SAIC Motor Corp is on schedule to manufacture and sell its MG 6 sedan in Britain in the first quarter of next year, its president said yesterday, as it aims to revive the famed British marque.

The leading Chinese auto maker became the owner of MG Rover's 10,000-unit Longbridge plant in Birmingham, central England, after a merger in late 2007 with its much smaller rival, Nanjing Automobile Group.

Longbridge, where the MG 6 cars will be made, will also serve as a platform for tapping the European market in the future, the company has said.

SAIC is among a growing band of Chinese firms, including Chery Automobile and Geely Automobile Holdings, which hope to make their name globally.

SAIC's latest initiative in Britain will make it the first Chinese auto maker to manufacture and sell vehicles in a mature market.

SAIC also operates ventures with General Motors in China, making Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac as well as Wuling brand vehicles. Their 13-year partnership has long been hailed as the most successful one in the Chinese auto industry.

Last week, Kevin Wale, president and managing director of GM's China operations, told Reuters the American auto maker was considering giving SAIC access to its own sales network in the UK.

The two sides are still discussing the issue, SAIC President Chen Hong told Reuters.

Access to GM's network there would be a big plus for SAIC, which has little exposure to the European market so far, observers say.

In November, SAIC bought nearly a 1 percent stake in GM when the Detroit auto maker returned to the stock market with a more than US$20 billion initial public offering.