Daewoo Motors
Encyclopedia
The Daewoo Motors was a South Korea
n car maker established in 1978, part of the Daewoo Group
. The company sold most of its assets in 2001 to General Motors
after running into financial trouble. The commercial vehicles division was acquired by Tata Motors
in 2004.
, South Korea
. The name was changed to Saenara Motor in November 1962. Saenara was assembling and selling Datsuns Bluebird P310
. Very first automobile company in Korea, Saenara was equipped with modern assembly facilities, and was established after the Automobile Industry Promotion Policy was announced by the South Korean government in 1962.
Saenara Motor was then bought by Shinjin Industrial in 1965, which changed its name to Shinjin Motors
after establishing collaborations with Toyota.
After Toyota's withdrawal in 1972, Shinjin Motor started a joint venture with General Motors
under the name General Motors Korea (GMK), but was renamed again in 1976 to Saehan Motor
. GMK shortly sold their Rekord
under the GMK marque, together with the Holden Torana
based Chevrolet 1700
.
gained control in 1982 the name was changed to Daewoo Motor Co.. Until 1996 all cars were based on models from General Motors. All Saehan models were named Daewoos, the Maepsy being refreshed became Maepsy-Na. The Royale Series
models were kept, Daewoo addding the Royale XQ and Royale Duke (March 1982), Royale Prince (July 1983) and Royale Salon Super (March 1986).
Above the Royale range was added in 1989 the Daewoo Imperial flagship luxury car, which styling was reminiscent of the contemporary Chrysler Imperial
and New Yorker, but also luxury Japanese sedans. It was produced until 1993.
The first Daewoo addition was the 1986 Daewoo LeMans, based on the Opel Kadett
E ; 3-door versions were called Racer, and 5-door Penta-5. This car had an internation ambition for GM, as it was sold almost worldwide, as the Pontiac LeMans, Asüna GT and SE, or Passport Optima. This car was produced until February 1997, being one of Daewoo Motor's greatest successes. 1986 was also the year Daewoo offered a badge-engineered version of Nissan's Vanette.
In 1990 was created the Espero
, designed by Bertone
of Italy
, initiating a tradition at Daewoo Motor of models created by Italian designers.
Daewoo Heavy Industries (DHI) introduced in 1991 the Tico
mini car, which was sold at Daewoo Motor's dealers. DHI was also selling since 1981 the Damas minivan and Labo mini pickup - Tico, Damas and Labo being based on Suzuki
models. When the Royale Series range was discontinued, its models were slightly refreshed and offered under the Prince
and Super Salon/Brougham names until respectively 1997 and 1999.
In 1992, the joint-venture with GM ended, leaving Daewoo Motor as an independent company.
In 1994, Daewoo started importing the second generation Honda Legend
to replace the discontinued flagship Imperial, under the name of Arcadia. This year, the LeMans got a slight refresh, and all variants (3,4 and 5-door) were then sold under the Cielo name.
The first "real" Daewoo Motor product, the Lanos
, was introduced in late 1996; it spawned 3 variants : 4-door, 3-door called Romeo and 5-door Juliet - being the first model of a whole new family of cars to be created. Styling was a cooperation of Giorgetto Giugiaro
and Italdesign. One of its main features was the all-new 3-parts corporate grill, reminding of the Daewoo Motor emblem, and which was going to be used on many Daewoo cars to come. February 1997 saw the birth of the Nubira
, first Daewoo model to be produced in their then new Kunsan motor plant and designed by Italian I.DE.A Institute
. In March 1997, the mid-size Leganza
followed, also designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
, borrowing some styling cues of the existing 1990 Jaguar Kensington concept-car.
1998 was also the introduction of one of Daewoo Motor's best known car: the Matiz
, whose design signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
was based on the 1992 concept car Lucciola, which was initially imagined as a replacement for the Fiat Cinquecento
. This car has been Daewoo Motor's best-seller for the next four years. In 1999, Daewoo presented the Magnus
, which was a development of the existing Leganza. Sold alongside the Leganza in Korea until the end of the latter's production in 2002, it existed in 2 variants : Classic and Eagle (sportier). The Rezzo minivan
was introduced in early 2000. Matiz, Lanos and Nubira got a mid-life facelift in 2001, becoming Matiz II, Lanos II and Nubira II. In 2002, the L6 Magnus was introduced, equipped with Daewoo's first straight-six engine, with new front grill and lamps - and Daewoo also presented the Kalos
subcompact to replace the Lanos.
