NANJING Automotive is in talks with British businessman David James over the sale of its MG Rover brand.

James wants to use the MG Rover name for a two-seater car based on DaimlerChrysler’s discontinued Smart brand, said The Times.

A separate report in the Financial Times said Nanjing and James were in talks over a joint venture that could lead to the end of production of MG Rover cars at Longbridge and move it to a smaller site in Coventry.

MG Rover collapsed under debts of £1.4 billion ($2.43 billion) in April 2005, leading to 5,000 job losses at its main plant.