November 4, 1905: Berkshire-born engineer Herbert Austin buys a small derelict printing works at Longbridge, outside Birmingham, and the Austin Motor Company is born.

March 1906: The first Austin car is produced, priced at £650.

1914-18: The first world war sees munitions made at Longbridge.

1939-45: Car production is largely abandoned for military production.

1956: Austin is combined with the Morris Motor Company to become BMC.

1968: British Leyland is formed.

1975: British Leyland nationalised.

1970s: Production is crippled by strikes.

1994: BMW buys Rover.

May 2000: Factory is sold to Phoenix Consortium in a management buyout.

July 2005: Chinese car corporation Nanjing Automotive buys MG Rover.

January 2007: Nanjing announces that production of MG cars will resume at Longbridge in the spring.