was on its part integrated to the Daewoo range, becoming the Daewoo Chairman with a new 3-parts Daewoo corporate grill.
ran into financial trouble, and was forced to sell its automotive division. Candidates for the operation included Hyundai
associated with DaimlerChrysler
, Ford Motor Company
and the GM
-Fiat
alliance. Finally, General Motors
was the one who bought Daewoo Motor's assets. In 2002 Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd was spun off from parent Daewoo Motor Co. Ltd. In 2004 it was acquired by Tata Motors, India's largest passenger automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company
, an automobile manufacturer based in Ukraine
, from 1998 to 2003 - establishing AvtoZAZ-Daewoo. The CKD assembly of the Daewoo Lanos started 2002 and lately it was adopted for full-scale production as the ZAZ Lanos. A version of the Daewoo-developed Chevrolet Aveo
has been assembled for local market at the Illichivsk
subsidiary. Following bankruptcy of Daewoo Motor in 2001, UkrAVTO corporation bought out AvtoZAZ holding in 2002. All of the AvtoZAZ manufacturing facilities (most notably, MeMZ and Illichivsk assembling plant) were reincorporated into ZAZ. The company even adopted a new logo. The Daewoo part in the joint venture was bought out by Swiss venture Hirsch & CIE in 2003.
In August 1992, Daewoo set up UzDaewooAuto
, a joint venture and a factory in Asaka
city, Andizhan
province, Uzbekistan
, leveraging the presence of a large local ethnic Korean minority
. Currently, the plant assembles the Matiz and the Nexia for both the local market and export, as well as the Lacetti hatchback and sedan for the domestic market only.
In 1994, Daewoo acquired the Automobile Craiova
manufacture in Craiova
, Romania
, which was producing a derivate of the Citroën Axel
model, the Oltcit
. The society name was changed to Romanian Daewoo Motor, abr. Rodae. The entire production facility was refurbished to mainly produce the Cielo model and later, other models. Until 2008 it was producing the Daewoo Cielo, Matiz and Nubira models for the Romanian market, but also car parts for export, such as engines and gearboxes to GM Daewoo and to other companies. The factory was acquired by the Romanian Government and sold to Ford in 2007 (the official agreement was signed on 21 March 2008). The production of Daewoo models was stopped in May 2008, and Rodae became "Ford Romania".
Daewoo also invested into Poland's Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) in 1995, forming a joint venture (Daewoo-FSO) for assembly of the Matiz microcar, a successor to the Tico
that was very popular in the Eastern Europe
an market. Since January 2005, FSO began to produce Matiz and Lanos under their own trademark.
When making a joint venture with the Polish company Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych
(FSC) in 1995, Daewoo also created Daewoo Motor Polska which produced the Daewoo Lublin van and Daewoo Honker
multi-purpose all-terrain
pick-up truck
by 1996, design based on the former Tarpan Honker
. Daewoo Motor Polska and the British van manufacturer LDV
developed together at this time the Maxus
van. But after the Daewoo Group's bankruptcy, LDV secured the exclusive rights to the vehicle, purchased the tooling and moved it from Daewoo's plant in Poland to the LDV site in Birmingham
. FSC was then sold by GM to the British investment group Intrall
and the Honker's design to the Polish company Andoria-Mot
.
In 1998, Daewoo Motor bought 50.2% of Avia
, a Czech
automotive company. The year after, the trade name of the Company was changed to Daewoo-Avia. In the same year, the company became the exclusive importer and distributor of Daewoo vehicles for the Czech Republic, and started manufacturing the Polish Lublin van and the new Daewoo-Avia D60/90 series truck range. GM's buyout plan did not include Daewoo-Avia in 2001. In the year 2005, the company was overtaken by the investment group Odien Capital Partners and in October 2006 the division of light trucks moved under the concern of Ashok Leyland
of India
, becoming Avia Ashok Leyland Motors Company (AALM).
In 1998, the low-volume assembly of the Lanos, Nubira and the Leganza started in Taganrog
, Russia
, at the TagAZ
-Doninvest factory The cars were sold on the local market under the Doninvest brand, as the Assol, Orion and Kondor, respectively. The project did not have much success, so TagAZ turned to Citroën
to produce their Berlingo
under the Orion-M name and Hyundai
to produce the Accent
, and more recently, the Chinese Chery A5
under their new TagAZ Vortex brand.
