous essayons de vendre une proposition d’achat similaire, cependant je pense que notre approche marketing et « branding » sera un peu différente – comme la Mini nous avons une image de marque très distincte, cela a besoin d’être exploré et plus exploité. L’intégration de technologies moderne dans nos autos est un facteur clé de développement que nous explorons avant le lancement commercial de la nouvelle MG TF, donc oui je suis sûr que nos voitures seront prêtes pour recevoir des iPod !</em><br /><br />This is the transcript of an interview I did with Arnaud, from MG Contact, the leading French speaking MG Enthusiasts Forum. <a href="http://www.mgcontact.eu/">http://www.mgcontact.eu/</a> <br /><br />(Dont worry there is an English version of the interview available at <a href="http://www2.mgcontact.eu/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6380">http://www2.mgcontact.eu/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=6380</a>)<br />I just thought it would be nice to post a BLOG in a differant Language!Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-8583923646950128662007-06-03T19:05:00.000+07:002007-06-04T07:48:20.291+07:0029th May 2007 – The alternatives!Firstly I have to say that my previous BLOG was by no means an attack at the entire British Media, over the last couple of years I have made some good contacts, and even some good friends from people involved in the media. I have found some of them honest, honorable and even down-to-earth individuals with family’s, feelings and yes even a willingness to listen and learn! However there are those who are lazy, those who just regurgitate, reassemble and re-type other people’s correspondence. They scan the Internet, view the BLOGS and discussion forums, read yesterdays newspapers and even talk to the ‘man down the pub’. Then following a predetermined script set out to make the story fit their point of view – regardless of the facts. This is journalism at its worst.<br /><br />I have come in for some backlash following my previous BLOG, I would like to apologize to those real journalists who spent time investigating the story, and delivered a true picture of the events. My issue was never with the story reported – yes we should have released prices, it would have been great to announce X number of dealers, and we desperately want to succeed, and employ 1000’s of ex-MG-Rover personnel – negativity around these issues, is accepted. However I still believe this should have been balanced with the excitement and fantastic news that Longbridge wasn’t dead – despite the thousands of nails firmly hammered into the coffin by many a journalist in the past. I just wanted to offer a couple of alternatives to how a story could have been told if NAC hadn’t brought MG, and finally a version of a report written by a NAC employee!<br /><br /><strong>Scenario 1. Alternative Chinese Manufacturer's Purchase of MG-Rover</strong><br /><br /><em>May 29th 2007 - The story begins over two years ago as a Chinese company that were once heralded as savior’s by the MG-Rover’s owners, stood aside and watched the company fall into administration, then as the vultures circled above they stepped in and purchased the company for a fraction of what it would have cost as a going concern. This launched their plans and they systematically stripped the Longbridge site of every nut, bolt, washer and light bulb, all packed away and transported to a factory somewhere in middle China. This incredibly secretive company who failed to purchase the Rover brand from BMW last year, have relocated the equipment and are now producing their version of the familiar Rover 75 for Chinese consumption branded as MG 750. We also saw a glimpse of a new vehicles at this years Shanghai Auto Show, a medium car badged as the MG 350, which could be on sale here in the UK early next year.<br />The company rejected offers to continue production at Longbridge, despite pleas by the unions and local politicians, and today a group of journalists and St Modwin executives gathered at what would have been the old Q’Gate to witness the opening of an enormous housing and retail park on the former heart of British Automotive Industry.<br />This alternative Chinese Manufacturer handed the keys over to St Modwen some 18 months ago, after taking what they owned, the following day the bulldozers moved in. Demolishing the massive site, flattening it to the ground, then like a phoenix the entire site has been transformed into the largest office, housing, and retail park in the south of the city. As far as the eye could see, bland, grey warehouses and shops have been erected on a place that not only provided jobs for thousands of people, but also provided hopes, dreams and a sense of pride in a whole community. This has been replaced by more branch’s of Comet, NEXT, Tesco’s and WH Smiths.<br />The original factory was testament, not just to car production, but during both World wars provided munitions and even airplanes to the British Forces fighting oppression by would be invaders. Over 100 years of blood, sweat and tears fell at the factory, famous for building, the Maxi, the infamous Allegro and of course the Mini – to name but a few of the hundreds of vehicle brands manufactured on the site. Employing hundreds of thousands over they years, training tens of thousands and providing a sense of belonging for millions. Also watching this final nail in Longbridges coffin were some ex-employee’s – tears welled in their eye’s as the ribbon was cut by a beaming councilor, he explained that the new development was a sign of progress and we shouldn’t look to the past but look forward to the future. For those who watched, the new shops and houses provided no future, no sense of belonging and almost certainly no employment. As one former employee said to me “A vast part of British heritage has been replaced by a thousand 3 Bed Semi’s that no one around here can afford – if that’s progress, I will stay in the past!”</em><br /><br /><strong>Scenario No. 2 – British Investment Group Buy MG-Rover</strong><br /><br /><em>May 29th 2007 - Just 2 years after a British consortium of businessmen purchased the old MG-Rover assets from the administrators, dozens of journalists gathered once more at the gates to witness the chains go on, and bring an end to another chapter in long Longbridges chequered history.<br />Like the Pheonix 4 before them, they promised to sustain production and employment in Longbridge well into the thousands for years to come. Unfortunately they underestimated the amount of money that was required to not only develop new vehicles, but also to pay the 2000 workers they hired 6 months after purchasing the company. There initial investment represented only 10% of what would be needed to develop a fresh range of vehicle’s, demanded by the press and the public. The wage bill ran into millions, especially when considering the senior executives bonus’s, and a failure to find a suitable partner to help share the burden of development costs so desperately needed, left the company struggling from day one.