Lifan Group

Lifan Industry (Group) Company

Type	Public company
Traded as	SSE: 601777
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Chongqing, China
Key people	Yin Mingshan (President)
Products	Cars, Motorbikes
Employees	13,653
Website	lifan.com

Lifan Group
Simplified Chinese	力帆实业（集团）股份有限公司
Transcriptions Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin Lìfān shíyè (jítuán) gǔfèn yǒuxiàn gōngsī

Lifan Group, or Lifan Industry (Group) Company, (SSE: 601777) is a privately owned Chinese motorcycle and automobile manufacturer. Automobile manufacture only began in 2005, with license-built microvans and a small sedan developed by Lifan themselves.

Based in Chongqing, compact sedans, microvans, and hatchbacks are among its offerings. The company was ranked the 88th largest in China in 2009. Abroad, Lifan may be best known for the small passenger cars it sells in developing overseas markets, but it also makes small dirt bike engines, entry-level motorcycles, mini-vehicles, and small and large commercial trucks. Other interests include manufacture of sports shoes and winemaking.

Lifan's 2009 automobile sales were a modest 43,000, but the company still managed to place as China's third largest exporter of cars. 2010 production capacity was estimated to be near 300,000, twice what it had been in 2006. Production capacity figures may consider whole vehicles and engines as discrete.

History

A Lifan truck, 2009

Lifan was founded by former political dissident Yin Mingshan in 1992, originally 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. The company was originally called "Chongqing Hongda Auto Fittings Research Centre". Lifan had already become a major motorcycle manufacturer when it expanded into building buses in 2003.

Becoming the fifth-largest Chinese motorcycle maker in only seventeen years, the company was renamed Lifan Industry Group in 1997. In 2003, Lifan acquired Chongqing Special Purpose Use Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd. and in 2004 Lifan acquired Anhui Huayang Auto Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

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. 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.

Lifan made an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in late 2010. 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.

Going global

Lifan 520 at a dealership in Chile in 2009

Access to profitable export markets, something the Chinese State allowed the company in 1998, 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.

While finding more markets for its motorcycle-related products, Lifan has exported passenger cars to 51 countries. In 2010, its automotive exports were rivaled by only Chery although prior it held 3rd place. The company has sold in many countries and in every continent (except Antarctica).

Europe

Allowed access in 2003, Lifan motorcycle products are, as of 2006, sold in 18 European countries. The Italian importer Martin Motors rebadges and sells two small Lifan passenger car models under its own name. Assembly of Lifan automobiles has been carried out in Russia since August 2007. As of 2009, a showroom existed in Saint Petersburg. By early 2011, the 320 model was the third Lifan product to see local production.

Ethiopia

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) by Holland Car Company. Lifan now assembles cars under its own name in Ethiopia. It also has an after sales service center in the capital, Addis Ababa.

Japan

Beginning in 2001, the company sells motorcycles in Japan.

Laos

As of 2009, select automobile models are sold in Laos.

Middle East

In early 2010, an automobile assembly factory was established in Azerbaijan. At the time, Lifan already assembled cars in Iran as well. In 2009, Lifan cars first appeared in the Syrian market.

North America

Lifan motorcycles and dirt bikes are available in Canada and Mexico.

Philippines

As of 2009, a single model was on offer in this country.

South America

Some small passenger car models are sold in Brazil, Guatemala, Peru, and Uruguay. As of 2010, a 40,000 units/year production capacity assembly factory also exists in Uruguay.

Vietnam

Lifan first established a presence in Vietnam in 1999, originally only building motorcycles and parts. Beginning in March 2007, assembly of the 520 sedan commenced in Vietnam. By mid-2009, the 320, 520i, and 620 had also been built in this country.

Knock-down sales

Some of the cars Lifan exports are in the form of knock-down kits. Put together in small, local workshops, selling such kits is an easy way for the company to gain access to developing markets without added after-sales service costs. As of 2007, assembly factories in Egypt, Russia, and Vietnam produced Lifan-branded autos, and as of early 2011, there were at least six overseas factories building its offerings.

Products

Automobiles

• 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.
• 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

Sponsorships

Lifan repeatedly was the owner of the former Chinese super league football team Chongqing Lifan and since 2005 is again sponsoring the team.

Patents

At the end of 2006, Lifan held over 3,800 patents, a number which put it in first place amongst Chinese automobile companies. At least 346 of these patents are held by Lifan's automotive branch.

Production bases and facilities

Lifan already has one passenger-car production base and the planned building of another will expand capacity by 150K when it opens in late 2011.^{citation needed} Production capacity figures may consider engines and vehicles as discrete.

Overseas motorcycle production bases include sites in Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.

As of 2007, car-making factories in Egypt, Russia and Vietnam produce Lifan-branded autos for domestic consumption.^{citation needed}

External links

• Official website of Lifan Group
• Lifan Automobiles
• Lifan Thailand