Maxus travels the globe

Chinese couple complete 20,000km drive from Shanghai to Birmingham

A Chinese couple embarked on a sightseeing tour of Britain on Sunday after having completed an epic 20,000 km journey from Shanghai.



Yaoguo Chen and Jie Wu decided to make the journey as a pilgrimage to spiritual home in England of their Shanghai-built Maxus V80 van.

The couple, both aged 48, set off from Shanghai on July 1 and arrived in Birmingham on August 26.

It took the couple two years to plan their trip, which took them on a route through Mongolia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Holland and France, and then to their destination in Great Britain's second biggest city, Birmingham.

Jie Wu said: "We quit our jobs to do this. I worked for an American company called Abbott and Yaoguo Chen was a press photographer for Shanghai Money Weekly.

"Our friends and family think we are crazy but we are very happy to have done it."

The Chinese-built vehicle has a direct link with Birmingham, based on the Maxus model line which at one time was produced at the LDV production plant in England's West Midlands.

In 2008, after a troubled period for the Birmingham-based van-maker's Russian owner, GAZ Group finally pulled the plug on LDV.

The LDV name and the firm's intellectual property rights were acquired in 2010 by the SAIC Motor Corporation Ltd. Since then, SAIC's Maxus V80 van, based on LDV's Maxus and the G10 seven-seat MPV, has been built in Shanghai.

Jie Wu added: "Owning a Maxus is the big reason we wanted to come to Birmingham. The vehicle is from Birmingham, it was designed by LDV and it has come home."

Sadly for the couple, the former LDV site now lies derelict, bought as part of plans to build the proposed HS2 (High Speed 2) rail link between Birmingham and London.

But both said they were delighted to have made it to the city where the Maxus model started its life.

"We really wanted to come to Birmingham but are also keen to see other parts of England," added Jie Wu.

After SAIC acquired the LDV name, the first Maxus product, the V80 van, was unveiled at the Auto Shanghai motor show in April 2011.

Reborn Maxus winning markets at home and abroad

Commercial vehicle manufacturer Maxus is expected to stage a European comeback in late 2014 with the Shanghai-based automaker discussing details with dealers in the United Kingdom and Turkey.

Maxus used to be a marque of British commercial vehicle manufacturer LDV Group, but its intellectual property was acquired by SAIC Motor in 2009.

The first batch of 200 vans will hit the European market by the end of 2014, said an executive at Maxus.


The automaker is also planning to export other models including the G10 MPV, pickups and new-energy vehicles to Europe in the near future.


With the launch of pickup models, Maxus' overseas sales are projected to account for 20 percent of its total sales, said the executive.

It sold 9,295 units by July, a 61.2 percent surge from the same period last year. The V80 van registered an 85.5 percent year-on-year increase and had a market share of nearly 11 percent by July in China.

Compared with its earlier foray in Europe, Maxus is now well established in more than 20 overseas markets.

Australia is one of its largest export destinations. The latest delivery of models in July came after export of more than 200 V80 models to the country last year, according to the company.

The company has a good performance in New Zealand as well, with its sales volume ranking top three in the local market in July.

The automaker held a 45 percent share of its segment market in Fiji thanks to orders from government departments including the finance mini stry.

Despite the relatively small numbers, the company believes its addition on the list for approved government procurement lays a solid foundation for future performance in the market.

Maxus has done even better in Chile, one of its earliest overseas markets.

"We received an order for 200 vans from Chilean customers this year. Our models are well recognized in the Latin America n market," said an executive at Maxus.

He added that the company has updated its models and they passed the Euro V emission standards that took effect in Chile this year.

Maxus is also expanding its presence in Asia. Among others, it has established a sales company in Thailand and more than 100 vans have been shipped to the country.

The automaker is also planning to establish a plant to better meet the demands of local customers.

Thailand is the third ASEAN country it has entered following Singapore and Malaysia, according to the company.

Statistics show customers in Malaysia to date have ordered more than 200 vans, 20 police vehicles and another dozen for use in transporting cash.

Maxus models have also won over international event organizers thanks to their quality.

Among others, the organizing committee of the ongoing Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing chose two models as the event's official vehicles.

The G10 MPV is used to transport the organizing committee's officials and the event's VIP guests while the V80 van is used for the event's staff and materials, according to the company.

The G10 also served as the patrol vehicle at the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia held in May in Shanghai.

In the same month it was also selected to transport participants at the APEC meeting for trade ministers held in Qingdao , Shandong province. "Use of our models proves our ability to produce world-class vehicles. It helps enhance the reputation of Maxus and will boost their sales, especially in overseas markets," said an executive at the automaker.

He added Maxus models will also serve the APEC SME summit and sessions of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In addition to quality, the company also attributed its performance to a fast-expanding sales and service network. By the end of June, it had 176 dealers and 196 aftersales service centers around the world. Both figures are expected to reach more than 240 by the end of the year, according to the company.