Following the GM buyout in 2002, GM Daewoo lost interest in its overseas assets; the deals on supplies of pre-assembled CKD kits ended in 2005 and the facilities are likely to rely on its own production capabilities from that point on.
Worldwide
Other
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n car maker established in 1978, part of the Daewoo Group
Daewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
. The company sold most of its assets in 2001 to General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
after running into financial trouble. The commercial vehicles division was acquired by Tata Motors
Tata Motors
Tata Motors Limited is an Indian multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Mumbai, India. Part of the Tata Group, it was formerly known as TELCO...
in 2004.
History
The company was first established as National Motor in 1937 in Bupyeong-gu, IncheonBupyeong-gu, Incheon
Bupyeong-gu is one of the 10 administrative divisions that comprise Incheon, South Korea. Bupyeong-gu comprises an area of 12.35 square miles , and has a population of 553,961 ....
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The name was changed to Saenara Motor in November 1962. Saenara was assembling and selling Datsuns Bluebird P310
Nissan Bluebird
Although Nissan's own materials indicate that the Bluebird name emerged in 1959, some records show that the name first adorned a 988 cc, four-door sedan in 1957, which was part of the company's 210 series...
. Very first automobile company in Korea, Saenara was equipped with modern assembly facilities, and was established after the Automobile Industry Promotion Policy was announced by the South Korean government in 1962.
Saenara Motor was then bought by Shinjin Industrial in 1965, which changed its name to Shinjin Motors
Shinjin Motors
Shinjin is a former car manufacturer from South Korea.Founded in 1955, and the same bus manufacturer was "Shinjin Bus Manufacturing Company" is an independent company and is now a part of the Daewoo Motors Bus Division.- History :...
after establishing collaborations with Toyota.
After Toyota's withdrawal in 1972, Shinjin Motor started a joint venture with General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
under the name General Motors Korea (GMK), but was renamed again in 1976 to Saehan Motor
Saehan Motor
The Saehan Motor Company was a South-Korean car maker founded in 1976, part of the Saehan Corporations, which was born on the collaboration of Shinjin Industrial Company and the will of General Motors to introduce their products on the South Korean market...
. GMK shortly sold their Rekord
Daewoo Royale
The Daewoo Royale is a series of mid-size cars that was produced by Daewoo Motors in South Korea from 1983, being replaced by the Daewoo Prince in 1991, although production of the top-line Daewoo Imperial continued until 1993...
under the GMK marque, together with the Holden Torana
Holden Torana
The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...
based Chevrolet 1700
Holden Torana
The Holden Torana is a car which was produced by General Motors–Holden's , the Australian subsidiary of General Motors from 1967 to 1980. The name comes from an Aboriginal word meaning "to fly". The first Torana appeared in 1967 and was a four-cylinder compact vehicle that had its origins in the...
.
Member of Daewoo Group
After the Daewoo GroupDaewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
gained control in 1982 the name was changed to Daewoo Motor Co.. Until 1996 all cars were based on models from General Motors. All Saehan models were named Daewoos, the Maepsy being refreshed became Maepsy-Na. The Royale Series
Daewoo Royale
The Daewoo Royale is a series of mid-size cars that was produced by Daewoo Motors in South Korea from 1983, being replaced by the Daewoo Prince in 1991, although production of the top-line Daewoo Imperial continued until 1993...
models were kept, Daewoo addding the Royale XQ and Royale Duke (March 1982), Royale Prince (July 1983) and Royale Salon Super (March 1986).
Above the Royale range was added in 1989 the Daewoo Imperial flagship luxury car, which styling was reminiscent of the contemporary Chrysler Imperial
Chrysler Imperial
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was the company's top of the range vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, and again from 1990 to 1993. The company tried to position the cars as a prestige marque that would rival Cadillac and Lincoln...
and New Yorker, but also luxury Japanese sedans. It was produced until 1993.
The first Daewoo addition was the 1986 Daewoo LeMans, based on the Opel Kadett
Opel Kadett
The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel between 1937 and 1940, and then again from 1962 until 1991 , when it was replaced by the Opel Astra.-Original model :...
