Nanjing Automobile Group
Encyclopedia
Nanjing Automobile is a state-owned enterprise
with a history that dates from 1947, making it the oldest of the Chinese
automobile manufacturers, although the comparatively younger First Automobile Works
was the first to actually make cars.
The group's products have included cars, trucks, and buses.
Nanjing Auto merged with the much-larger SAIC Group in 2007, becoming a subsidiary of that company.
. In the July of 1949, a repair service center attached to the East China Field Army (which later became the Third Field Army) took control of an automobile workshop in Nanjing
, Jiangsu province
, former capital of the Republic of China
, after the Red Army
had conquered the city.
from Russia. The Ministry branded the truck Guerin (跃进牌汽车 - literally meaning "Leap Forward") and approved the establishment of Nanjing Automobile Works that same year. Truck production continued until 1987 and included NJ-130, NJ-230, NJ-135 and NJ-134 models.
s to make the company more competitive
.
and technology from the Italian Iveco
, the commercial vehicle unit of Fiat
, participating in a spate of technology transfer deals circa 1980 that saw Japanese designs and machinery sold to Chinese buyers.
The Iveco
purchases allowed Nanjing Auto to produce a version of the Iveco Daily
.
's first generation Ibiza
was purchased and the car sold in China as the Nanjing Yuejin Soyat.
and Powertrain Ltd in 2005 after the group had entered administration. According to the purchase agreement, Nanjing Auto bought MG, Austin
and some other dormant British car brands, and the production technology and equipment for the MG ZT
and MG TF
models. Some equipment and blueprint
s were repossessed by Honda
, as the Honda's intellectual property
was used in some of MG Rover's vehicles, in particular, the Rover 45 and MG ZS
which were based on the Honda Domani
.
Nanjing Auto decided to establish production bases for MGs at Longbridge
and Nanjing
. A plan to open another factory in Ardmore, Oklahoma
was not realized. The production of some products with high cost if produced in the UK, such as engines, transmissions and medium and low end vehicle products, would be transferred to China, where a supply chain would also be set up. A production facility would be retained in the UK, with the original Longbridge site integrated to resume the production of MG TF
sport cars. Meanwhile, by making use of the R&D capability and personnel in the UK as well as that of China, the Euro IV engines and a new generation of vehicles would be developed and then produced in both China and the UK.
In 2007, Nanjing Auto planned to build 13,000 cars based on the Rover 75 / MG ZT
sedan, renamed MG 7
. These cars would be mostly sedans (saloons), plus some MG 7T station wagons (estate cars). It also planned 3,000 MG TF
convertible sports cars.
The MG
Factory of Nanjing Auto is located in the High-level New Technology Economic Development Zone in Pukou (a new district of Nanjing
). The capacity of the Nanjing-MG Factory will reach 200,000 autos, 250,000 engines and 100,000 gear-boxes. It was originally predicted that the factory, which covers 290,000 m², would have a construction time of seven to nine months, however it was completed in six months and the first cars were produced in March 2007. The initial MG range consisted of just the MG 7 and the MG TF. Nanjing Auto also started production of the Rover Streetwise
-based MG 3
SW in 2008.
The plant at Longbridge
was for many years one of the most important car making factories in Europe as well as the largest British-owned car manufacturing plant. After the factory of Abingdon
closed in 1980, Longbridge was also from 1982 the home of MG.
The site is owned by St. Modwen Properties
which acquired 412 acres (1.7 km²) in two deals in 2003 and 2004 for £57.5 million and leased it back to MG Rover Group. A 33-year deal was signed in February 2006 between Nanjing Auto and St. Modwen Properties covering the lease of 105 acres (a quarter of the total area of the Longbridge plant) but including the two main car assembly plants, the paint shop and administrative offices at a rent of around £1.8 million a year. An estimated £10 million was estimated to be needed to reopen the factory.
With the merger of Nanjing Auto and SAIC
, ownership of the Longbridge plant became a SAIC property. There was a limited re-opening of the Longbridge plant on 29 May 2007, just over two years after the bankruptcy of MG Rover. 250 staff were initially employed, and production of the limited-edition MG TF LE500 sportscar commenced on 1 August 2008. Nanjing Auto says the site can support up to 1,200 staff.
