China has become one of the most important automotive markets in the world thanks to its large population, rich economy, and huge consumer market.
In our blog article, we will discuss car brands owned by China and some of the biggest car brands in the country.
Let’s get started!
1. Great Wall Motor
Great Wall Motor Co., Ltd. is first on our list of car brands owned by China. It is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Baoding, Hebei Province, China.
It was founded in 1984 as a joint venture between the state-owned China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation and the British Austin Rover Group.
The company produces sedans, minivans, and SUVs under its own nameplate and through its Chinese joint venture subsidiary Great Wall Motor Company Limited (GWMC).
The name “Great Wall” comes from an ancient wall built by Ming dynasty emperors to protect their country from foreign invaders.
2. Chery Automobile Group
Chery Automobile Group (CAG) is also on our list of car brands owned by China and the Anhui Jianghuai Auto Group subsidiary.
It operates in passenger, light, and heavy commercial vehicle markets. The company’s manufacturing facilities are located in China and Russia.
CAG sells its cars under the Cherry brand name, which was launched in 1997 by parent company CITIC Motor (Group) Corporation Ltd., one of the largest automotive car brands owned by China groups with interests in over 90 companies.
3. Haima Automobile Group
Haima Automobile Group, a Chinese automobile manufacturing company, was founded in 2001.
It is based in Guangzhou and produces car brands owned by China for domestic and international markets.
The company has a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year, making it one of the largest automakers in China.
The Haima Group has been involved in several projects around the world, including:
- Acquisition of Volvo Cars (2006) – this deal gave them ownership over Volvo’s car brand;
- Acquisition of Mitsubishi Motors (2008) – this deal gave them ownership over Mitsubishi’s passenger vehicle brand;
- Acquisition of Landwind Motor (-2012), Beijing Auto (-2012), SAIC Motor (-2000) & Chang’an Motors (-2005).
4. JAC Motors
JAC Motors is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Shanghai, China.
It was founded in 1997 and is based on the former Nanjing Auto Works factory in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.
The company car brands owned by China have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2006.
JAC Motors car brands owned by China produces passenger cars under its own marque and for other manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company and Great Wall Motors Corporation (formerly known as Changan Automobile).
5. Xiali Group
Xiali Group is a Chinese car manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan.
Xiali car brands owned by China were founded in 1958 as a joint venture between the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and the German automaker Daimler-Benz.
In 2018, they purchased the Italian sports car brand Italdesign Giugiaro Automobili S.p.A..
6. Changan Automobile
Changan Automobile is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Chongqing, China.
Changan Automobile car brands owned by China were established in 1983 as Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd.
In 2005, Changan introduced its first SUV model–the Changan CS15–to the Chinese market. In December 2017, it announced plans to build a new factory in Nanjing County near Jinzhike County.
The new factory will have an annual capacity of 450,000 units by 2020 as part of its plan to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers.
7. Dongfeng Motor
Dongfeng Motor is a Chinese state-owned automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, China.
It is the largest heavy-duty commercial car brands owned by China manufacturers in the world and also one of the largest automakers by volume.
The company was founded on January 1, 2005, with a capital of RMB 4 billion (US$600 million).
Dongfeng Motor car brands owned by China manufacture passenger cars and commercial vehicles, including large trucks, buses, construction equipment, and motorcycles.
In January 2017, Dongfeng acquired Volvo Cars’ truck operations in North America for an undisclosed sum believed to be worth about US$1 billion.
8. Hafei
Hafei is a Chinese car brand owned by SAIC Motor. It was founded in 1983, making it one of the oldest car brands owned by China companies in the world to produce its own brand of cars.
Hafei is a subsidiary of SAIC Motor (another Chinese company), so you might think that this means Hafei has been around since before China became an economic powerhouse; however, this isn’t exactly true.
Hafei only started making cars in 2002, and that’s when they released their first vehicle.
9. Soueast
Soueast is a Chinese car brand owned by the Soueast Motors Corporation.
The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Soueast Motors was previously known as the Changsha Suzuki Automobile Co., Ltd.
Soueast car brands owned by China currently manufacture two models: the DS4 and the DS5 (pictured above), based on Daihatsu’s Agya concept vehicle.
10. Zotye
Zotye is a Chinese car manufacturer. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. The brand has two models: the Zotye Z30 and Zotye Z50.
Both cars use a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with 165 horsepower (130 kW) and 190 lb·ft (260 N·m) of torque] They have a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) on highways but only 100 km/h (62 mph) all other times.