<br />It was a story all too familiar to many of us who reported the same scenario only a few years earlier when John Towers was hailed as the savior of MG-Rover, they (PVH) managed to keep the company afloat for 4 years, and made themselves extremely rich in the process. No one knows if the latest band of executives have made similar individual profits – we are sure that will be unearthed under the usual parliamentary investigation that seems to provide a more profitable revenue source, than actually building vehicles these days. What is true is, as before this is a devastating blow to the thousands of employee’s, their families and the suppliers who supported this latest resurrection attempt.<br />We were all surprised 2 years ago when the administrators accepted the offer from this latest group of investors. There had reportedly been higher offers from several Chinese companies’ who wanted the brands and the equipment to fuel the growing car market in the East. But in an attempt to keep local jobs the administrators were praised when they allowed them to re-open the gates only 6 months after the former collapse. Despite the halving of the workforce, they were hailed as heroes. The public were skeptical and the suppliers reluctant to open supply lines again, add together the lack of a partner and sufficient funds this always looked like an attempt to support various peoples political careers and bank accounts, rather than a serious attempt at reviving a once great British Icon.<br />So as we stand here yet again, with 2000+ employee’s facing an uncertain future, thousand’s more suppliers are left owed millions, and thousands of owners left without warranty’s on vehicles with rapidly dropping values. We wonder if anybody else would be around to try again? They Chinese have gone, and there doesn’t seem to be any rush for anyone else to take control – perhaps this really is the end of Longbridge</em><br /><br /><strong>Scenario No.3 – Nanjing Automotive Buy MG.<br /></strong><br /><em>29th May 2007 - Following the sale of MG-Rover’s assets to Nanjing Automotive Corporation nearly 2 years ago, the world’s media met to celebrate the reopening of Longnbridge.<br />We were all skeptical and surprised when NAC outbid various rivals to gain control of the company back in 2005, they were open about there plans to center production around a new plant being built in China, however surprisingly they also committed to keep Longbridge at the heart of their European strategy. Surprising because Longbridge had become the bye word for failure and inefficiency over the years. Strangled by a lack of investment and used as a cash cow for its previous owners, some observers had wished that the site and the marques had disappeared once and for all – maybe one reason why British political and financial support was less than forthcoming for the new owners.<br />Everyone expected the ‘Lift & Shift’ operation to have singled the end of over 100 years of production at Longbridge, and see the gates locked for the final time. Not so, the Chinese met there commitment and re-started production, albeit employing small numbers of former workers, and launching the same vehicle that the previous owners had touted for several year previously. They told us that this was just the beginning and that greater employment, and future models would arrive in the years to follow, can we believe them? Is this just a false dawn? What makes them think they can succeed where everyone else had failed?<br />Well one big factor in this is that they don’t have to solely depend on sales in Europe for success, everyone before them centered production and sales on the market in the UK and mainland Europe. NAC have centered their plans on Asia’s growing economy and fast paced automotive industry. Having built one of the largest and most technically advanced production facility’s in China, they hope to sell almost ½ million vehicles a year in the near future, investing in not only 1, but 2 facility’s before even taking a single deposit on a single vehicle! Money gained from this will be ploughed into new products, innovations and facility’s – not only in China, but also in the UK.<br />The UK is central to their plan, why? Because to be saleable in China you need a foreign brand, and experienced engineers to help develop future products, add to this the factor that many European consumers aren’t ready for Chinese imports. A UK facility makes far more sense than some would believe. Longbridge provides a real link to the origins of the brand, a focal point for enrolling British engineers and a production base in the heart of Europe. </em><br /><em>One of the most important reasons that could be ignored but maybe the most influential in the decision to retain Longbridge is pure politics. Nanjing and the Jiangsu Government can now declare to be the first, and the only Chinese Automotive Company to wholly own a production facility in the West. The kudos this carries in China is enormous, and helps provide regional and national political and more importantly financial support.<br /><br />The future remains unclear, however we can only stand back and admire NAC for taking a positive approach to manufacturing in the UK, while everyone else is transferring there facility’s to mainland Europe or the Far East, they are reversing the trend and recognizing that business isn’t just about profit and dollars, but is also about people, heritage and having a long term view.</em><br /><br /><br /><br />Given the three circumstances the choice in my eyes would be very clear, maybe I have been rather negative on scenarios 1 & 2, but I guess history and hindsight play there part in my writing, I was also party to all three propositions during that period that required the administrators to choose a purchaser, whilst I didn’t have any influence in the decision – I am glad that NAC won out in the end, at least they have proved to be honest and loyal to the brand and Longbridge.<br />These are my final words on this issue, I like many others hope that NAC prove the doom Sayers wrong, and we live to see Longbridge continue to grow, develop new products and continue to be at the center of NAC’s European operations.Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-84655031322793609422007-06-01T16:54:00.000+07:002007-06-01T17:31:29.070+07:00Longbridge Re-opens for BusinessSo the big day has come and gone, my BLOGS up to now have been generally mild mannered and tempered to reflect a conservative approach to ‘reporting’. I never intended my BLOG to be hard-hitting, or even critical – but unfortunately my temper has been stretched after watching Tuesday’s reports by the media.<br />Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not naive enough to have expected a rose tinted view on the opening of Longbridge – however I had hoped for an open minded approach to something that none of us ever believed we would see happen only 2 years ago.<br />Let me start by putting things into perspective.