The Rover brand would have been dropped and all volume production abandoned.

The rights to the dormant Rover brand were sold by Ford, along with the Jaguar Land Rover business, to Tata Motors in 2008.

With the MG brand proving popular, MG Rover Group turned their attention to the Rover brand.

With the purchase of Land Rover, Tata also acquired the Rover brand.

"We're trying to find a position for the Rover brand that is justifiable in the metal," he said.

In 2006 Ford purchased the Rover brand from BMW for around £6 million.

In the 1980s, the slimmed-down BL used the Rover brand on a range of cars codeveloped with Honda.

By 1986, Austin Rover had moved to a one-marque strategy, using only the Rover brand.

In 1988, the Rover brand went back into private hands when the Rover Group was acquired by British Aerospace.

It also owns the currently dormant Daimler, Lanchester and Rover brands.

The Rover brand would have been dropped and all volume production abandoned.

The rights to the dormant Rover brand were sold by Ford, along with the Jaguar Land Rover business, to Tata Motors in 2008.

With the MG brand proving popular, MG Rover Group turned their attention to the Rover brand.

With the purchase of Land Rover, Tata also acquired the Rover brand.

"We're trying to find a position for the Rover brand that is justifiable in the metal," he said.

In 2006 Ford purchased the Rover brand from BMW for around £6 million.

In the 1980s, the slimmed-down BL used the Rover brand on a range of cars codeveloped with Honda.

By 1986, Austin Rover had moved to a one-marque strategy, using only the Rover brand.

In 1988, the Rover brand went back into private hands when the Rover Group was acquired by British Aerospace.

It also owns the currently dormant Daimler, Lanchester and Rover brands.