E ; 3-door versions were called Racer, and 5-door Penta-5. This car had an internation ambition for GM, as it was sold almost worldwide, as the Pontiac LeMans, Asüna GT and SE, or Passport Optima. This car was produced until February 1997, being one of Daewoo Motor's greatest successes. 1986 was also the year Daewoo offered a badge-engineered version of Nissan's Vanette.
In 1990 was created the Espero
Daewoo Espero
The Daewoo Espero is a mid-size car produced by the South Korean company Daewoo Motors from 1990 to 1997. It was technically based on the GM J platform and had the distinction of a body designed by Bertone. It bore more than a passing resemblance to the Citroën Xantia, itself also a Bertone design...
, designed by Bertone
Bertone
Gruppo Bertone is an Italian automobile company, which has specialized in car styling, coachbuilding and manufacturing. Bertone styling is distinctive, with most cars having a strong "family resemblance" even if badged by different manufacturers...
of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, initiating a tradition at Daewoo Motor of models created by Italian designers.
Daewoo Tico
The Daewoo Tico is a city car produced by the Korean automaker Daewoo from 1991 to 2001.The Tico was based on the 1988 Suzuki Alto. The car was equipped with a three-cylinder 796 cc S-TEC engine and had a five-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic transmission. The Tico was...
mini car, which was sold at Daewoo Motor's dealers. DHI was also selling since 1981 the Damas minivan and Labo mini pickup - Tico, Damas and Labo being based on Suzuki
Suzuki
is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Hamamatsu, Japan that specializes in manufacturing compact automobiles and 4x4 vehicles, a full range of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles , outboard marine engines, wheelchairs and a variety of other small internal combustion engines...
models. When the Royale Series range was discontinued, its models were slightly refreshed and offered under the Prince
Daewoo Prince
The Daewoo Prince is mid-size luxury car that was produced by Daewoo in South Korea between 1991 and 1997. The car was based on the rear-wheel drive Opel Rekord E, although the body was of Daewoo design, as opposed to the Opel-designed, Holden-manurfactured body of the Prince's Royale predecessor....
and Super Salon/Brougham names until respectively 1997 and 1999.
In 1992, the joint-venture with GM ended, leaving Daewoo Motor as an independent company.
In 1994, Daewoo started importing the second generation Honda Legend
Honda Legend
The Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....
to replace the discontinued flagship Imperial, under the name of Arcadia. This year, the LeMans got a slight refresh, and all variants (3,4 and 5-door) were then sold under the Cielo name.
The first "real" Daewoo Motor product, the Lanos
Daewoo Lanos
The Daewoo Lanos is a subcompact car manufactured by the Korean automaker Daewoo Motor from 1997 to 2002. It was manufactured under license agreements from 1997 to 2008 by Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych in Poland, where it was marketed as the FSO Lanos, from 1998 to present in Ukraine by AvtoZAZ,...
, was introduced in late 1996; it spawned 3 variants : 4-door, 3-door called Romeo and 5-door Juliet - being the first model of a whole new family of cars to be created. Styling was a cooperation of Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
and Italdesign. One of its main features was the all-new 3-parts corporate grill, reminding of the Daewoo Motor emblem, and which was going to be used on many Daewoo cars to come. February 1997 saw the birth of the Nubira
Daewoo Nubira
The Daewoo Nubira is a compact car produced by South Korean automaker Daewoo Motors from 1997 to 2008.The first generation car, model J100, was released to the market in 1997 as Daewoo Nubira, and it was sold until 1999. It was developed as a replacement for the GM T platform-based Daewoo Nexia and...
, first Daewoo model to be produced in their then new Kunsan motor plant and designed by Italian I.DE.A Institute
I.DE.A Institute
I.DE.A Institute is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy, founded in 1978...
. In March 1997, the mid-size Leganza
Daewoo Leganza
The Daewoo Leganza is a mid-size sedan produced by the former Daewoo Motors in South Korea between 1997 and 2002. Its internal development name was V100, under which it and its platform are also known....
followed, also designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
, borrowing some styling cues of the existing 1990 Jaguar Kensington concept-car.
Daewoo Matiz
-M100 :The production of Daewoo Matiz started in 1998 and it was sold in South Korea and many European markets with the code name M100. The exterior design is based on the Lucciola, a Fiat Cinquecento concept by Italdesign Giugiaro which had been rejected by Fiat. The 0.8-litre gasoline engine and...
