Full-scale car production restarted yesterday at the famous Longbridge plant.

After 100 years of vehicle production in Birmingham, Longbridge closed in April 2005 with the collapse of the MG Rover business.

However, yesterday MG's new Chinese owners restarted production of the two-seater MG TF LE500 sports car.

MG UK corporate communications manager Eleanor De La Haye said: "We have all worked extremely hard to meet our commitment to commence production of the MG TF in August.

"We are looking forward to seeing the cars in showrooms shortly."

MG was taken over by Nanking Automotive Company which, in turn, has been taken over by Shanghai Automotive.

Around 6000 jobs were lost in the closure of Longbridge, which opened in 1905 after being started by one of the great names of British motoring - Herbert Austin.

In 1959, production of the Mini began at the plant, by which time Austin had been amalgamated with Morris and become the British Motor Corporation. Company name changes came thick and fast after that, and included British Leyland, BL, Austin Rover, Rover, and MG Rover.

Longbridge was home to the successful Metro and Rover 200 cars before Rover was bought by Germany's BMW in 1994.

It then passed into the hands of the Phoenix consortium, under whom the MG Rover group went into administration three years ago.

Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, said he was "delighted" to see MG production return to the site.

"I was present on that terrible night on April 7, 2005, when Rover collapsed," he said.

"We have come a long way since then and that makes today all the more pleasing as we celebrate this landmark in the rebirth of Longbridge."