. A 50/50 joint venture set up in 1999, but that collapsed sometime in 2007, and Naveco, a joint venture with Fiat's commercial vehicles unit, Iveco
, established in 1996.
, Fiat's commercial vehicles unit. The joint venture initially manufactured a version of the Iveco Daily
for sale in the Chinese market, and, as of 1995, it continued to make light trucks, but had added diesel engines as well.
The company acquired the truck manufacturing assets of Yuejin Motor Co sometime in 2007.
As of 2006, it was producing four models: the Perla and Siena
sedans, Palio
compact and Palio Weekend station wagon.
The company was located in the Jiangning District
's Economic & Technological Development Zone in Nanjing
.
Sometime in 2007 Yuejin's truck-making business was merged with the Iveco
-Nanjing Auto joint venture Naveo, which continued to sell under the Yuejin brand.
. As of 1995, it builds diesel engines and light trucks.
, it was abandoned by its foreign investor in 2007.
, Wuxi
, (about 150 km east of Nanjing) the Wuxi Branch of Yuejin Automobile Co is one of Nanjing Auto's production bases, and it may be the newest having been built sometime after 2003.
Soyat current model list:
These models are mainly sold inside mainland China.
, which held just over fifty-percent ownership of the company at this time, and two State firms created to dispose of non-performing bank loans China Huarong Asset Management Co and China Cinda Asset Management Co.
Nanjing Auto is now a subsidiary of SAIC
, having been merged with the much-larger automaker in 2007.
policy to encourage mergers and acquisitions
in the domestic automobile market, SAIC Motor and the state-owned parent company of Nanjing Auto, Yuejin Automotive Group, finalized a long-planned merger in December 2007. Fitful merger negotiations between the two companies had begun in 2001, and the tie-up was widely anticipated. Prior to the merger, but bidding alongside SAIC, Nanjing Auto purchased the remaining assets of British MG Rover Group
for near US$100 million.
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
with a history that dates from 1947, making it the oldest of the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
automobile manufacturers, although the comparatively younger First Automobile Works
First Automobile Works
FAW Group Corporation is a state-owned enterprise with publicly traded subsidiaries: FAW Car Company , Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co Ltd , Changchun FAWAY Automobile Components Co Ltd ....
was the first to actually make cars.
The group's products have included cars, trucks, and buses.
Nanjing Auto merged with the much-larger SAIC Group in 2007, becoming a subsidiary of that company.
Civil-war era
The history of the corporation can be traced as far back as 1947 during the Chinese Civil WarChinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
. In the July of 1949, a repair service center attached to the East China Field Army (which later became the Third Field Army) took control of an automobile workshop in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
, Jiangsu province
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, former capital of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, after the Red Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
had conquered the city.
Early light-truck production
In the 1950s oversight of that automobile workshop was transferred to China's First Ministry of Industrial Machinery. It began making China's first domestically produced light-duty trucks in 1958, the 2½ ton NJ-130, based on the GAZ-51GAZ-51
The GAZ-51 is the best known, most popular, and longest produced Soviet truck. Its first prototypes were produced before the end of World War II, and mass production started in 1946....
from Russia. The Ministry branded the truck Guerin (跃进牌汽车 - literally meaning "Leap Forward") and approved the establishment of Nanjing Automobile Works that same year. Truck production continued until 1987 and included NJ-130, NJ-230, NJ-135 and NJ-134 models.
Technology transfers
Nanjing Auto has repeatedly used technology transferTechnology transfer
Technology Transfer, also called Transfer of Technology and Technology Commercialisation, is the process of skill transferring, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing, samples of manufacturing and facilities among governments or universities and other institutions to ensure that...
s to make the company more competitive
Competition (economics)
Competition in economics is a term that encompasses the notion of individuals and firms striving for a greater share of a market to sell or buy goods and services...
.
Mid-1980s
In the mid-1980s, Nanjing Auto purchased designs and moulds from IsuzuIsuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
and technology from the Italian Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
, the commercial vehicle unit of Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, participating in a spate of technology transfer deals circa 1980 that saw Japanese designs and machinery sold to Chinese buyers.
The Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
purchases allowed Nanjing Auto to produce a version of the Iveco Daily
Iveco Daily
The Iveco Daily is a large van produced by Iveco from 1978; it was sold also as Fiat Daily until 1983. It is also available as a minibus.-First generation :...