<br />Mid April 2005 will forever be etched on the hearts and minds of 1000’s of employee’s, <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rl_thBxq3EI/AAAAAAAAACs/5r3PIKlaeWc/s1600-h/chimage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071032857110699074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rl_thBxq3EI/AAAAAAAAACs/5r3PIKlaeWc/s320/chimage.jpg" border="0" /></a>suppliers, family’s and anyone associated with the Longbridge plant. It became clear during the days and weeks that followed, that there wouldn’t be any white knight in Shining Armour, no government rescue, not even a commitment from the preferred savior from China.<br />We watched as negotiation after negotiation, hope after hope disappeared into the distance, all we could do was observe, as our lives were ripped apart, livelihoods eradicated, dreams destroyed and futures left in doubt. The government poured millions into re-training and investigating what had caused such a disaster. The gates were locked and the plant mothballed, any future for the site looked bleak – former workers were told to move on, find new employment and leave the past behind.<br />Then a little known Chinese automotive company called Nanjing Automotive Corporation, managed to outbid a number of rivals to purchase the brand, the assets and the legacy that was MG and Longbridge. I wonder if they knew what they had exactly purchased? How deep the feelings for MG and Longbridge went, how significant the closure of Longbridge was to so many people, and just how well respected the MG brand was across the world. They made – some would say – ‘rash’ decisions and announced a commitment to keep Longbridge at the heart of MG’s future.<br /><br />So a long journey started, a journey that meant an enormous investment by NAC in both time and money, immense challenges faced the company. With no production facility in China, no workforce, no suppliers, no infrastructure, no modern systems and no dealer network – NAC rose to the challenge and systematically achieved every goal that was set before them. One of those goals was the re-opening of Longbridge for production; <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rl_t4Rxq3FI/AAAAAAAAAC0/c6O_tBsds1w/s1600-h/long1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071033256542657618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rl_t4Rxq3FI/AAAAAAAAAC0/c6O_tBsds1w/s320/long1.jpg" border="0" /></a>May 29th 2007 was the internally issued date for this enormous challenge, and as with all of the official claims made by this company, that day saw a magnificent celebration to celebrate an achievement that few of us believed we would ever see again.<br />So why I am so angry you may ask? Well having spent the whole day answering questions by the British media, it became very apparent from the first discussion with journalists at 6.20am that the tone would be negative. I conducted over 25 interviews, and almost everyone followed the same script: Why weren’t we employing 1000’s of ex-mg-rover employee’s? Why aren’t we releasing new vehicle platforms? Why haven’t we already enlisted dozens of dealers? And why do we believe we can make a success of MG, when BMW, and P4 failed miserably?<br />There was no mention of those dreadful days in 2005, no mention of the investment made into the brand’s future, not even a whisper of the massive achievements made by NAC. All the broadcast media would do, was convey a pessimistic view on the whole proceedings. Maybe its because I have been out of the country for a while, and I have been used to a press association that try’s to reward great achievements and success, a system that promotes employment and regeneration, and actively encourages investment by ‘foreign’ companies.<br />I discussed this situation with various journalists, and tried to explain that without NAC we would could have been cutting the ribbon to yet another Lego land housing estate, or opening a trading estate providing consumers with more electronic gadgetry they didn’t know they needed. I tried to convey the fact that this was merely the beginning, and our plans extended far into the distance. Let NAC be judged over 5 to 10 years, not just a few months. Yes we have started conservatively, but I would rather be involved with a slow burning revolution, rather than a flash in the pan. We have all seen those who arrived spouted great things and systematically worn the company and its employee’s down to the ground, started large and brash and ended just as quickly.<br />Criticizing a company for employing local people, providing local investment and declaring a positive outlook for manufacturing at the heart of the British motoring industry doesn’t quite seem a balanced view – but then again maybe I’m biased?I truly believe that this is the re-birth of MG, not only in China – but also in the UK, and who knows maybe across the world. Good Luck Longbridge and NAC UK, but most of all good luck MG.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071033574370237538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rl_uKxxq3GI/AAAAAAAAAC8/QepZQU97IsM/s320/long9.jpg" border="0" />Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-58683841457223283992007-05-26T09:08:00.000+07:002007-05-26T10:24:23.010+07:00From behind the scenes....<div><br /><br /><div><br /><div><em>(<span style="font-size:85%;">This is a edited version of an article I wrote for "Enjoying MG" magazine, I thought it was appropriate to put it onto my BLOG, especially as the UK launch ceremony is only a couple of days away, I will of course be writing my own views on that celebration over the next few days)</span></em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I lay in my bed; eyes wide open listening to distant train horns. I reached over to my “Shou Ji” (mobile phone in Chinese), to check the time. It had just gone 3am and I knew that any attempt to get back to sleep would be fruitless. My stomach felt like I had washed a chicken madras down with 10 pints of Guinness the night before, and my head was buzzing as if the Guinness had been followed with half a bottle of whisky. The truth was that there had been no curry, no Guinness and not even a drop of scotch. The reason for my nervous disposition, was that today was the culmination of over a years work, a year of 15 hour days, 6 day week's and without any of the national or annual holidays that tend to get in the way of enormous projects like this one. Today was the 27th March 2007, significant as the day after my wedding anniversary, significant as the day I signed my first contract with NAC in 2006. But most significantly this was the day that we celebrated NAC’s 60th birthday, the day we would officially open the new MG car production facility in Pukou, and of course the first day we would launch production of our new cars.