The past decade has changed the landscape of China significantly. Where once it was a place dominated by bicycles and pedestrians, now automobiles have begun to appear on the streets more than ever. With the largest population in the world, there is a great need for Chinese car brands.
Many of these brands have been around for some time, but now they are firmly in the spotlight as the top brands of automobiles manufactured in China. Let’s take a look at the history and style of a few top brands. There is some stiff competition from other manufacturers surrounding China, but they have begun to make their mark in recent years.
Hongqi
Hongqi is a luxury car company owned by the FAW Car Company which is a brand a of the FAW Group. These cars are the first ones to be produced domestically. The company began in 1958 manufacturing vehicles exclusively for the party elite. These original models were around until 1981.
Today the current models are based on the Toyota Crown but still remain an executive car line. The name Hongqi also means “red flag” which is a synbol of the Communist government in China. Over the course of the company’s history, there have been various car types that bear the brand name.
The original models, as mentioned earlier, were used for transporting party elite and dignitaries from other countries. Many of these cars were based on foreign examples from companies like Chrysler and Toyota. One unique feature these cars have though is the front grille which is based on the design of a Chinese fan.
BYD Auto
This Chinese automobile manufacturer is based out of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. It is owned by the BYD Company and was founded in 2003. In 2013, the company sold 506,189 cars in China, making it the tenth largest selling brand and the highest selling brand in China.
The company manufacturers everything from small to medium-sized cars. They manufacture compacts, people carriers, sedans, as well as hybrid electric cars and all-electric models.
Chery
Chery is a car manufacturer based out of Wuhu, Anhul Province, China. The company was founded by the Government of China in 1997 as a corporation owned by the state. The main products they create are passenger cars, minivans, and SUVs. In 2012, the company sold 590,000 cars which ranks it in the top ten manufacturers.
Chery is also the largest passenger car exporter in China. They export roughly 25% of their total production. The company has several factories in China, but their cars are also assembled in 15 other countries using semi-complete knock-down kits. The QQ city car is the best-known model made by Chery.
Geely
The official name of Geely is the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. This is a Chinese automotive company located in the Binjiang District, Hangzhou, China. The manufacture automobiles, motorcycles, engines, and transmissions. The name means “auspicious” or “lucky” in the Chinese language.
The company began in 1986 when Li Shufu started a refrigerator company using money he borrowed from family members. He was able to turn the company towards making automobiles that were affordable to the general public. In 2003, Geely was the only domestic car company to not have ties to the Chinese State.
Lifan
Lifan is a privately owned Chinese car and motorcycle manufacturer. The company is based out of Chongqing in southwest China. The company began in 1992 and started creating cars in 2005 with microvans and small sedans. Now they continue to make those kinds of vehicles in addition to passenger cars, dirt bike engines, and entry-level motorcycles.
The company is known outside of China for selling their cars in developing markets. In 2013, the company saw sales of 26.015 billion. It’s hard to believe that this company was started by Yin Mingshan as a motorcycle repair shop. The number of staff members was only nine at the time.
While Mingshan had a rough history with the Chinese Government, he’s back in good standing. The company became one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers quickly before moving into automobile production in 2005.
Great Wall Motors
As the name suggests, Great Wall Motors is a Chinese automobile company that is named after the Great Wall of China. It was formed in 1984 and as of 2010 it became the largest sports utility vehicle producer in China. Despite a decrease in demand and a rough market, this company has continued to climbs the ranks and stands amongst the top brands in China.
In the beginning, the company only made trucks. They didn’t produce a saloon car until 2010. They have found numerous instances of success in making pickup trucks. They were at the top of China’s pickup market by 1998. In 2003, the company made a initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
Great Wall Motor was the first private Chinese car manufacturer to become a public company.
Jiangling
The full name of this company is the Jiangling Motors Corporation. The name is typically abbreviated as JMC which makes it similar to the American car manufacturer GMC. This Chinese automobile manufacturer has been operating a within a joint venture with the Ford Motor Company since 1997.
The history of the company goes all the way to a truck repair shop that opened in Nanchang in 1952. This shop was called the Nanchang Motors Repair Factory. In 1993 the company entered into a Joint Venture with Isuzu and Itochu. This venture entitled the company to manufacture cab compartments and other components of trucks and vehicles.
The first JMC-branded passenger car was released in 2010. It is called the Yusheng SUV and joins a long list of SUVs and pickup trucks in the company’s repertoire.
Final Thoughts
Chinese car brands have come a long way in the last ten years or so. Many of them were around prior to this boom in the economy, but now is their time to shine. With luxury cars quickly becoming a hot commodity, this is truly the golden age for these manufacturers and their subsidiaries.
This growth isn’t expected to slow down either, many experts believe that China will pass the United States as the world’s top manufacturer of luxury automobiles. Time will tell as it always does, but this seems to be the case, given the growing popularity.