.
1990s
In 1999 the design, and possibly the tooling, for SEATSEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
's first generation Ibiza
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
was purchased and the car sold in China as the Nanjing Yuejin Soyat.
Acquisition of MG Rover Group assets
Nanjing Auto acquired some assets of MG Rover GroupMG Rover Group
MG Rover was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. The company was formed when BMW sold the car-making and engine manufacturing assets of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000....
and Powertrain Ltd in 2005 after the group had entered administration. According to the purchase agreement, Nanjing Auto bought MG, Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
and some other dormant British car brands, and the production technology and equipment for the MG ZT
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
and MG TF
MG TF
The TF model name has been used on two automobiles produced by MG Cars:* MG TF Midget * MG TF...
models. Some equipment and blueprint
Blueprint
A blueprint is a type of paper-based reproduction usually of a technical drawing, documenting an architecture or an engineering design. More generally, the term "blueprint" has come to be used to refer to any detailed plan....
s were repossessed by Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
, as the Honda's intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
was used in some of MG Rover's vehicles, in particular, the Rover 45 and MG ZS
MG ZS
The MG ZS is a sports family car. The ZS is essentially a badge engineered Rover 45 . The 45 in turn is a facelifted version of the Rover 400 which was launched in hatchback form in 1995 and saloon form in 1996. The Rover 400 had much in common with the Honda Civic of 1995-1999...
which were based on the Honda Domani
Honda Domani
The is a car made by Honda and marketed in east Asia, including Japan. It was introduced in November 1992, replacing the Concerto in Honda's lineup, although that model lasted until 1995 in Europe...
.
MG production plan
Nanjing Auto decided to establish production bases for MGs at Longbridge
Longbridge
Longbridge is an area of Birmingham, England. For local government purposes it is a ward within the district of Northfield.Since 1905, the area has been dominated by the Longbridge plant, which produced Austin, Nash Metropolitan, Morris, British Leyland, and most recently MG Rover cars...
and Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. A plan to open another factory in Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 24,283, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area totaling 56,694 residents...
was not realized. The production of some products with high cost if produced in the UK, such as engines, transmissions and medium and low end vehicle products, would be transferred to China, where a supply chain would also be set up. A production facility would be retained in the UK, with the original Longbridge site integrated to resume the production of MG TF
MG F
The MG F and later the MG TF are mid-engined, rear wheel drive roadster cars produced from 1995 onwards. The MG F was the first all-new car to bear the MG marque since the MG MGB, produced from 1962 to 1980...
sport cars. Meanwhile, by making use of the R&D capability and personnel in the UK as well as that of China, the Euro IV engines and a new generation of vehicles would be developed and then produced in both China and the UK.
In 2007, Nanjing Auto planned to build 13,000 cars based on the Rover 75 / MG ZT
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
sedan, renamed MG 7
MG 7
The MG 7 is a sports saloon built by Nanjing Automobile, derived from the Rover 75 and MG ZT. Production started in early 2007. The MG 7 received praise from British car magazine Auto Express, who test-drove it in May 2008, although it has not officially been sold in the United Kingdom.The MG 7...
. These cars would be mostly sedans (saloons), plus some MG 7T station wagons (estate cars). It also planned 3,000 MG TF
MG F
The MG F and later the MG TF are mid-engined, rear wheel drive roadster cars produced from 1995 onwards. The MG F was the first all-new car to bear the MG marque since the MG MGB, produced from 1962 to 1980...
convertible sports cars.
Pukou plant
The MG
MG (car)
The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
Factory of Nanjing Auto is located in the High-level New Technology Economic Development Zone in Pukou (a new district of Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
). The capacity of the Nanjing-MG Factory will reach 200,000 autos, 250,000 engines and 100,000 gear-boxes. It was originally predicted that the factory, which covers 290,000 m², would have a construction time of seven to nine months, however it was completed in six months and the first cars were produced in March 2007. The initial MG range consisted of just the MG 7 and the MG TF. Nanjing Auto also started production of the Rover Streetwise
Rover Streetwise
The Rover Streetwise was a small car made by MG Rover. It was based on the Rover 25, but had an increased ride height and chunkier bumpers. The car was marketed by Rover as an 'urban on-roader'.Production ended in April 2005 due to the bankruptcy of MG Rover....