<br /><br />More than 200 Chinese media would attend from TV and Radio.This was in comparison to the 30-40 international media that I offered to organise. I thought that I had the easier task. What I hadn’t understood was that the Chinese press were completely dictated to, and would follow commands like soldiers in the red army. Point and they would go, shout and they would jump, issue a press release and they would print. The international press – now they didn't understand these basic rules of command or instruction.<br />We had the worlds crop of journalists joining us, in order of appearance we had Sky News, ITN, Channel 4, CNN, Bloomberg News, Reuters, The Times, The Observer, Al Jazeer News, The Birmingham Post, and even the Irish Times.<br />I had agreed that the media could film on the day before the event, to ensure they had enough material “in the bag” before the big ceremony the following day. What I didn't expect was the extend of the requests for interviews, the filming of vehicles, and some of the bizarre demands made by a minority of journalists whose ego’s had outgrown there physical bodies, and would have normally been associated with Hollywood ‘A’listers rather than middle-aged men with receding hair lines, expanding waistlines and too much time spent watching clips of themselves! <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rlelhxxq3BI/AAAAAAAAACU/n8teUVEA63A/s1600-h/8DD1CCB2-A24B-07D4-B303012F4C96B248.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068701905344715794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rlelhxxq3BI/AAAAAAAAACU/n8teUVEA63A/s320/8DD1CCB2-A24B-07D4-B303012F4C96B248.jpg" border="0" /></a>I would like to say the previous days filing went without its problems but that would by a lie, we had a number of confrontations, that were only resolved unfortunately with raised voices.<br />I left the factory exhausted, with a stage half built, and the factory frontage still covered in scaffolding. It was 10 pm, and a bet I had made with the BBC earlier that everything would be finished in time, was looking increasingly lost.<br /><br />I left home at 7am, and arrived at the Media’s hotel before 8 am. Everything was planned down to the last detail, apart from the obvious demands of the over indulged reporters, the comments “I don't do Coach’s” will always remind me of that stressful morning, pandering to numerous obscure requests. We made the long journey across the Yangtze, which was made more interesting as the whole city seemed to have been dressed up for the occasion. The 20 or so Kilometres between the hotel and the factory had MG flags positioned every 10 metres along the route, and enormous advertising hoardings had appeared overnight to line the way to the main entrance – to the astonishment of everyone (including me!) the frontage had been completed the signs had been installed and the grass had been laid. A Truly miraculous feet, only three weeks earlier the front of the facility had been a mile long stretch of earth and rubble – it had now been turned into a series of landscaped car parks, enormous paved areas and fountains. At the centre of all of this stood probably the world’s largest MG sign.<br />I made my way into the centre stage where overnight, a video wall, 1000 chairs, media areas, and giant plasma screen TV’s had appeared.<br /><br />Several day’s ago, I was told that I had been chosen to drive the first MGTF onto the stage, I tried to keep my excitement to myself, fearing that the opportunity would be passed onto a more senior member of the team at the last minute. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RlemOhxq3CI/AAAAAAAAACc/ZmGQU3hBdtE/s1600-h/2007327121042712.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068702674143861794" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RlemOhxq3CI/AAAAAAAAACc/ZmGQU3hBdtE/s320/2007327121042712.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I’m not sure what the dozens of senior government officials made of it, or even the dozens of more senior members of the NAC group thought of this English person, taking one of the greatest honours that will ever be available to the company. I didn't care – this would be a moment I would savour, and one I was incredibly emotional about.<br />After various speeches from numerous government principles and the Chairmen of the company, I was invited to the stage, in front of the enormous audience and a thousand flashing cameras, handed the keys by the Mayor of Nanjing, and dashed behind the stage to get into the car. The adrenalin was pumping hard and fast, my heart racing as I practised my clutch control. Following the Presidents car which drove in front of me, I found my way through the dry ice and parked the car in front of the waiting press and officials. The photographers didn't need their flashes – the grin on my face was enough to light the entire room. I opened the door and stepped out of the car, shaking Mr Yu’s hand for the waiting media pack, before walking of the stage.<br />Then as quickly as everyone had appeared, they all disappeared. I was left alone with some of my work colleagues, and the team brought in to dismantle the stage. Everyone had gone off to the lunch that had been prepared for the visitors and senior members of the company. I chose to stay behind and look after the BBC who would conduct live reports from the factory for the rest of the day. </div><div>It was during this quite period that I found a spot to reflect on what had happened over the last 12 months, and try to come to terms with the emotions that had played on my mind ever since I joined the company. Several journalist had asked if I ever felt guilty about helping the Chinese to use this very British brand as if it was their own, to help them relocate 20,000 ton's of British heritage to China, and to help them to do all this at the expense of the 1000’s that lost there livelihoods some 2 years earlier. My answer to the media was always the same, I wasn't responsible for what had happened 2 years ago, I was merely a pawn in the decisions made by much more senior people, I too had lost my job, my livelihood, my pension and at times my dreams during that awful period in 2005.</div><div>NAC would have gone along with their plans for re-launching the MG Brand, with or without my help. At least by being part of that re-birth, I may have gone someway to ensure that they protected the history, and culture that surrounded the brand. Without the influence of the few original employees at NAC, they would still have launched the new factory, with new versions of the original cars – but maybe it would have been a false celebration, empty of a connection between the old and the new, empty of any true understanding of the brands heritage and the blood sweat and tears that had kept it going over the last 80 years. I would be lying if I hadn’t shed a few tears over the past few days, I was immensely proud of what we had achieved, but I was also incredibly sad at what had happened a couple of year s ago, and how there would be people sitting in the Midlands screaming at the TV, about the Gaul of the Chinese, the hatred for those of us that had helped them, and the dismay at how Britain had allowed yet another piece of British heritage slip into foreign ownership.