, whose design signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro is an Italian automobile designer responsible equally for a stable of supercars and several of the most popular everyday vehicles driven today...
was based on the 1992 concept car Lucciola, which was initially imagined as a replacement for the Fiat Cinquecento
Fiat Cinquecento
The Fiat Cinquecento was a city car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro launched by Fiat in late 1991 to replace the Fiat 126. It was the first Fiat model to be solely manufactured in the FSM plant in Tychy, Poland, which had been sold to Fiat by the Polish state, and where production of the Polish...
. This car has been Daewoo Motor's best-seller for the next four years. In 1999, Daewoo presented the Magnus
Daewoo Magnus
The Daewoo Magnus is a mid-size sedan developed and manufactured by Daewoo Motors until its purchase by General Motors, and now built for GM Daewoo Auto & Technology by Daewoo Incheon Motor Company at its Bupyeong facility in South Korea. GM Daewoo and other GM divisions, as well as GMDAT stake...
, which was a development of the existing Leganza. Sold alongside the Leganza in Korea until the end of the latter's production in 2002, it existed in 2 variants : Classic and Eagle (sportier). The Rezzo minivan
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
was introduced in early 2000. Matiz, Lanos and Nubira got a mid-life facelift in 2001, becoming Matiz II, Lanos II and Nubira II. In 2002, the L6 Magnus was introduced, equipped with Daewoo's first straight-six engine, with new front grill and lamps - and Daewoo also presented the Kalos
Daewoo Kalos
The Chevrolet Aveo is the first generation of the Chevrolet Aveo, a subcompact automobile manufactured since 2002 by GM Daewoo, the South Korean subsidiary of General Motors — originally marketed as the Daewoo Kalos and prominently marketed as the Aveo...
subcompact to replace the Lanos.
Acquisition and later sale of SsangYong Motor
In 1998, after the Asian financial crisis, Daewoo Motor took over the troubled 4WD specialist SsangYong Motor, only to sell it off again in 2000, because the conglomerate ran into deep financial troubles. Its models, were sold under the Daewoo-SsangYong badge in South-Korea (contrary to other areas where they were sold under the Daewoo brand name). SsangYong's flagship limousine, the ChairmanSsangYong Chairman
SsangYong renamed pre-2008 Chairman model as Chairman H to differentiate from Chairman W. Chairman H kept same exterior, interior, engine, transmission and features as the previous models...
was on its part integrated to the Daewoo range, becoming the Daewoo Chairman with a new 3-parts Daewoo corporate grill.
Sale of Daewoo to GM
By 1999, the whole Daewoo GroupDaewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...
ran into financial trouble, and was forced to sell its automotive division. Candidates for the operation included Hyundai
Hyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...
associated with DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler
Daimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
, Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and the GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
-Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
alliance. Finally, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
was the one who bought Daewoo Motor's assets. In 2002 Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd was spun off from parent Daewoo Motor Co. Ltd. In 2004 it was acquired by Tata Motors, India's largest passenger automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company
Daewoo Motor's previous overseas engagements
Daewoo owned a share of AvtoZAZAvtoZAZ
AvtoZAZ is an automotive manufacturing company in Ukraine. It was founded in 1975 as Industrial Association, а holding that incorporated ZAZ, MeMZ, Illichivsk Automobile Parts Plant and a number of other automobile-production facilities in Lutzk and Kherson...
, an automobile manufacturer based in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, from 1998 to 2003 - establishing AvtoZAZ-Daewoo. The CKD assembly of the Daewoo Lanos started 2002 and lately it was adopted for full-scale production as the ZAZ Lanos. A version of the Daewoo-developed Chevrolet Aveo
Chevrolet Aveo
The Chevrolet Aveo is a subcompact automobile manufactured since 2002, originally by the South Korean General Motors subsidiary, GM Daewoo—and later by other GM-affiliated entities...
has been assembled for local market at the Illichivsk
Illichivsk
Illichivsk is a port city in the Odessa Oblast of south-western Ukraine. The city is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, and is located at around .-Geography:...
subsidiary. Following bankruptcy of Daewoo Motor in 2001, UkrAVTO corporation bought out AvtoZAZ holding in 2002. All of the AvtoZAZ manufacturing facilities (most notably, MeMZ and Illichivsk assembling plant) were reincorporated into ZAZ. The company even adopted a new logo. The Daewoo part in the joint venture was bought out by Swiss venture Hirsch & CIE in 2003.
