FAW- First Automobile Works

THE HISTORY OF FAW

AUTOMOBILE WORKS First Automobile Works (中国第一汽车) is China's first automobile manufacturer. FAW is one of the "Big Five" Chinese automobile manufacturers along with Dongfeng Motor Corporation, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, Chang'an Motors, and Chery Automobile. The company was established in 1953 with ranges such as Jiaxing mini MPVs, Xiali saloon cars and Hongqi luxury cars. HISTORY The construction of the First Automobile Works was started in 1953 with assistance from Zavod Imeni Likhacheva and finished in 1956. During its first 30 years, its major product was Jiefang CA-10 medium truck, the first mass-produced automobile in China based on ZIS-150. The next generation of Jiafang truck, CA141 rolled out in 1988. In 1991, FAW formed joint venture with Volkswagen and began to focus on car manufacture. Since then, it has formed joint ventures with other automobile giants such as Toyota and Mazda. In the same time, FAW maintained its own car brand Hongqi since 1958. Through purchasing and expanding, it has become one of top three automobile manufacturers in China. (The other two are Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and Dongfeng Motor Corporation) By 2004, its car sales had passed 1 million units. LOGO INTERPRETATION Symbol Image:FAW LOGO.jpg The symbol represents the combination of Chinese word "一汽"(meaning "China FAW Group Corporation") which was transformed visually, Chinese character "一" means "first" and "汽" means "automobile", depicting the visionary of a hawk spreading its wings. Meaning FAW flies throughout the vast skies of the world, spreading its wings and soaring high and far into the bright blue sky. TECHNOLOGY In 1988, Chrysler sold much of the machining equipment, as well as a license to the design, of their K-car 2.2L straight-4 engine to First Auto Works. JOINT VENTURES FAW operates many joint venture manufacturing concerns in China. Sichuan FAW Toyota Motor (Changchun City, Jilin Province) produces the Toyota Prius for the Chinese market. FAW-Volkswagen and Audi produce in Changchun City the FAW-VW Jetta, Bora, Sagitar, Audi A4 and Audi A6L (a long wheelbase version of the A6). FAW also has a joint venture in Russia with Hebei Zhongxing at Altaysky Kray to produce a local version of the Zhongxing Admiral. Tianjin Xiali produces the Miles ZX40, an electric version of the Daihatsu Move which became the first Chinese-built vehicle sold in the United States when it was offered in Mid 2006 by Miles Automotive Group. List of joint-ventures FAW Jiefang Automobile Company FAWER Automobile Parts Company FAW Car Company FAW Haima Motor Co Changchun FAW Sihuan Automobile Company FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Company Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Company Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor Company HAIMA While FAW Mazda is a joint venture with Mazda to build Mazda cars in China, and sold under the Mazda brand. FAW Haima car are badge engineered from Mazda cars and sold under the Haima brand. The FAW Haima Motor Co is a subsidiary of FAW, based on Hainan Island in South China. "Haima" is a blend of "HAInan" and "MAzda." The Hainan Auto Works firm began as a joint venture with Mazda in the early 1990s, and produced Mazda-based vehicles such as the Mazda 323-based Hainan CA7130. Hainan Auto Works was taken over by FAW in the late 1990s. FAW had another joint venture with Mazda, which currently produces the Mazda6 in Jilin Province. Haima has since been relaunched as a separate brand similar to Xiali and Hongqi, with its own range of internally-designed models. The first will be the Haima Family II, a 4 door sedan based on the Mazda Protege. HONGQI Hongqi ("Red Flag" in Chinese) is a luxury unit of FAW. It began in 1958, at first building a version of the Soviet limousine but later contracting with Audi and Lincoln for designs. The company will add production of the Hongqi HQ3 (based on the Toyota Crown) and recently added the Hongqi Benteng (based on the Mazda 6), also known as Besturn or Hongqi C301. The company showed the Hongqi HQD concept car at the 2005 Shanghai Auto Show, which was as usual with Chinese designs very similar to another car already in production, the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Volkswagen has thus far prevented production of the all too similar vehicle. MEXICO On November 22nd, 2007, FAW and Grupo Salinas signed an agreement to build a plant in Michoacan, Mexico, which will be ready on 2010. The future of plant and the authenticity of the offer seem questionable since FAW has not been given permission to export vehicles by the Chinese government. This is likely why no ground has been broken on the actual plant site, though FAW and Grupo Salinas officials maintain that a plant is in the works. Should the plant actually open FAW will become the second Chinese automaker to operate a plant outside of China and the first to open one in the important NAFTA region. Together with the plant deal Grupo Salinas said that it will import the cars and sell them in their Elektra stores throughout the country. Though they will not be the first Chinese company selling vehicles in Mexico as several companies already sell off road vehicles imported from China. As yet no Chinese manufacturer as received permission to sell on road vehicles anywhere in the North America.

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