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068702983381507122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rlemghxq3DI/AAAAAAAAACk/eimT6L2Lzao/s400/nanjingMGs07.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-29739387906009690342007-05-21T15:39:00.001+07:002007-05-21T15:44:13.668+07:00It’s been a slow week!<div>I guess it had to happen sooner or later, after 18 months filled with excitement, frustration, anger, joy, passion, disillusionment and enlightenment, I had to have a quite week – well quiet in Chinese terms!<br /><br />We had had a very important visit from the Chairman of the Bank of China over the weekend, which meant everyone worked both Saturday and Sunday to ensure a positive image, and a good reception for such an important visit. Support from the Bank of China had been key to our progress, and would secure our future development plans. Thankfully the visit went extremely well and resulted in strategic agreements being agreed with the Bank.<br /><br />Due to the weekend’s events, Monday would be a rest day for the entire workforce, a fact that I chose to ignore, and I travelled into work as normal. Being alone in the immense factory complex was very strange. The facility was eerily quite, after 14 months of intense activity – today was the first time during daylight hours that I could remember it being quite.<br />I wondered around the assembly hall checking the status of the latest batch of vehicles, and reviewing the most recent product audit results. Despite all the positive messages I was still keen to hold back production levels. Ever since I had started work in China, I had seen how setting a specific date meant that this became etched in stone – with blood! Once declared, there was no going back, no negotiation, no compromise no amendment, a fixed date meant – a fixed date. I had been careful to avoid setting a date for full commercial production – and offered a quality level instead. Achieve a level that we believed would be acceptable – then production levels could be increased.<br /><br />Tuesday started with a visit by Zhang Xin, he is MR MG. A larger than life character, as most top manager’s seem to be. Young by international standards, infantile by Chinese he oozed confidence and charisma. He ruled MG with an iron fist, and a broad smile.<br />He came to tell me of some senior management changes, and that I would be getting a new vice-director. One of the senior managers from Sales and Marketing was being transferred to my department to help with the last push for Quality before full volume production.<br />This is how it worked in China, no discussion, no debate – just a dictate from the top guy. 12 months ago I would have been frustrated and perhaps angry at the lack of consultation – today I was at least thankful that I had received the information in private from the boss, believe it or not – this was a major step forward!<br />We had a busy week planed; a delegation from X-Part had arrived to discuss service part supply and quality. We had developed a good working relationship over the previous 12 months and I always looked forward to there visits – not just because it meant an opportunity to engage in some fluid conversation (conversation with my Chinese colleagues always had undertones of pigeon English – mainly due to my poor grasp of mandarin), but is also meant that the kind people at X-Part always brought various gifts to remind me of home. In the past this has included DVD copies of Only Fools and Horses, and The Fast Show, boxes of Paxo Stuffing, Bird’s Trifle, Tetley Tea Bags and bottles of HP Sauce. This time they came with 36 bags of Walkers Salt and Vinegar crisps – maybe not such a big event you think, but if you had seen my daughters face when I presented them to her the following morning – it was if Father Christmas had just delivered the entire contents of Toys-R-Us gift wrapped to the foot of her bed.<br /><br />Wednesday. In-between the negotiations with X-Part we held a ceremony for destroying old parts. The idea was to show the workforce just how serious we are about the Quality of Parts we use. We gathered up a variety of parts that were substandard, pre-production or damaged and instructed the workforce that they are all inspectors of Quality. During my early years in the industry, army’s of white coats used to patrol the production lines and the storage warehouses, their responsibility was to inspect parts prior to fitment. This led rise to a certain animosity by the production workforce, and also a lack of individual responsibility from the line operators – “it’s their job to check the quality of the part’s, not mine!” this attitude changed with the introduction of supplied part approval, where the supplier became more responsible for the parts they sent, and the line operators took the responsibility for the parts they fitted – we changed from having dozens of men in white coats to thousands of inspectors over night. This concept hadn’t hit China yet, and many factories still employed ‘good-inward’ inspectors, and roaming inspection teams. I was keen to move to a western philosophy, and events like this helped force the message home. It also enabled me a childhood dream of driving a roller – albeit in my dreams it didn’t weigh 5 ton’s, have just two gears and a top speed of 5mph!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5066931257832299522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 382px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="215" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RlFbIhxq3AI/AAAAAAAAACM/UstGwvB7oZo/s320/roller.JPG" width="360" border="0" /><br />Thursday started with an interview with the Shanghai Youth Daily – no I hadn’t heard of them either, but the young lady who interviewed me, did so for 2 hours, it felt like a school exam!<br />The evening meant that I would take our guests from X-Part out for a traditional evenings entertainment. They had already been exposed to a multitude of Chinese restaurants for lunch and dinner during their stay, so I always like to vary their experience. I took them to my favourite Japanese restaurant (everything you can eat and drink for a tenner!), then onto a Karaoke entertainment club. I said traditional – I didn’t say which tradition though!<br /><br />Friday meant a visit from the Chinese version of Autocar, they arrived early in a Maserati Quattroporte and an Audi A8L, they were doing a back-to-back road test and thought that the mileage from their office in Shanghai to Nanjing, would be a good way of killing two birds with one stone, we toured the factory and they took some pictures for the following weeks magazine. While I discussed various topics with the journalist, I noticed the photographer taking the word’s “freedom of the press” to new levels, secretly putting his camera onto movie mode and filming every detail of an MGTF we were building for a durability test, not sure what he hoped to gain from it, but I am sure it wouldn’t be long before I found out!