MG's distinctive marque took pride of place in front of the newly-built Nanjing car plant yesterday, as the first Chinese MG cars rolled off the production line - two years after Nanjing Auto bought Britain's last independent car maker, MG Rover.
First off the line was China's first-ever sports car, the MG TF, and the MG7, a mid-scale saloon. The two models mark a major push for Chinese auto companies to become global players, especially as they try to crack the difficult European and American markets.
For the time being, the company will focus on selling MGs to China's fast-growing new rich, though with so many engineers from the plant's former home in Longbridge around, a right-hand-drive model must be on its way.
The first Chinese MG was driven out by Longbridge veteran Paul Stowe, who is in charge of quality at NAC MG.
"This is a Chinese-owned company now. They recognise the heritage of the company and the hard work that went into it. I never imagined myself standing in front of a factory in Nanjing driving the first MG off a production line. A little bit of Birmingham is represented in Nanjing today," said Mr Stowe.
A huge MG badge, outside NAC's new €280 million factory in the eastern city of Nanjing, shows just how valuable an asset the Chinese consider the historic British brand.
The 800,000 sq ft plant will eventually employ 4,500 people and produce 200,000 cars per year.
Although most of MG Rover's machinery and equipment was shipped from the UK to China, Nanjing Auto has plans to build 15,000 cars a year in Birmingham for the European market.
Nanjing Auto is China's oldest car maker. The state-owned company bought Power Train Ltd, MG Rover's engine-making unit, as well as a range of models including the MG ZR, MG ZS and MG ZT, for €78 million in July 2005 after MG Rover's collapse.
Despite superficial changes, the MG7 is, to all intents and purposes, a Rover 75, and is similar in feel to the saloon, albeit with the MG badge all over it.
Nanjing Auto has announced it will also produce at a US assembly line in southern Oklahoma, beginning next year, although company executives said the deal had to be finalised.