China's SAIC and Nanjing Auto will Merge in October

Aug. 27, 2007
Beijing has been encouraging consolidation in the auto industry to create a few giants strong enough to compete with global players.

China's biggest car maker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) and Nanjing Automobile (Group) Corp. are hammering out a detailed merger agreement, which is expected be completed by October 1, state press said Aug. 27. "The two parties have decided to work out a detailed merger plan by October 1," 21st Century Business Herald reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Under the plan, SAIC will have 100% of Nanjing Auto and in exchange Yuejin Auto Group, the current parent of Nanjing Auto will hold some stakes in SAIC and its listed unit Shanghai Automotive Co. Ltd., the report said.

Beijing has been encouraging restructuring and consolidation in the auto industry to create a few giants strong enough to compete with global players. Chinese media said authorities were also concerned about competition between the two groups, which share the same technology, derived from the former British carmaker MG Rover.

Nanjing Auto launched production of two MG sports car models earlier this year, after beating SAIC and buying the rights to the historic cars from British bankrupt car maker MG Rover Group in July 2005. SAIC bought the rights to two Rover models but not the brand name, instead founding its Roewe marque last October.

State media has reported that SAIC sold about 840,000 vehicles in the first half, up 23% from a year earlier.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Four Common OT Cybersecurity Pitfalls for Manufacturers

April 4, 2023
For the last six years, Dragos has leveraged their Professional Services team to develop an on-the-ground understanding of the realities facing the industrial community and to...

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!