<br />Late in the afternoon I travelled to Xuanwu Lake, where we would be training with a National Coach for Dragon Boat Training. After watching the performance of the other teams at our last race, the team manager invited some of the key people in the professional world of Dragon Boat Racing to come and give us some pointers. After hilarious attempts at standing in the boat, we made a few adjustments to the seating pattern and before we knew it, we were all standing and rowing at the same time, who knows with some more practise – maybe we would be in with a chance at the next race meet?<br /><br />After all of that, perhaps it wasn’t such a quiet week after all?</div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-67842749727313000002007-05-14T18:20:00.000+07:002007-05-14T19:11:10.253+07:00Boats and DragonsAmongst my many roles at NAC MG, one that is not too well known outside of Nanjing, is my participation in the company’s Dragon Boat racing team.<br />For those that don’t know, Dragon Boat racing is where 20 or so brightly dressed testosterone filled men, paddle like crazy across a lake or river, all hell bent on reaching the same goal. It’s colorful, loud, and filled with tradition and Chinese politics.<br />We had a successful year last year, not because of our strength or fitness level, but because we had a great team camaraderie, and a will to win. Our team was made up of all shapes and sizes, male and female young and old (well ok I was the old one!), and we had great fun. Little did I know that our success in 2006 would lead to problems this year! <div><div><br />In 2007 we were not only expected to take part in races but this time we were expected to win. Most of us did it just to keep fit and enjoy the occasion, but this was a new year, and it would be a new team! The young girls, and the less energetic of the team had now been replaced by monsters – gigantic Chinese athletes, with arm’s as thick as my thighs and backs as broad as they were long. </div><div><br />We hadn’t trained for a long time, and to say we were ‘rusty’ would have been an understatement, however after a couple of sessions, our muscles remembered what to do, and we were back into the rhythm. We thought that after a couple of months we would be in race condition again, but that’s not how it works in China! Just 2 weeks after picking up the paddle again, we had been entered into a race in the neighboring city of Changzhou. A warm up race you might think? Definitely not, we would be representing Nanjing – a city of over 6.5 million people - Gulp!</div><br /><div>The 3 day event cut across the Labour Day holiday in China, on the first a banquet was arranged to open the event, with plenty of Bei Jui, and political speeches amongst the entertainment provided - In fact too much of both left some of us feeling very unfit the following day. </div><div><br />Day 2 and we headed off in the cavalcade of organized transport – 12 newly painted coaches with police outriders to stop the traffic, and allow a quick transfer. Driving through development zone after development zone, with major constructions sites the size of small villages littering the route to the start of the venue. </div><br /><div>The venue itself was an enormous resort being building on the edge of Taihu Lake, Jiangsu’s largest, and covering over 2250 square metre’s! The posters showing the complex made it all look like Monaco, with tall white apartment blocks clinging on to the deeply forested mountain sides, and a harbor surrounded by posh hotels and restaurants. Despite only being half built the place itself had great potential, and the death defying drive through mountain passes on the way in, certainly made an impact.</div><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064377854939897026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 492px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="240" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RkhI06wMHMI/AAAAAAAAABs/wFZRTT1crYM/s320/DSC00821.JPG" width="441" border="0" />As we peeled out of the coaches, we got a view of the competition, our jaws dropped. It seemed that the entire cast of Conan the Barbarian, and Bruce Lee’s Return of the Dragon had been replicated in some crazy Chinese DNA experiment. The guys in our boat, whom I had described as ‘monsters’ now looked like mere children. They wore sleeveless shirts, not because they allowed for freer movement of the arms when rowing – simply because they couldn’t find shirts with arms big enough in them! They also wore a kneepad on one knee – which bemused not only me, but also the rest of our team. We were keen to ‘put paddle in water’ and work off the hangovers we had accrued the night before, and jumped into our allotted boat. A few practice starts, and a bit of muscle burn to get us warmed up, then we saw it – a thunderous sight, 20 Chinese hulks half kneeling (the reason for the knee pad!), half standing in the boat, rowing so hard, they were making Moses impressions of parting the water around them, speed boats made less wake, and most were slower than these guys. Then another team with the same style, and another, and another – what had we got into? Our style and all the styles we had seen before were with your bum firmly fixed to the plank of wood across the boat, ours was a frantic but elegant style, this seemed primeval.<br />Primeval it may have been, but it looked incredibly effective, our chances of surviving the first round had diminished, we had reached our limit it didn’t matter how many muscle bound athletes we had in our boat, this style seemed to have made such an impact on the speed that the boat could travel.<br />The practice session over, and back into the coaches for the long journey back to the hotel, we were all exhausted and mentally scared by what we had seen, our confidence was rock bottom. An early start the next morning meant leaving the hotel at 7am. Several other teams had made the long journey to Changzhou, including a team from Beijing, and a crew from Shanghai – which was thankfully made up of expats from across the globe, including Canadian, American, Japanese, Korean, and even an English rower. I say thankfully because the attention we were getting from the crowd, other contestants and the media, was becoming tiresome – so a few more pale faces in the contest, meant we were left alone for a while!<br />The ceremony started with the usual political speeches, followed by the painting of the eyes on the dragon’s heads at the front of the boats. </p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064378795537734866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="240" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RkhJrqwMHNI/AAAAAAAAAB0/EyteTga4lhE/s320/DSC00827.JPG" width="384" border="0" /><br /><p></p><p>We would first take part in the sprint, which covered 250 meters of frantic rowing, our previous best was 1 minute 13 seconds, We beat this by a clear 10 seconds, however the other teams left us in there wake, every team that chose to stand in the boat came in with a time under 1 minute. I was then told that several of the teams had participated in International races – representing China! The winners (and world no.2) came in with a time of 52 seconds, over 10 seconds faster than us, which over 250 meters is incredible. Mentally shattered we went back to our fisherman’s huts to rest and watch the remainder of the morning’s events.