Morris Minor Came Really Close To A Revival In 2005

From the fifth-generation Ford Mustang to the Chevrolet SSR, the 2000s was a decade when automakers were fully willing to make a splash with new retro-styled models. It was during this heady time that the Morris Minor, a beloved British classic, was nearly revived when its manufacturer was sold off in 2005. Autocar uncovered an ambitious plan by the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) to bring back the Minor as part of its failed bid for MG.

If you’re scratching your head and thinking, “Doesn’t SAIC ownMG right now?” Yes, you’re right. However, SAIC’s bid to purchase the British automaker’s assets was beaten by the Nanjing Automobile Corporation, a different state-owned Chinese automaker. Nanjing’s bid was larger, carried no conditions and was meant to pressure SAIC into buying NAC. Eventually, SAIC would acquire its rival just a few years later after the Chinese government encouraged the two companies to merger.