-based MG 3
MG 3
The MG3 is a supermini-class car produced by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation under the MG marque in two generations from 2008 onwards.- First generation :Production of the first-generation model, sold as the MG3 SW, began in 2008...
SW in 2008.
Longbridge plant
The plant at Longbridge
Longbridge
Longbridge is an area of Birmingham, England. For local government purposes it is a ward within the district of Northfield.Since 1905, the area has been dominated by the Longbridge plant, which produced Austin, Nash Metropolitan, Morris, British Leyland, and most recently MG Rover cars...
was for many years one of the most important car making factories in Europe as well as the largest British-owned car manufacturing plant. After the factory of Abingdon
Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon or archaically Abingdon-on-Thames is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places that claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town, with...
closed in 1980, Longbridge was also from 1982 the home of MG.
The site is owned by St. Modwen Properties
St. Modwen Properties
St. Modwen Properties plc is a British-based property investment and development business specialising in the regeneration and remediation of brownfield land and urban environments...
which acquired 412 acres (1.7 km²) in two deals in 2003 and 2004 for £57.5 million and leased it back to MG Rover Group. A 33-year deal was signed in February 2006 between Nanjing Auto and St. Modwen Properties covering the lease of 105 acres (a quarter of the total area of the Longbridge plant) but including the two main car assembly plants, the paint shop and administrative offices at a rent of around £1.8 million a year. An estimated £10 million was estimated to be needed to reopen the factory.
With the merger of Nanjing Auto and SAIC
SAIC
The acronym SAIC can stand for:*Science Applications International Corporation*School of the Art Institute of Chicago*Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation*Shanghai Aviation Industrial Company*Special Agent in Charge, acronym used by some U.S...
, ownership of the Longbridge plant became a SAIC property. There was a limited re-opening of the Longbridge plant on 29 May 2007, just over two years after the bankruptcy of MG Rover. 250 staff were initially employed, and production of the limited-edition MG TF LE500 sportscar commenced on 1 August 2008. Nanjing Auto says the site can support up to 1,200 staff.
Joint ventures
Nanjing Auto has had at least two joint ventures with the Italian automaker FiatFiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
. A 50/50 joint venture set up in 1999, but that collapsed sometime in 2007, and Naveco, a joint venture with Fiat's commercial vehicles unit, Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
, established in 1996.
Naveco
In 1996 Nanjing Auto established Naveco (Nanjing Iveco Automobile Co Ltd) with IvecoIveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
, Fiat's commercial vehicles unit. The joint venture initially manufactured a version of the Iveco Daily
Iveco Daily
The Iveco Daily is a large van produced by Iveco from 1978; it was sold also as Fiat Daily until 1983. It is also available as a minibus.-First generation :...
for sale in the Chinese market, and, as of 1995, it continued to make light trucks, but had added diesel engines as well.
The company acquired the truck manufacturing assets of Yuejin Motor Co sometime in 2007.
Nanjing Fiat
Another joint venture was Nanjing Fiat Inc, established with Fiat in 1999. This Italian automaker quit the company in 2007 citing a lack of investment on the part of its Chinese partner.As of 2006, it was producing four models: the Perla and Siena
Fiat Siena
The Fiat Siena is the four-door sedan version of the Fiat Palio, a supermini car especially designed for developing countries. The car is similar to Fiat Albea...
sedans, Palio
Fiat Palio
The Fiat Palio is a small family car designed by Fiat as a world car, aimed at developing countries. It is produced in Brazil, Argentina, Turkey, South Africa and China. It is also built under licence in North Korea as the Pyonghwa Hwiparam. Russian ZMA started assembly of Turkish CKD kits in...
compact and Palio Weekend station wagon.
The company was located in the Jiangning District
Jiangning District
Jiangning District is an administrative district in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China. The District has a population of 760,000 and an area of 1600 square kilometers. It includes southern and south-eastern suburbs of Nanjing....
's Economic & Technological Development Zone in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
.
Internal division
As the company further developed its management, four complete production ecosystems were created.Yuejin Light Truck Co
A major manufacturing base of Nanjing Auto, it makes light-duty trucks under the Yuejin brand.Sometime in 2007 Yuejin's truck-making business was merged with the Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
-Nanjing Auto joint venture Naveo, which continued to sell under the Yuejin brand.
