Rover Group

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Rover Group plc was the name that was given by the British government, in 1986, to the state-owned vehicle manufacturer British Leyland or BL.

After divesting of its commercial vehicle and bus manufacturing divisions the company by then consisting of the car manufacturing arm Austin Rover Group and the Land Rover Group was privatised in 1988 by the sale of the company to the also formerly state owned British Aerospace who in 1994 sold the company on to German vehicle manufacturer BMW.

The remains of the Rover Group after its sale from BMW were then known as MG Rover Group.

[edit] Timeline

1986: BL plc (formerly British Leyland Ltd) renamed as Rover Group plc
1986: Rover SD1 production ceases after 10 years and the car is relaunched as the Rover 800 - which is based on the Honda Legend.
1987: The Leyland Trucks division (which by then included Freight Rover Vans) merged with DAF and then floated. (Note: After being declared bankrupt in 1993 the new DAF NV company split into three independent companies; the UK van operation became LDV, the Dutch operation resumed trading as DAF Trucks and the UK truck operation resumed trading as Leyland Trucks. Both truck operations were later acquired by PACCAR of the USA.)
1987: Leyland Bus floated off; bought by Volvo Buses in 1988
1987: Unipart spare parts division sold off via management buyout
1988: Rover Group privatised; sold to British Aerospace
1989: The new Rover 200 goes on sale, abandoning the four-door saloon bodystyle in favour of a three- and five-door hatchback. It is also sold as the Honda Concerto. Maestro and Montego production is scaled down as a result.
1990: The Rover 400 - saloon version of the Rover 200 - goes on sale. Also going into production is the heavily updated Metro, which features modernised body styling, a reworked interior and a new range of engines.
1991: The Rover 800 receives a major facelift.
1992: Convertible and Coupe versions of the Rover 200 are launched.
1993: The Rover 600 is launched, based on the Honda Accord but using Rover's own engines.
1994: An estate version of the Rover 400 is launched, along with an updated Metro which sees the 14-year-old nameplate shelved and rebadged as the Rover 100. Maestro and Montego production also ends. Rover Group sold to BMW.
1995: New versions of the Rover 200 and Rover 400 go on sale, though this time they are entirely different cars. The Rover 400 is a reworked, upmarket version of the latest Honda Civic, despite the Rover-Honda collaboration finishing a year earlier. The new MG F goes on sale, bringing back the MG badge on a mass-production sports car for the first time since 1980.
1998: The Rover 75 goes on sale as a successor to both the Rover 600 and Rover 800.
1999: The Rover 200 and Rover 400 are facelifted to be re-badged as the Rover 25 and Rover 45 respectively.
2000: Land Rover sold by BMW to Ford
2000: The new MINI launched by BMW, produced at the Cowley assembly plant.
2000: Remainder of company sold to the Phoenix Consortium for a nominal £10 and becomes the MG Rover Group