MG Rover dealerships on mainland Europe could provide some respite to beleaguered UK creditors who stand to receive virtually nothing from the Longbridge collapse.

Up to £50 million of assets, including 6,000 cars parked up across Europe, are likely to be sold off to settle some of the creditors' claims on the Continent.

Some of the money raised could also be channelled into helping UK firms who are owed an estimated £400 million following the end of carmaking at Longbridge.

The development came as administrators held a series of meetings across Europe with creditors owed money by the various national sales companies (NSCs) set up by MG Rover to sell cars on the continent.

German creditors gathered at a meeting in Dusseldorf yesterday, while creditors from seven other countries have already had meetings with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The NSCs, which were set up to import and distribute MG Rover cars, owe £40 million to non-Rover companies and dealers for warranty work and unpaid bonuses.

In addition, they also owe MG Rover and related companies around £100 million for vehicles that have been delivered to them.

But the NSCs, in Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Holland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, have between them some £ 40 million to £50 million in unsold cars and money.

Rob Hunt, partner at PwC and joint administrator of MG Rover, was hopeful some of this money could be returned to Longbridge creditors in Britain.

Last week they were warned they would only receive only a tiny fraction - if anything - if the company was broken up and went into liquidation.

Mr Hunt said: "There are likely to be dividends for the creditors of these NSCs, which do have assets but have relatively low liabilities because they were predominantly import and export businesses.

"The exact amount in each country will depend on each NSC's liabilities and the company law in each country regarding creditors.

"There is some stock out there which can be sold off to raise money for the creditors in that country.

"But MG Rover is also a substantial creditor, so if we pay MG Rover some of its debts from funds raised in Germany for example, that would come back to the UK, where it could be claimed by creditors here."

Mr Hunt said there was up to 6,000 cars in Europe which could be sold off, which along with money in each of the NSCs could raise between £40 million and £50 million.

But the exact amount which could be returned to MG Rover, and then passed on to UK creditors, was impossible to determine at the moment.

Mr Hunt said: "We are dealing with several different jurisdictions, with different rules about the order of creditors.

"In certain countries the intercompany debt, like the one the NSCs owe to MG Rover, would be subordinated to other creditors, which means how much is left will be reduced.

"We are trying to make sure there is a coordinated approach to disposal of vehicles so creditor returns are maximised locally in each individual countries, but more importantly for the creditors of MG Rover in this country as well.

"It depends on what the assets and the validity of MG Rover's claims, but we remain hopeful some value will be realised for creditors in UK."