Wuling
China automotive brand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wuling (Chinese: 五菱) is a Chinese automobile brand owned by Guangxi Automobile Group, and licensed to SAIC-GM-Wuling for production and sales. Wuling brand vehicles cover minivans, light commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and new energy vehicles. The brand has a wide influence in the Chinese domestic market and operates in some overseas countries.[1]
| |
 Wuling Binguo | |
| Product type | Automobile brand |
|---|---|
| Owner | Guangxi Automobile Group |
| Produced by | Guangxi Automobile Group, SAIC-GM-Wuling, Wuling Motors |
| Country | China |
| Introduced | 1987 |
| Markets | China, Indonesia, etc. |
History
Brand Origin
In 1982, Liuzhou Tractor Factory began to switch to the production of micro-vehicles; in 1983, the factory was designated by the state as one of the four designated micro-vehicle manufacturers in China, thus officially entering the automobile manufacturing field. In the same year, the first minivan, LZ110, was successfully trial-produced, based on a technology license from Mitsubishi Minicab of Japan.[1]
In 1984, the LZ110 passed national technical appraisal and was launched on the market, achieving market success. The company officially changed its name to "Liuzhou Micro-Vehicle Factory" in 1985, and "Wuling" was established as the automobile brand. In 1987, the brand logo was redesigned into a "W" shape composed of five diamonds, which has been used ever since.[2]
Brand Licensing
After 1999, the automobile market remained sluggish, and Liuzhou Wuling decided to undergo a joint venture restructuring. In 2002, SAIC Group, General Motors, and Liuzhou Wuling jointly established SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd., agreeing that SAIC-GM-Wuling would primarily produce complete vehicles; Liuzhou Wuling would focus on special-purpose vehicles, engines, and parts as its three main businesses, and authorized SAIC-GM-Wuling to use the Wuling trademark.[3]
Brand Logo
The early Wuling brand logo adopted the "W" logo of the Wanjia brand sewing machine successfully developed by Liuzhou Tractor Factory in the fourth season of 1980.[1] In 1987, the brand logo was redesigned by Wei Hongwen, the current Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangxi Automobile Group, into a "W" shape composed of five diamonds, symbolizing "takeoff and soaring" development. This logo has been used ever since and has become an important visual identification element of the Wuling brand.[2]
