LDV was in the news the other week:
While the Russians are busy complaining and pointing out "no progress", SAIC is making progress:
Source: http://www.birminghammail.net/news/top-stories/2011/02/01/russian-tycoon-blasts-uk-government-over-ldv-collapse-97319-28088946/Russian tycoon blasts UK Government over LDV collapse
RUSSIAN billionaire Oleg Deripaska has accused the UK Government of a “brutal desire to kill” LDV in an outspoken attack over the collapse of the Birmingham van maker.
The tycoon, who bought the Washwood Heath firm in July 2006, says Downing Street’s refusal to grant LDV a £30 million bridging loan cost 2,000 jobs in Birmingham.
Deripaska said: “The British government just dumped a facility which could have generated more than 2,000 engineering and manufacturing jobs.
“It was a very bad, bad experience. It was very hard for me to understand. I was fighting hard in Russia to restructure debt. There was a brutal desire to kill this business.”
The long established Birmingham van manufacturer collapsed into administration in June 2009, throwing more than 800 people out of work directly and thousands more in the supply chain.
The van maker failed following a six-month production standstill in the face of the recession and the decision by Malaysian group Weststar to call off takeover talks because of problems over funding.
The firm’s Washwood Heath factory was mothballed from December 2008 through to June 2009 as commercial vehicle sales slumped dramatically. In October 2009 it was announced that Chinese businesswoman Qu Li had exchanged contracts to buy LDV’s assets under a plan to relaunch the firm under the Eco Concept banner but no progress has been verified since.
Meanwhile, hundreds of creditors were told they would share a maximum of only £600,000 in compensation payouts from a total debt mountain of £75 million.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Deripaska said: “I went there myself. I did it, not because I expect some growth in the UK market, but because I saw good people in Birmingham, qualified engineers who were not properly developed in terms of operation.
“It is just about the capital. It was a good product that was just wasted.” Deripaska later vowed never to invest in the UK again following his experiences.
While the Russians are busy complaining and pointing out "no progress", SAIC is making progress:
Source: http://auto.sina.com.cn/automobile/2011-02-21/0945720528.shtmlSAIC commercial vehicles will be naming the new brand "大通"
Shanghai Automotive will be February 28, 2011 held "Dazhi financial world, around the casting success - Shanghai Automotive Commercial Vehicles brand conference," the new brand according to trade speculation will take the name "大通" ("Da Tong") ("Tongda" or "Tonka" in the Dakota-Sioux language - meaning Huge in both languages)), I guess the official English translation may be "Maxus".
Shanghai Automotive has been a commercial vehicle, a short board, 2010, Shanghai Automotive commercial vehicle sales of 255,000 full plate (including the tractor and commercial vehicle chassis), all vehicle sales accounted for only 7.11%.
To this end, SAIC over the years to adjust the layout of commercial aspects of the product. 2006 signed an agreement with Chongqing Hongyan, spend 500 million yuan to purchase shares, the establishment of SAIC Iveco Hongyan; the end of 2007, signed an agreement with Nanjing Auto, 2.095 billion yuan acquisition of Nanjing Auto, Nanjing Iveco also accepted.
But four years, the development of commercial vehicle sector is not satisfactory. In the field of heavy trucks, heavy trucks have been in a semi-Huizhong stop until the end of 2010 dealing with a heavy truck; and SAIC Iveco Hongyan sold 30,500 in 2010 from the heavy truck, liberation, Dongfeng, constitute the first camp , the gap is obvious.
Light-off, the Huizhong Yisitanna development has been poor, although the good momentum of development of Nanjing Iveco, but the Gold Cup, Jiangling Ford and other old rivals still in backward position.
Therefore, SAIC acquired in 2009 LDV, the technology is now more than a year to digest the work, LDV has been the company's ground everything is ready, the Shanghai Automotive setting up a new commercial brand, the market focus is the focus of the acquisition of Shanghai Automotive from the British LDV company.
Source: http://blog.qq.com/qzone/622007596/1298362610.htmShanghai Automotive SAIC SAIC Iveco second Five-Year Plan of Shanghai Electric Group
SAIC must be encouraged in a number of car prices in the heyday of the passenger car market, it can extricate yourself, create a new commercial vehicle brands. This is considered a major Chinese auto industry to seek balanced development of the Group on the road out of the crucial step.