In August 1992, Daewoo set up UzDaewooAuto
UzDaewooAuto
Uz-DaewooAvto is a 1992 founded joint venture between the Uzbek state owned UzAvtosanoat and the South Korean GM Daewoo. The company produces vehicles under the brand name Uz-Daewoo and is increasingly important in the markets of the CIS area. The company's assembly plant is located in Asaka. The...
, a joint venture and a factory in Asaka
Asaka, Uzbekistan
Asaka is a city in Andijan Province, Uzbekistan, to the east of Andijan in the Ferghana Valley. It was formerly known as Leninsk during the communist era. The first automobile assembly plant in Central Asia was opened there by an Uzbekistani-South Korean joint venture, UzDaewoo.-See also:* List of...
city, Andizhan
Andijan Province
Andijan Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan, located in the eastern part of the Fergana Valley in far eastern Uzbekistan. It borders with Kyrgyzstan, Fergana Province and Namangan Province. It covers an area of 4,200 km2...
province, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, leveraging the presence of a large local ethnic Korean minority
Koryo-saram
Koryo-saram is the name which ethnic Koreans in the post-Soviet states use to refer to themselves. Approximately 500,000 ethnic Koreans reside in the former Soviet Union, primarily in the now-independent states of Central Asia. There are also large Korean communities in southern Russia , the...
. Currently, the plant assembles the Matiz and the Nexia for both the local market and export, as well as the Lacetti hatchback and sedan for the domestic market only.
In 1994, Daewoo acquired the Automobile Craiova
Automobile Craiova
Automobile Craiova is a Romanian car manufacturer located in Craiova, Romania. It is owned by Ford Motor Company.-The beginnings:Automobile Craiova was founded in 1976 as OLTCIT joint venture company between the Romanian government and Citroën...
manufacture in Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, which was producing a derivate of the Citroën Axel
Citroën Axel
The Citroën Axel was a supermini automobile produced between 1984 and 1990 and developed in co-operation by Citroën of France and Automobile Craiova, a joint venture company with the Romanian government....
model, the Oltcit
Oltcit
The Oltcit was a Romanian car developed in co-operation with Citroën of France in the 1980s. It is a small three-door hatchback, based on the Citroën Prototype Y and built in Craiova at the Automobile Craiova plant.-History:...
. The society name was changed to Romanian Daewoo Motor, abr. Rodae. The entire production facility was refurbished to mainly produce the Cielo model and later, other models. Until 2008 it was producing the Daewoo Cielo, Matiz and Nubira models for the Romanian market, but also car parts for export, such as engines and gearboxes to GM Daewoo and to other companies. The factory was acquired by the Romanian Government and sold to Ford in 2007 (the official agreement was signed on 21 March 2008). The production of Daewoo models was stopped in May 2008, and Rodae became "Ford Romania".
Daewoo also invested into Poland's Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (FSO) in 1995, forming a joint venture (Daewoo-FSO) for assembly of the Matiz microcar, a successor to the Tico
Daewoo Tico
The Daewoo Tico is a city car produced by the Korean automaker Daewoo from 1991 to 2001.The Tico was based on the 1988 Suzuki Alto. The car was equipped with a three-cylinder 796 cc S-TEC engine and had a five-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic transmission. The Tico was...
that was very popular in the Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an market. Since January 2005, FSO began to produce Matiz and Lanos under their own trademark.
When making a joint venture with the Polish company Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych
Fabryka Samochodów Ciezarowych
FSC is a large automotive factory established in Poland while it was part of the Soviet bloc. It was founded in 1950 and the first vehicle left its assembly line on November 7, 1951...
(FSC) in 1995, Daewoo also created Daewoo Motor Polska which produced the Daewoo Lublin van and Daewoo Honker
Tarpan Honker
Honker is a Polish multi-purpose all-terrain pick-up truck. Created in 1984, it is still in production in a variety of models. It is best known as the light truck used by the Polish Army both at home and in Iraq...
multi-purpose all-terrain
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
pick-up truck
Pick-Up Truck
"Pick-Up Truck" is a song written and recorded by Belgian acid house musician Praga Khan. It is the third single from Praga's eighth studio album, Soundscraper....
by 1996, design based on the former Tarpan Honker
Tarpan Honker
Honker is a Polish multi-purpose all-terrain pick-up truck. Created in 1984, it is still in production in a variety of models. It is best known as the light truck used by the Polish Army both at home and in Iraq...
