Chinese state-owned vehicle manufacturer SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) has announced a $2.2 billion merger with rival Nanjing Auto (also state owned) in what could see MG and Rover brands reunited.

SAIC owns rights over the Rover marque and Nanjing Auto MG, so in an additional deal worth a reported $328 million, SAIC bought naming rights over both brands giving them exclusivity in production of Rover 25 and Rover 75 models as well as the MG ZT and MG TF models.

With an estimated capacity of 200,000 units annually, a massive funds injection from SAIC and China’s 150 other car manufacturers doing very poorly, this merger could be of monumental importance not only to China, but on the international stage too.

As always, CarAdvice will keep you posted on any updates.