11. SAIC
SAIC is one of the largest car manufacturers in China, with a market share of 10%.
It has also been identified as one of China’s most innovative car brands owned by China companies, having launched its first hybrid vehicle in 2007.
The company was founded by Zhou Shuguang, who bought out Dongfeng Motor Group in 1993 and renamed it to “Zhou Auto.”
In 1998, SAIC purchased MG Rover Group from BMW AG for £450 million ($670 million).
The acquisition made SAIC one of Britain’s largest car brands owned by China manufacturers. In 2005, SAIC took over Roewe Automobile Co., Ltd., making them the part owner of both brands: ROC and ROEWE, respectively
12. BYD Automobile
BYD is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong. BYD Auto is the largest and best-known electric car brands owned by China maker in China.
It has been the world’s largest electric bus manufacturer since 2010 and also develops electric buses for other uses, including passenger transport, urban mass transit, and heavy-duty trucks.
BYD Auto was founded by Chen Feng, who envisioned a company that would create environmentally friendly, affordable automobiles.
Still, he could not find enough investors until 2006, when former vice premier Li Lanqing invested $350 million.
This has allowed BYD to become one of the most profitable car brands owned by China companies, with annual revenue exceeding US$2 billion per year, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
13. Geely
Geely Automobile Holdings Co Ltd is a Chinese multinational automotive manufacturing company based in Zhejiang province.
The company owns Volvo car brands owned by China, Lynk & Co, and Lotus. It is the second largest automaker in China after SAIC Motor Corp.
Combined revenues of $44 billion (US$6.7 billion) make it one of the world’s largest automakers.)
14. Lifan
Lifan is a Chinese automotive manufacturer headquartered in Zhongshan, Guangdong province.
It was founded in 1984 as a Chinese state-owned automaker FAW Group subsidiary.
Lifan car brands owned by China produce passenger cars, light commercial trucks, and buses under license from Ford Motor Company and General Motors.
Lifan’s first car, the Lifang S50 sedan, was introduced in 1988. The car featured a 1.6L twin-turbocharged engine with electronic fuel injection (EFI).
15. Jiangling
Jiangling Motors is a Chinese car brand owned by Jiangling Motors and manufactured by the SAIC Motor Group.
The company was founded in 1984 and is based in Nanchang, Jiangxi province.
The first model produced by Jiangling Motors was the Santana, which was sold as an export-only vehicle until 1988 when it also began production in China.
In 1990 they added the Eagle to their lineup and have continued to produce a range of different types of vehicles since then, including SUVs, sedans, and minivans.
16. Brilliance China Auto
Brilliance China Auto is a Chinese car manufacturer that was founded in 1992.
The car brands owned by China company were founded by Brilliance Auto, a Chinese aviation manufacturer and aerospace components manufacturer.
Brilliance China Auto is headquartered in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province (the same location as its parent company).
17. FAW Automotive
FAW Automotive is the largest Chinese car brands owned by China makers and has been in the business for over 50 years.
The company was founded in 1959 by Mao Zedong, who himself was an automobile enthusiast.
In 1962, FAW began producing Jeeps for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Since then, it has grown into one of China’s biggest car brands owned by China companies with interests across many different industries, including agriculture, textiles and electronics.
FAW operates two brands: Dongfeng Motor Corporation Limited (DFCL) and FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Group Co., Ltd.
DFCL produces both passenger cars and commercial vehicles, while VWAG focuses solely on passenger vehicles but also offers commercial vehicles under its JAC brand name
18. Foton
Foton is a Chinese automaker based in Jinan, Shandong, China. Foton was founded in 1986 as a joint venture between the First Automobile Works (FAW) and Toyota Motor Corporation. In 2008, it was renamed to Dongfeng-Foton Motor Co., Ltd.
It also has a joint venture with Volkswagen Group, under which they produce cars for Volkswagen Group brands such as Audi and Skoda.
In 2016 they produced over 1 million vehicles, making them one of the world’s largest car brands owned by China by volume production.
19. GAC Group
Lastly on our list of car brands owned by China is the GAC Group. It is a Chinese automotive industry company that was founded in 2002.
It has two main subsidiaries, GAC Motor and GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. GAC Motor is a joint venture between GAC Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
Conclusion
China’s car industry is booming, with several major players in the world’s largest market.
The country has invested heavily in research and development over the past decade, resulting in innovations making their way into car brands owned by China around the globe.
As China continues its rise as an economic superpower, we can expect these car brands owned by China manufacturers to expand overseas.
