FAW Hongta Yunnan Automobile Manufacturing is a Chinese vehicle maker based in Qujing, Yunnan. Founded in 1997, it is owned by China FAW Group and the Hongta Group, and it sells its vehicles under the FAW and Jiefang brands of the FAW group as well as under the Lanjian name.
FAW Hongta at a glance
| Company | FAW Hongta Yunnan Automobile Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997, in Qujing |
| Owners | China FAW Group and the Hongta Group |
| Brands | FAW, Jiefang, Lanjian |
| Main products | commercial vehicles, formerly also passenger cars |
| Employees | 2,384 in 2018 |
| First passenger model | Xinfu Shizhe minivan, September 2003 |
| Second passenger model | Zifoufeng II (Free Wind II), 2006 |
| Minivans built | 1,759 in 2006 and 1,955 in 2007 |
Based on a single source, the German Wikipedia article on FAW Hongta, which is a page about the manufacturer rather than about one model.
History of the FAW Hongta
A company from Qujing
The business was founded in 1997 in Qujing, in the Yunnan province of south-western China. It gives 20 March as its founding date, while another source gives 27 May. China FAW Group and the Hongta Group are both involved in the company, which began building vehicles and sells them under the FAW and Jiefang names of the FAW group as well as under the Lanjian brand. Its emphasis is on commercial vehicles, although passenger cars were built in the past as well. By 2018 it employed 2,384 people.
Passenger models of the 2000s
In September 2003 the company introduced the FAW Hongta Xinfu Shizhe, a minivan based on the Daihatsu Move. The same model was also made by FAW Huali (Tianjin) Motor. In 2006, 1,759 of these vehicles were built, and 1,955 in the following year. The FAW Hongta Zifoufeng II, also called Free Wind II, joined the range in 2006; its basis was the Mitsubishi Space Gear.
The company has since concentrated on commercial vehicles, which carry the FAW and Jiefang names familiar from the group’s truck business as well as the Lanjian badge. The passenger car episode is best remembered through the two models of 2003 and 2006, which shared their platforms with Daihatsu and Mitsubishi-derived vehicles from other Chinese manufacturers.
Design and features
- Joint ownership: the company combines the resources of FAW Group and the Hongta Group.
- Several brands: vehicles are sold as FAW, Jiefang and Lanjian.
- Commercial focus: the range is built around commercial vehicles, with passenger models only in the 2000s.
- Shared platforms: the Xinfu Shizhe used Daihatsu Move underpinnings and the Zifoufeng II those of the Mitsubishi Space Gear.
FAW Hongta versions
- Xinfu Shizhe (2003): a minivan based on the Daihatsu Move.
- Zifoufeng II / Free Wind II (2006): a model based on the Mitsubishi Space Gear.
- Lanjian: the company’s own brand name alongside FAW and Jiefang.
FAW Hongta is part of the same group as FAW Jiefang, whose trucks are described separately, and as FAW Jilin, the maker of the Jiabao microvan. More models are listed in the FAW collection.
Sources
- FAW Hongta, German Wikipedia: company history, owners, passenger models
