Subaru and Lifan in talks

Lifan | Ash | August 4, 2010 at 3:54 pm

The rumors of who Subaru are planning to work with in the Chinese market to build a new joint venture partnership are getting out of hand, first it was Ford’s partner in JMC, then BAIC, SAIC, FAW, and a whole host of other acronym-ed named auto makers, the latest to be added to this list is Chongqing’s own Lifan.

Lifan are currently making the 320, 520 and 520 models for the Chinese market, and has its own engine range. Its not entirely clear what Lifan might bring to Subaru that Subaru cannot get from larger state owned manufacturers, but one guess might be cheap land and an existing factory.

Lifan is one of the stronger engine exporters and is a major motorbike manufacturer, it is also a privately owned company that is yet to IPO.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

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