Austin Rover Group

Austin Rover Group Limited
IndustryAutomotive
PredecessorBL Cars Ltd
Founded1982; 42 years ago (1982)
Defunct1989; 35 years ago (1989)
Faterenamed
SuccessorRover Group
HeadquartersLongbridge, Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Key people
Harold Musgrove
Graham Day
ProductsAutomobiles
ParentBritish Leyland (1982–1986)
Rover Group (1986–1989)

The Austin Rover Group (abbreviated ARG) was a British motor manufacturer. It was created in 1982 as the mass-market car manufacturing subsidiary of British Leyland (BL). Previously, this entity had been known as BL Cars Ltd (formerly Leyland Cars) which encompassed the Austin-Morris and Jaguar-Rover-Triumph divisions of British Leyland. After a major restructuring of BL's car manufacturing operations, Jaguar regained its independence (leading to its eventual de-merger in 1984) whilst the Triumph and Morris marques were retired. The new, leaner car business was rechristened as the Austin Rover Group and focused primarily on the Austin and Rover marques. The Morris and Triumph marques continued briefly within ARG until 1984 when both were dropped.

In 1989, two years after the Austin brand was also discontinued, ARG assumed the name of its parent company Rover Group plc, from which point the two entities were generally considered one and the same, although they continued to be legally separate – Rover Group plc was a holding company owning Land Rover following the divestment of Unipart and Leyland Trucks, whilst Rover Group Limited was the mass market car manufacturing business.