By ROBIN ROBERTS

Plans to build the Kimber sports car in Wales have stalled and it is now expected to be assembled in the Far East.
WAF chairman Prof Garel Rhys, who announced at the British motor show almost exactly a year ago that Kimber had selected Wales, said, “It’s very disappointing news.”
A spokesman for the Kimber Consortium, which was outbid for the MG Rover business in 2005 and then turned to Daimler-Chrysler to purchase the rights to the Smart Roadster, confirmed late yesterday that Wales was no longer the preferred site.
It is understood that potential new backers for the two-seater want it built in a lower-cost country, probably in the Far East, but certainly outside Europe.
A company spokesman would not be drawn on the likely location but said there were two in the running outside Europe and the final decision would be down to those putting up the majority of the money.
India, China and South Africa are all possible locations which meet manufacturing cost requirements, and they can also support the production lines with component suppliers. One analyst said South Africa would be particularly attractive.
Kimber Consortium said a year ago they were optimistic of getting the first cars into production about now with a launch at the Frankfurt motor show this autumn, but I understand any launch would not be before the Geneva 2008 show in March, if then.
The consortium led by Lord James of Blackheath has struggled to find investors over 12 months despite saying at the end of 2006 that they were close to finalising a deal to make 8,000 cars annually.
McLaren designer Peter Stevens sketched an impression of what the new car could look like but engineering changes have also dogged development and this has also delayed plans.
A spokesman for Kimber said yesterday. “We have always said that any preferences for a manufacturing location would be determined in their finality by our investors. We are still closing in on the financial side of the project and that has not been finalised.”
Prof Rhys said there was a lot of enthusiasm and impetus before the announcement last July in ExCel, London but that it had become very drawn out.
“It’s very disappointing news because I believe it is a very good product and comes with a good pedigree from Mercedes-Benz.”
A spokesperson for the Welsh Assembly Government said they had not been officially told of the new direction being taken by Kimber but were aware of media reports.
Support for the company, if it decided to build in Wales, would still be available.
Ironically, 12 months after Nanjing announced at the British motor show it was going to resume MG production at Longbridge, the company has now said it is close to finalising its dealer network in the UK. It will be selling its Longbridge built MG sports car based on the former TF and a Chinese made MG7 hatchback later this year.