<br /><br />Next was the longer distance race of 500 meters, from the start it was obvious that we weren’t going to compete at the same level as the rest of the teams, so our goal was to improve our personal bests, and treat the day as a training event for the next races.<br />We were far more competitive at this longer distance, and performed respectfully, knocking a massive 20 seconds off our previous best in a race.<br />The ultimate winners of the competition destroyed the opposition. They had already won the mornings sprint, and breezed through the heats, putting in times of 1:53.67, 1:53.35 and 1:53.64 on their way to the final, then full of self confidence let go and won by a full boat length with a time of 1:50.23, I was amazed at their performance, no wonder they were the worlds No.2.<br />The event itself finished as it had started with a Banquet, this time in honor of the champions. The usual Bei ju and beer flowed freely, as did the singers, dancers and strangely a saxophonist! Then the long journey back to Nanjing, and the end of a rude awakening to the professional side of Dragon Boat Races, rowing a pleasure boat in Stratford-Upon-Avon, would never have the same appeal!</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064381454122491106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="240" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/RkhMGawMHOI/AAAAAAAAAB8/Ctjlb0sWp14/s320/DSC00872.JPG" width="368" border="0" /><br /><p></p></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-36587375252656810362007-05-11T12:20:00.000+07:002007-05-11T13:27:10.059+07:00The results are in!Well my couple of week's restlessness, and wondering if I would have to find new employment once again, are over.<br />Last week I was virtually cut-off from civilisation (well I couldn't get an Internet connection for 7 days) and I didn't know how the media's visit to the factory in Pukou had been reported.<br />The first chance I got to check my email was on Sunday 12th May, via my sons PSP in a coffee bar, which happened to have wireless installed. On the little 4-inch display, I frantically searched the Internet for news. It was ‘The Sun's’ review by Ken Gibson that I found first, and then autocar followed by autoexpress and finally the Telegraphs. My son was keen to get back to his game, and my wife was giving me evil's! So I had little time to digest what had been wrote!<br />When I did have time, I was more than happy with the results. I had already written a ‘get out of jail’ blog, if it had all gone wrong – about how predictable the reports were. My expectations of Union Jack waving pieces about, poor Chinese standards, and “how dare they think they can build cars as good as the British” etc. etc. were completely unfounded, and I found the reports not only fair, but complementary about what we had achieved.<br /><br />Their reports may be less biased than mine! But here is a collection of quotes from the articles:<br /><br /><strong>Ken Gibson</strong> – The Sun – (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2003090001-2007200629,00.html)<br /><br />“The revival of MG in Nanjing is one of the most extraordinary stories in motoring history, underlining a power change in the car industry in favor of the Far East.<br />The sheer scale of what the Chinese have achieved is breathtaking and illustrates their fierce determination to return MG to its glory days”<br /><br />“Anyone who questions the ability of Nanjing — should have been with me when I visited the factory.”<br /><br />“the quality looks good.”<br /><br />“I'd checked the outside, and the fit and finish was spot-on.”<br /><br />“an 80-mile round trip from Nanjing railway station to the MG factory and back proved one thing – the Chinese can build a quality MG.”<br /><br />“From the passenger seat in heavy traffic, the MG 7 felt quiet, refined and just like an MG ZT. In fact it felt like a very British experience. On a dual carriageway, the 1.8 litre K series engine – now known as the N Series – cruised serenely.”<br /><br />“with precise steering and composed handling, while the manual gearbox was slick.”<br /><br />“The leather seats were comfortable and supportive and the cabin felt as well screwed together as any British MG I’d driven.”<br /><br />“my test drive was enough to convince me that MG is back.”<br /><br /><strong>Andrew English</strong> – Auto Express –<br />(http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/208467/mg_7.html)<br /><br />“On the move, the MG 7 feels comfortable and refined.”<br /><br />“Another highlight is the MG 7's comfortable ride.”<br /><br />“we were pleased to see that the car's panel gaps are even, and the paint is both evenly applied and lustrous”<br /><br />“The future for MG now looks much brighter in China.”<br /><br />“The steering and brakes inspire confidence,”<br /><br />“MG is most definitely a force to be reckoned with again.”<br /><br />“MG is back!”<br /><br /><strong>Steve Cropley</strong> – Auto Car – (http://www.myautocar.com/community/article/article.do?method=article&sarticleId=kwNz)<br /><br />“The ride is flat and well damped even with five passengers and luggage. The engine feels strong, the gearbox gate is well defined and the whole car retains that sub-Bentley feeling of durable luxury that made the 75 a good car.”<br /><br />“well-built, nicely painted, coloured and trimmed with restrain, and, yes, desirable.’<br /><br />“The first is refinement. It’s several years since I’ve driven a four-cylinder MG ZT, but this car seems notably quieter. the car’s inherent mechanical refinement, always one of its best characteristics, still compares well with class leaders.”<br /><br />They all add up to probably the best bit of PR for MG in a very long time. It is so encouraging to finally read some good news about the brand and NAC MG.<br /><br />As both Andrew and Ken Said – <strong><em>MG is definitely back!</em></strong><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(We are still waiting for Jason's article, but after the above I can again - sleep well!)</span>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1153189707150105662.post-89954295071063184352007-05-07T10:35:00.000+07:002007-05-07T10:50:40.530+07:00The Big Boys are in Town!