Lifan Group
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| Type | Public company |
|---|---|
| Traded as | SSE: 601777 |
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1992 (Chongqing)[1] |
| Founder(s) | Yin Mingshan |
| Headquarters | Chongqing, China |
| Key people |
Yin Mingshan (Chairman) You Shang (President) |
| Products |
Commercial vehicles Passenger cars Microvans Dirt bike engines Motorcycles Sports shoes Wine |
| Employees | 13,653[2] |
| Website | lifan.com |
| Lifan Group | |||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 力帆实业（集团）股份有限公司 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. (Lifan Group or Lifan[3][4]) (SSE: 601777) is a privately owned Chinese motorcycle and automobile manufacturer headquartered in Chongqing. It was founded in 1992 and began the manufacture of automobiles in 2005, with license-built microvans and a small sedan developed by Lifan themselves.[5]
Lifan's automotive products include passenger cars, microvans, dirt bike engines, entry-level motorcycles, mini-vehicles, and commercial trucks.[6] The company's non-automotive activities include the manufacture of sports shoes and winemaking.[7] Outside of China, Lifan is currently best known for the sale of small passenger cars in developing markets.
Lifan's 2009 automobile sales were a modest 43,000 units, although the company still managed to be China's third largest exporter of cars in that year.[5] Lifan's vehicle production capacity was around 300,000 units in 2010,[6] double that of 2006.[1] The company was ranked the 88th-largest in China in 2009.[6]
History
Lifan was founded by former political dissident Yin Mingshan in 1992 as a motorcycle repair shop with a staff of nine. Mingshan has a long history of conflict with governmental authorities of all stripes but currently enjoys a good relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.[7] The company was originally called "Chongqing Hongda Auto Fittings Research Centre".[8] Lifan had already become a major motorcycle manufacturer when it expanded into building buses in 2003.[9]
Becoming the fifth-largest Chinese motorcycle maker in only seventeen years,[5] the company was renamed Lifan Industry Group in 1997.[8] In 2003, Lifan acquired Chongqing Special Purpose Use Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd.[6] and in 2004 Lifan acquired Anhui Huayang Auto Manufacturing Co., Ltd.[10]
2005 saw commencement of automobile production, beginning with the LF6361/1010 minivan and pickup based on the 1999 Daihatsu Atrai. In December 2005, Lifan's first independent development, the 520 sedan with a Brazilian Tritec engine, entered production.[9] Lifan's current automobile lineup (as of autumn 2011) consists of the subcompact 320, the compact sedan and hatchback 520, the slightly larger 620 sedan, and the X60 compact SUV.[11]
Lifan made an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in late-2010.[5] Several years prior, Lifan petitioned the Chinese State to allow the creation of more private banks, in order to allow better investment opportunities for privately run businesses.[7]
Products
Current and former Lifan products include:
- Lifan LF6361/1010 - this small minivan and pickup is based on the 1999 Daihatsu Atrai, but has since been replaced
- Lifan 520 - built since 2005, this small sedan was Lifan's first original development.
- Lifan 520i - the hatchback version of the 520, with its own bodywork
- Lifan 320 - a small hatchback, famous for being a fairly straightforward copy of the current Mini.[12]
- Lifan 620 - a somewhat larger sedan
- Lifan X60 - Lifan's first SUV
- Lifan Foison - introduced in 2011, this minivan range is based on the earlier LF6361 series.
