What's the spares position after the administration at MG Rover?

Reassurance on parts supply for MG Rover cars
Dealer parts managers have received an assurance of "the ongoing availability of parts for MG Rover vehicles" and that "XPart will continue sourcing from its extensive supplier base to satisfy ongoing parts demand to ensure that MG Rover drivers continue to enjoy high levels of parts availability in all markets". XPart is now a division of Caterpillar Logistic Services (UK) following the formal acquisition of the MG Rover Parts business in August 2004. Caterpillar Logistics add they "are not directly affected by the immediate situation at MG Rover and, trading as XPart, they remain committed to the ongoing supply of spare parts to all authorised MG Rover Parts Dealers". (12.4.05)

So how does that affect V8 enthusiasts? Initial reports from the specialist parts suppliers who V8 enthusiasts use are also reassuring:

Keith Baylis at Ames MG at Bury St Edmunds says "As far as spares are concerned, all MG Rover parts, both for old classics and present day vehicles supplied through their dealer networks should not be affected by the present trouble in Birmingham. All parts for MG Rover cars are now a separate operation from the MG Rover factory. They are supplied through Xpart which is owned by Caterpillar Logistics and not MG Rover or Phoenix. They have their own suppliers and supply contracts and are backed by a company with a US Dollar 30 billion annual turnover. So whilst the future is very much unclear for the MG marque at present, aftersales parts supply should not be a problem".

Ron Gammons at Brown & Gammons at Baldock says "we will continue to provide a


V8 Register - MG Car Club
spares service for MGs from the 1930s through to the present day using our well developed network of specialist suppliers. We became an MG Rover Approved Repairer in 2004 and have a fully equipped workshop for handling all servicing including warranty and accident repair work and have the full diagnostic analysis equipment with Testbook 4 which enables us to service and maintain all the current models - both MG and Rover". For RV8 enthusiasts, the RV8 spares holding and service operation was transferred to Brown & Gammons in the second half of 2004 and, after some delay in getting the full stocks and tooling, remanufacturing some of much needed low availability items is underway. RV8 windscreen surrounds are one example where B&G are into a third prototype which is an improved design with a much better corrosion resistant design. See the RV8 Spares Deal report for more information.

Peter Buckles at Moss Europe says "the anticipated failure of MG Rover will bring difficulties to some original equipment or OE suppliers who may reconsider their position and pricing structures. However, we feel that with our access to a worldwide supplier base, we will be able to continue suppyling parts for all MG models, subject to there being a viable demand. Out of necessity we have relied on the MG Rover and XPart supply chain for fewer and fewer components in the recent past and expect our ability to re-source to be re-applied when and where ever required".