Naveco
Nanjing-Iveco, or Naveco, is a joint venture with the Italian IvecoIveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
. As of 1995, it builds diesel engines and light trucks.
Nanjing Fiat
An automobile joint venture with Italy's FiatFiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, it was abandoned by its foreign investor in 2007.
Wuxi Soyat Branch
Located in the an economic development zone in Huishan DistrictHuishan District
Huishan District is a district of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province.The total area of the district is 327.12 km². In 2006 the population was 388,957....
, Wuxi
Wuxi
Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...
, (about 150 km east of Nanjing) the Wuxi Branch of Yuejin Automobile Co is one of Nanjing Auto's production bases, and it may be the newest having been built sometime after 2003.
Soyat current model list:
- Soyat NJ7150 and Soyat Unique (under SEATSEAT IbizaThe SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
licence) - Soyat-Junda SUV (under IsuzuIsuzu, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
licence) - Soyat-Junda Pick-up (under IsuzuIsuzu, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
licence)
These models are mainly sold inside mainland China.
Brands
Car brands owned by Nanjing Auto include:- Soyat - the Nanjing Yuejin Soyat, a Chinese version of the first generation SEAT IbizaSEAT IbizaThe SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
, is sold under the brand. - MGMG (car)The MG Car Company is a former British sports car manufacturer founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Best known for its two-seat open sports cars, MG also produced saloons and coupés....
(Acquired MG Rover GroupMG Rover GroupMG Rover was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. The company was formed when BMW sold the car-making and engine manufacturing assets of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000....
and Powertrain LtdPowertrain LtdPowertrain Ltd was a British company based in Birmingham which designed, manufactured and marketed car engines and transmissions. It was a subsidiary of Phoenix Venture Holdings and a sister company to MG Rover...
assets, including the brands: WolseleyWolseley Motor CompanyThe Wolseley Motor Company was a British automobile manufacturer founded in 1901. After 1935 it was incorporated into larger companies but the Wolseley name remained as an upmarket marque until 1975.-History:...
, AustinAustin Motor CompanyThe Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
, MorrisMorris Motor CompanyThe Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
, Vanden PlasVanden PlasVanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders who produced bodies for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. Latterly the name became a top-end luxury model designation for cars from various subsidiaries of British Leyland and the Rover Group.-Belgium:It originated in Belgium in...
(outside the US & Canada), American AustinAmerican Austin Car CompanyThe American Austin Car Company was a United States automobile manufacturing corporation tied to the British Austin Motor Company. The company was founded in 1929, and produced motorcars from 1930 through 1934, when it filed for bankruptcy....
, Princess and SterlingSterling (car)Sterling was a brand name of automobile marketed in the USA by ARCONA, Austin Rover Cars Of North America under the name Sterling Motor Cars, a division of the Rover car company of the UK...
) - Yuejin - a commercial vehicle brand
Legal ownership
Sometime before the 1980s, Nanjing Auto was under the joint jurisdiction of both the central and local governments. As of 2003, this vehicle manufacturer was owned by Yuejin Automobile Group of JiangsuJiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
, which held just over fifty-percent ownership of the company at this time, and two State firms created to dispose of non-performing bank loans China Huarong Asset Management Co and China Cinda Asset Management Co.
Nanjing Auto is now a subsidiary of SAIC
SAIC
The acronym SAIC can stand for:*Science Applications International Corporation*School of the Art Institute of Chicago*Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation*Shanghai Aviation Industrial Company*Special Agent in Charge, acronym used by some U.S...
, having been merged with the much-larger automaker in 2007.
SAIC merger
A result of Chinese StatePeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
policy to encourage mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling, dividing and combining of different companies and similar entities that can help an enterprise grow rapidly in its sector or location of origin, or a new field or...
in the domestic automobile market, SAIC Motor and the state-owned parent company of Nanjing Auto, Yuejin Automotive Group, finalized a long-planned merger in December 2007. Fitful merger negotiations between the two companies had begun in 2001, and the tie-up was widely anticipated. Prior to the merger, but bidding alongside SAIC, Nanjing Auto purchased the remaining assets of British MG Rover Group
MG Rover Group
MG Rover was the last domestically owned mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. The company was formed when BMW sold the car-making and engine manufacturing assets of the original Rover Group to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000....
for near US$100 million.