- Lifan Mini Truck LF1022 - a truck version of the Foison
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Operations
Production facilities
Lifan has two passenger-car assembly plants in China.[6][4]
Lifan has motorcycle production bases in Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.[1] Lifan first established a presence in Vietnam in 1999, originally only building motorcycles and parts.[13] Beginning in March 2007, assembly of the 520 sedan commenced in Vietnam.[6] By mid-2009, the 320, 520i, and 620 had also been built in this country.[14]
Lifan-branded automobiles are assembled in Egypt for sale in the domestic market.[1]
Assembly of Lifan automobiles in Russia began in August 2007.[6] In early 2011, the 320 model became the third Lifan product to see local production.[15]
From 2007 until 2010, the Lifan 520 was assembled in Ethiopia from imported knock-down kits under the name of "Abay" (Amharic for the Blue Nile)[16] by Holland Car Company.[17] Lifan now assembles cars under its own name in Ethiopia.[18] It also has an after sales service center in the capital, Addis Ababa.[19]
In early 2010, Lifan established an automobile assembly factory in Azerbaijan.[20] At the time, Lifan already assembled cars in Iran as well.[21]
In 2010, a 40,000 units/year production capacity assembly plant was established in Uruguay.[21]
Research and development
At the end of 2006, Lifan held over 3,800 patents, the largest number of any Chinese automobile company,[1] of which at least 346 of were held by Lifan's automobile division.[6]
Sales
Access to profitable export markets, something the Chinese State allowed the company in 1998,[6] means that this maker of automobiles and motorcycles does what many Chinese automakers desire: it sells in developed overseas markets like the EU and Japan.[6]
While finding more markets for its motorcycle-related products, Lifan has exported passenger cars to 51 countries.[6] In 2010, its automotive exports were rivaled by only Chery.[20] The company has sold in many countries and in every continent except Antarctica.[22]
Allowed access in 2003, Lifan motorcycle products are sold in 18 European countries.[1] The Italian importer Martin Motors rebadges and sells two small Lifan passenger car models under its own name.[23]
Lifan has sold motorcycles in Japan since 2001.[1] Lifan automobiles have been sold in Laos and Syria since 2009.[24][25]
Lifan motorcycles and dirt bikes are available in Canada[22] and Mexico. As of 2009, a single model was on offer in this country.[26]
Some small passenger car models are sold in Brazil,[27] Guatemala,[28] Peru,[29] and Uruguay.[30]
Some of the cars Lifan exports are in the form of knock-down kits.[21] Put together in small, local workshops, selling such kits is an easy way for the company to gain access to developing markets.
Sponsorships
Lifan was formerly the owner of the Chinese super league football team Chongqing Lifan; since 2005 it has been a sponsor of the team.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 About Lifan Group Lifan Official Site (Web Archive)
- ↑ Lifan website
- ↑ "About Lifan Group". Official website of Lifan Group. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 China's Lifan Industry to debut in Shanghai this week reuters.com, Wed Nov 24, 2010 8:37am IST
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lifan IPO latest in quest for capital chinadaily.com.cn, 2010-11-29
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.10 Corporate profile Lifan official site
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "The communist entrepreneur: Yin Mingshan shows how to make profits and political friends in China". The Economist. 2003-03-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Great Events of Lifan Group from 1999 to 2005 Lifan official site
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 World of Cars 2006·2007. Warsaw, Poland: Media Connection Sp. z o.o. 2006. p. 236.
- ↑ http://www.chinabidding.com/news.jhtml?method=detail&channelId=277&docId=493122
- ↑ "Chinese Brands". ChinaAutoWeb.com. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ↑ Saturday, April 24, 2010 (2010-04-24). "No, it's not a Mini...". Autocar.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ↑ Factory in Vietnam Lifan Official Site (Web Archive)
- ↑ Lifan320, Lifan620 Landed in Vietnam Lifan Official Site, 9/9/2009
- ↑ "CHINESE AUTOMAKER LIFAN'S 320 STARTS PRODUCTION IN RUSSIA", Asia Pulse (Rhodes), Mar 23, 2011
- ↑ Blue Nile flows in Ethiopia ---- Lifan Motors in Ethiopia Lifan Official Site, 19/3/2009
- ↑ Official Launching of Lifan Wholly-owned Subsidiary in Ethiopia Lifan Official Site, 5/1/2010
- ↑ The First Batch Lifan Cars in Ethiopia From a Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Lifan Motors Offlined Lifan Official Site, 3/3/2010
- ↑ Vehicle Delivery & After-sales Service Station Launching Ceremony of Lifan Motors in Ethiopia Lifan Official Site, 15/4/2010
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 LIFAN MOTORS RANKED 2ND AMONG CHINESE EXPORTERS Lifan Official Site, 6/7/2010
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Assembly Plant of Lifan Motors Settles Down in Uruguay Lifan Official Site, 6/4/2010
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Global Lifan > Global Network (image) Lifan Official Site (Web Archive)
- ↑ Chi Siamo Martin Motors Official Site
- ↑ Lifan Motors Launches in Laos Lifan Official Site, 25/11/2009
- ↑ The First 4S Store of Lifan Motors Opened in Syria Lifan Official Site, 3/6/2009
- ↑ Hermosa, Jessica Anne D. (February 4, 2009). "Lifan out to prove that China cars mean quality". BusinessWorld. pp. S1/9.
- ↑ Lifan Motors Brazil web site lifanmotors.com.br
- ↑ Lifan Landing in Guatemala, Full-scale Covering Mid-America Lifan Official Site, 6/7/2010
- ↑ Lifan320 Launches in Peru, Leading Popularity of LIFAN MINI Lifan Official Site, 13/5/2010
- ↑ Productos grupoaler.com
31. ^Lifan in Venezuela. http://www.skygo.com.ve/
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lifan vehicles. |
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