<em><span style="font-size:85%;">(This Blog was written a couple of weeks ago, but due to being stuck in deapest darkest China, without an internet connection, I have only just had time to release it - look out for many new updates this week)</span></em> <div><div><br /><div></div><div>If I thought the press conference was stressful, the next day was going to be worse. It had been arranged for some of the most powerful automotive media to visit our new factory in Nanjing. (In no particular order) we had Ken Gibson (The Sun), Jason Barlow (Top Gear Magazine), Andrew English (The Telegraph) and the daddy of them all Steve Cropley (Autocar). I have to say I wasn’t keen to host the day, I had my fill of the media on the days up to and including the 27th March, however our PR agency thought that this was essential for building up a relationship with the UK’s most important media – especially with the UK launch only around the corner.<br />I met the journalists and there photographer at the Grand Hyatt in Pudong, Shanghai. The hotel sits at the top of the Jin Mao tower – the worlds 4th tallest building, and the world’s highest hotel. They had been there as guests of BMW, and had attended the Shanghai Auto Show the day before. BMW had kindly allowed us to piggyback onto their schedule, which enabled us to entertain them for 1 day. Unfortunately my expense account didn’t quite match BMW’s, and I would have to rely on personality and content rather than gloss! We jumped on to the early morning express that now joins Shanghai and Nanjing (300km’s in 2 hours), and on arrival at Nanjing Station we were met by a brand new MG7, and an imported Rover 75, I quickly grabbed the keys to the MG7, and led the 2 car convey across to the factory in Pukou. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061658848583752850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rj6f56wMHJI/AAAAAAAAABU/GuubcabkO-E/s320/skyter2.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>I had been given strict instructions not to let them drive the vehicles, even close up photography was forbidden – how the hell was I going to convince the cream of the British motoring press, that after traveling half way around the world that they would not be able to drive or photograph the cars they had come to see? I decided that I would take the responsibility for any bad press we received. I knew my job was on the line if the reports were bad, but I also knew that these guys’s were professional, and that they would forgive maybe less than perfect cars – seeing as these were pre-production prototypes, being used for test and development rather than public consumption. A big gamble!<br />The factory, and our progress stunned them. My personal objective was to convince them that NAC was ‘playing’ at this. That this was a serious attempt at resurrecting a famous British brand, and our plans extended beyond the legacy of vehicles MG-Rover had left behind. The shear size of the factory, the amount of investment, and the evidence of our expansion plans being implemented – even before we have sold a single car, all went some way to convince them that we were definitely serious about MG’s future!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061660579455573154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rj6heqwMHKI/AAAAAAAAABc/M_Kw8sMUtuw/s320/DSC00754.JPG" border="0" />It was a Saturday and the plant was quiet, we were going through our pre-production preparation, and building cars in small batch’s, only increasing production levels in line with improvements in Quality levels. I desperately wanted to silence all of those doubters who have suggested they we haven’t built any of our own vehicles yet – and that we have just been ‘dressing’ up some old imports from the UK. I feared that the quiet factory would throw fuel onto the fire. Luckily both the engine and body assembly factory were running overtime. The media, witnessed both new engines being machined and assembled, as well as various MG7 body parts being welded by the automated welding line. It wasn’t full production, but at least it independently showed everyone that we were in fact making Chinese MG7’s and MGTF’s.<br />I spent 13 hours with some of the hardest automotive journalists in the world, they quizzed me on every aspect of the business, and maybe naively I answered as much as I could. As a company we have nothing to hide, but we had been criticized for poor communication in the past. Which has been more to do with a difference in cultures and language, rather than any underlying secrecy. I hoped that by opening our doors (and my mouth) we could go someway to ensuring both NAC MG and NAC UK get a fair crack at the whip. Completely exhausted both mentally and physically, I made my way back to Shanghai accompanying our guests back to their palace in the sky!<br />They seemed genuinely impressed with the visit, however I found myself having several sleepless nights, not knowing exactly how they felt – would they be positive? Would they be negative? Was my extraordinary life in Nanjing about to come to a crashing end?<br />It wasn’t long before the silence broke, and the first of the journalists wrote about their journey. Mr Cropley was the first to put pen to paper (or at least push the buttons on a computer!).<br /><br />“Like an MG Rover, only better-madeThe tussle over the MG Rover clones is something that could only happen in China. Nanjing Automotive, winner of the bidding war to acquire the worn-out Longbridge company and its site, showed three MGs — the MG7 (a Rover 75) in long and short-wheelbase forms, the MG5 (a Rover 45 clone) and the MGTF sports roadster. All looked as capable and well built as anything to come from a British factory. Quality director Paul Stowe — a cheery, seen-it-all veteran employed in the Longbridge cause by MG Rover, BMW, the Rover administrators, SAIC (the failed, preferred bidder) and now Nanjing Automotive — confirmed that the quality was indeed high. The Chinese knew bad quality threatened their investment, he said, and that couldn’t be allowed to happen. These were not lashed-up cars in any sense. They were recreated Rovers and MGs in the same spec and restrained colours. What raised a smirk on both stands was the keen but naïve attempts of the Chinese to commemorate the British culture which created these cars, and which they obviously seem to love. For a moment, these things had a charade look about them — until your eye fell back on the cars themselves: well-built, nicely painted, coloured and trimmed with restrain, and, yes, desirable.”<br />(Quote: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/225315/)<br />This led to my first good nights sleep in a long while, not so sure on being described as a veteran, a sign that China is taking its toll maybe? But I couldn’t be happier about his article. Back to the sleepless nights again now – waiting to see what Jason, Ken and Andrew write!!!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061660953117727922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 423px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 77px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="83" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_b2pxFI-5PT8/Rj6h0awMHLI/AAAAAAAAABk/CMLCXHtvfnk/s320/DSC00546_edited.JPG" width="488" border="0" /><br /><div></div></div></div>Paul Stowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05746324785096380950noreply@blogger.com4