East drives West: Morris has China under the hood, Britain on its bonnet

As the MG Hector gets ready to drive into the country, the Chinese-owned brand is leaning heavily on its British legacy

“Hello MG! Open sunroof,” commands actor Benedict Cumberbatch as he slides into a Morris Hector. “Pardon,” says the car, forcing the otherwise unflappable British icon to do a slight double take. “When was the last time, someone said that to you?” he asks and then, more courteous and with the British accent, more pronounced, repeats the command, “Please open sunroof.” The car complies and the engine growls into life. 

The ad for the launch of Morris Garage (MG) Hector in India is just one of the many ways in which the once British and now Chinese brand, owned by Shanghai Automobile