. Daewoo Motor Polska and the British van manufacturer LDV
LDV
LDV can mean:*Light Duty Vehicle, a type of automobile*LDV Group , a British manufacturer of panel vans, pick-ups and mini buses...
developed together at this time the Maxus
LDV Maxus
The Maxus is a van model, originally produced by LDV Limited. It was launched in late 2004. The model was jointly developed by LDV and Daewoo Motor, prior to Daewoo entering receivership in 2000, in a five year, £500 million development programme...
van. But after the Daewoo Group's bankruptcy, LDV secured the exclusive rights to the vehicle, purchased the tooling and moved it from Daewoo's plant in Poland to the LDV site in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. FSC was then sold by GM to the British investment group Intrall
Intrall
Intrall, or International Truck Alliance, is a Russo-British automotive company with headquarters in London, England, and manufacturing in Poland. At the end of 2003 the company acquired from Intrall Treasury factory of Daewoo Motor Poland in Lublin, then operating from January 2004 to 2007 years,...
and the Honker's design to the Polish company Andoria-Mot
Andoria-Mot
Andoria Mot Sp. z.o.o. is an engine manufacturer based in Poland. The company first began in 1945 with the manufacturing of agricultural machines. Later projects added Diesel engines. Andoria is a part of GWARANT Grupa Kapitałowa S.A......
.
In 1998, Daewoo Motor bought 50.2% of Avia
Avia
Avia is a Czech aircraft and automotive company notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534, and trucks.- History :...
, a Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
automotive company. The year after, the trade name of the Company was changed to Daewoo-Avia. In the same year, the company became the exclusive importer and distributor of Daewoo vehicles for the Czech Republic, and started manufacturing the Polish Lublin van and the new Daewoo-Avia D60/90 series truck range. GM's buyout plan did not include Daewoo-Avia in 2001. In the year 2005, the company was overtaken by the investment group Odien Capital Partners and in October 2006 the division of light trucks moved under the concern of Ashok Leyland
Ashok Leyland
Ashok Leyland is a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in Chennai, India. Founded in 1948, the company is one of India's leading manufacturers of commercial vehicles, such as trucks and buses, as well as emergency and military vehicles. Operating six plants, Ashok Leyland also makes...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, becoming Avia Ashok Leyland Motors Company (AALM).
In 1998, the low-volume assembly of the Lanos, Nubira and the Leganza started in Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, at the TagAZ
TagAZ
TagAZ is an automotive assembly plant located in Taganrog, Russia. Affiliated enterprises are the Rostov Truck Factory.- History :Construction of the Taganrog Automotive Plant began in Spring 1997, under license and technology of South Korean Daewoo Motors, and was fully financed by Doninvest...
-Doninvest factory The cars were sold on the local market under the Doninvest brand, as the Assol, Orion and Kondor, respectively. The project did not have much success, so TagAZ turned to Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
to produce their Berlingo
Citroën Berlingo
The Citroën Berlingo is a panel van and leisure activity vehicle produced by the French manufacturer Citroën since 1996. It was based on the Citroën ZX/Peugeot 306 estate floorpan and mechanicals...
under the Orion-M name and Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
to produce the Accent
Hyundai Accent
The Hyundai Accent , or Hyundai Verna in South Korea, is a subcompact car produced by Hyundai. In Australia, the first generation models carried over the Hyundai Excel name used by the Accent's predecessor. The Accent was replaced in 2000 by the Hyundai Verna in South Korea, although most...
, and more recently, the Chinese Chery A5
Chery A5
The Chery A5 is a car produced by Chery Automobile. The Chery A516 has a 1.6L engine, Chery A518 has a 1.8L engine, and the Chery A520 has a 2.0L engine. The Chery A5 ISG/BSG is the first Chinese-designed mass-production hybrid vehicle...
under their new TagAZ Vortex brand.
Following the GM buyout in 2002, GM Daewoo lost interest in its overseas assets; the deals on supplies of pre-assembled CKD kits ended in 2005 and the facilities are likely to rely on its own production capabilities from that point on.
External links
South KoreaWorldwide
- Daewoo Motor Vietnam
- Daewoo Motor Romania (not affiliated with GM Korea)
Other
- Official Generations of GM Wiki site: GM Daewoo
- DaewooTech.com – Friendly forum (English speaking) for Daewoo owners.
- Daewoo section in Nilemotors.net - Egypt's largest car forum (Arabic)