It is reported that, in the second Five-Year Plan SAIC among the commercial brands was written on an event in the development of SAIC-second commercial will be the five key projects during the period. New Year period, the Shanghai Automotive Commercial Vehicle Technology Center (NAC Institute) has been recruiting in large quantities. SAIC Group's passenger car brands in the scale has been based on the commercial development of the brand but also help SAIC to become an international, full-size category Automotive Group.
In fact, this should come a day early. Established three major groups in the country which, SAIC has been giving the impression of heavy passenger cars light commercial vehicles. FAW Group, the Second Automobile Group has its own important heavy truck brand, SAIC has been in the commercial area is little contribution.
As everyone knows, SAIC has been in the commercial field working hard. In the passenger has not been established before the full impact of the commercial vehicle segment not in haste, not aggressive, SAIC's strategy in this low profile of today, and also be a wise move. However, SAIC layout for the commercial area, has long been under way.
On the south end of the year 2007 combined, the media are locked in a perspective of MG and Roewe merger and integration between the two companies on the SASAC. At that time few people are concerned that more attention SAIC, Nanjing Automobile Group is the commercial resource. Back in the South before the merger contract, SAIC, Nanjing Auto had been brokered by Iveco and Fiat. In early 2007, SAIC set up commercial vehicle division. June, SAIC Iveco Hongyan Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd. and SAIC Fiat Hongyan Power Co., Ltd. was set up at the same time. Iveco and Fiat jointly, will Chongqing Hongyan in the bag, which is definitely the year of the commercial area of a blockbuster. A month later, SAIC and an important base for domestic light commercial vehicle - Yuejin Group reached a letter of intent. In the same year in September, SAIC received the transfer Shanghai Electric Shangchaigufen 50.32% stake, incidentally, is also a matter of fact will be entrusted with the management on the domestic diesel passenger car transmission boss - a superlative gear in the bag. Since then, under the coordination of the government, Shanghai Automotive to complete the development of the basic work of all commercial vehicles.
After a series of restructuring and the acquisition is completed, is destined to take a SAIC and FAW Group, Dongfeng Group, not the same as commercial development. It can not, as the FAW Group and Dongfeng Motor Group within the commercial vehicle business as training from scratch, but directly through the acquisition and restructuring, integration of commercial vehicles to light commercial vehicles from the mini, to heavy-duty commercial vehicles and medium and heavy commercial vehicle engines The whole industry chain resources. And finally by creating a new commercial brand, in one fell swoop made fully involved in the commercial vehicle market force of competition.
If you want to with the FAW Group and Dongfeng Motor Group all-round a high, SAIC need a new independent commercial vehicle brands, FAW's liberation and against the steam in the wind. Recently, news that SAIC may be release a new brand of commercial vehicle at the end of this month, relatively popular within the group of independent commercial vehicle brand programs. The "DaTong" new brand of technology is based on the previously-acquired SAIC LDV British light trucks the company's wide-body technology, new resources for the brand is mentioned above SAIC integrated range of resources.
SAIC Group, the development of independent commercial vehicle brands, both for SAIC is China's auto industry, have a crucial impact.
From SAIC Group, the commercial aspects make up the short board has been the desire of the Group, and now, the construction of a new brand is expected in the short term to achieve such a wish. On the other hand, in the MG and Roewe after the completion of the initial consolidation, restructuring the original NAC and NAC are strong commercial resources, finally useless. Weeks after a lapse of four years, and finally a comprehensive resource inventory of NAC. Third, from the perspective of its own brand, SAIC has Roewe, MG, Po Chun, after a series of car brands in the commercial area is also finally starting to really shape their own brands. SAIC by then, the field of passenger cars and commercial vehicles in the area has its own independent brand. With FAW and Dongfeng struggle among the two groups, SAIC relatively dominant passenger car brands, with the potential from relying on its own brand of commercial vehicles, considerable potential for catch up.
China's auto market for commercial vehicles sector, the heavy trucks, large passenger, light passenger, light truck and other fields has been the Group's efforts to develop the domestic automobile brands positions. To heavy trucks, for example, all domestic brands accounted for more than 98% market share. Once the establishment of new commercial vehicle brands, that 98% of the medals, but also will be printed with the elegance of SAIC. Prior to passenger and commercial vehicles SAIC upside down, will take the turn around and become a balanced development of the integrated auto industry group.
We should be concerned about the fact that, in the three groups which, SAIC's financial data has been the most beautiful. Strong financial support, will help SAIC own brand of instant new commercial development effort. Both the commercial vehicle segment, or between the Chinese auto market competition between groups, with the SAIC will be the process of building a new commercial vehicle brands to accept change.
