| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Founded | 10 September 1953 |
| Headquarters | Miaoli County, Taiwan (ROC) |
| Key people | Kenneth Yen, Chairman |
| Revenue | US$500 million (2010)[1] |
| Website | yulon-motor.com.tw (English) |
Yulon Motor (Chinese: 裕隆汽車) is a Taiwanese automaker[2] and importer.[3] Taiwan's biggest automaker as of 2010,[4] Yulon is known for building Nissan models under license.[4] The original romanization of the company's name is Yue Loong, but in 1992 the company renewed its logo and switched to the shorter Yulon name.
Historically, it is one of Taiwan's "big four" automakers.[2]
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Incorporated in September 1953[5] as a machinery company by Ching-Ling Yen,[6] today Yulon Motors Co Ltd is part of the Yulon Group, a Taiwanese conglomerate.[7]
The company is associated with the creation of a Taiwanese auto industry[3] aided by its government.[8] This pattern is being again realized by Malaysia's Proton. During 1953-1960 an era of "passive protection" reigned,[8] and Yulon grew with the assistance of protectionary tariffs of 40-60%. Parts and components received substantially lower tariffs to help fledgling carmakers.[8]
Yulon tried very hard across the world to find a foreign partner for building cars, but it wasn't until 1956 that an American company, Willys, agreed to share technology. The next year Yulon began its long-lasting partnership with Nissan.[9]
While the first Yulon model was a 1956 jeep,[6] with engine production beginning in September 1956,[8] passenger car assembly only started in 1960 with the Bluebird after an agreement with Nissan was signed in 1957.[9] While primarily building Nissans and other cars under license, Yulon did design at least one car–the 1986 Feeling 101.[3] Until the introduction of the Nissan branded Cefiro (A32) in 1996,[6] the various license built Nissans had all been branded Yue Loong (Yulon after 1992).[10]
Yulon has a strong cooperative relationship with this Japanese automaker dating to 1957.[9] After the 1985 passing of a Taiwanese act, the Automobile Industry Development Act (AIDA), Yulon reluctantly accepted Nissan taking a 25% stake.[11] Nissan maintained their ownership in Yulon until at least 2003[12] when a restructuring created Yulon-Nissan Motor Co Ltd,[6] a separate company that focuses on complementing Japanese mainland China activities with research, design, and manufacturing assistance.
With production bases located in China,[13] the Philippines,[13] and Taiwan,[13] Yulon makes license-built versions of many automakers' models.[13] The companies it manufactures in cooperation with include Chrysler,[13] Geely,[14] GM,[13] Mercedes Benz,[13] Mitsubishi,[13] and Nissan.[13] Yulon assembles many of the autos it makes from complete knock down kits.
The company has used its design and engineering expertise to localize its manufactures to suit Taiwanese tastes.[12]
While Yulon continues to manufacture vehicles for sale on the Taiwanese market,[3] it now also imports Nissan, Infiniti, and Renault[6] models for sale in the domestic Taiwanese market.
Intent on maintaining the ability to capitalize on emerging market growth, Yulon debuted two own-brands in quick succession, beginning in 2008.
The first Taiwanese auto brand, Luxgen (Chinese: 納智捷), was created by Yulon in 2008.[15] Unlike Yulon's other operations, Luxgen cars are self-developed[16] although some components, such as engines, required foreign design assistance.[17] As of 2010 Luxgen products are sold in Taiwan and Oman,[18] but it plans to soon sell in a number of other emerging markets, too.[15] In 2011, the company announced that it will invest an additional NT$500 million in 18 more dealerships to sell cars under its Luxgen brand.[1]
Yulon's second brand, Tobe (Chinese: 酷比), was established in 2009.[19] Tobe, as of 2010, sells its sole product, a re-badged, re-designed Geely Panda called the Tobe M’Car, in Taiwan[20] and Vietnam.[20] Plans to enter other emerging markets exist.[19]
On August 18, 2009, Yulon revealed the first car for its new Luxgen brand. In 2011, it plans to invest NT$13 billion to improve its manufacturing capacity in addition to releasing four new models.[1]
Yulon has a number of production bases in several countries, including China,[13] the Philippines,[13] Taiwan,[13] and probably Thailand.
In 1999 Yulon bought a 75% ownership of Nissan's newly-built production base in Santa Rosa, Laguna province.[21]
Initial production base investment in China for Yulon was buying 5% ownership in a Southern China production base in the 1990s.[2] 2000 saw another, larger Chinese production base investment this time of 25%.[2] The latter acquisition was probably in Fengsheng Motors, a Dongfeng Motors subsidiary.
As of 2003, Yulon had 25% ownership in the subsidiary yielding access to production bases in Huadu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong province and Xiangfan, Hubei province.[12]
All of Yulon's joint ventures in China are with Dongfeng, Nissan's Chinese ally.
A joint venture with Chinese automaker Dongfeng, Dongfeng Yulon (or Dongfeng Luxgen[22]) was set up in 2009[16] and will manufacture Yulon's Luxgen models in China after the completion of a planned production base in Hangzhou in 2011.[4] The cars will be sold in China.[23]
In 2003 Yulon had part ownership of this Dongfeng subsidiary.[12]