Dowa Automobile Company
Encyclopedia
was a Manchukuo
-based manufacturer of automobiles, trucks and armored cars. Its head office was in Hsinking. the capital of Manchukuo.
between the South Manchurian Railway Company and the government of Manchukuo. Following World War I
, the Imperial Japanese Army
saw the need for increased mechanization
, and the Kwantung Army began to import foreign-built vehicles, including the Model 25 Vickers Crossley Armored Car
. After the formation of the Empire of Manchukuo, the Kwantung Army's economic policy of self-sufficiency in major strategic heavy industry
spurred the need for locally-built trucks and automobiles. Dōwa began with the assistance of Tokyo Jidosha Kogyo (the forerunner of Isuzu
) to build vehicles from knock-down kits, as the infrastructure of sub-suppliers was gradually increased to permit more and more local content. Initial production was estimated at 5000 vehicles per year. many of which were copies of the Crossley design.
Dōwa Automotive was absorbed into the new , a state combine and subsidiary of the Manchurian Heavy Industries
in 1940.
Manchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
-based manufacturer of automobiles, trucks and armored cars. Its head office was in Hsinking. the capital of Manchukuo.
History
Founded on March 26, 1934, Dōwa Automotive was a 50-50 joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between the South Manchurian Railway Company and the government of Manchukuo. Following World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
saw the need for increased mechanization
Mechanized Warfare
Mechanized Warfare is the sixth studio album released by American power metal band Jag Panzer, released in 2001. This album is more progressive than the band's previous work...
, and the Kwantung Army began to import foreign-built vehicles, including the Model 25 Vickers Crossley Armored Car
Crossley
Crossley, based in Manchester, United Kingdom, was a pioneering company in the production of internal combustion engines. Since 1988 it has been part of the Rolls-Royce Power Engineering group.More than 100,000 Crossley oil and gas engines have been built....
. After the formation of the Empire of Manchukuo, the Kwantung Army's economic policy of self-sufficiency in major strategic heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
spurred the need for locally-built trucks and automobiles. Dōwa began with the assistance of Tokyo Jidosha Kogyo (the forerunner of Isuzu
Isuzu
, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
) to build vehicles from knock-down kits, as the infrastructure of sub-suppliers was gradually increased to permit more and more local content. Initial production was estimated at 5000 vehicles per year. many of which were copies of the Crossley design.
Dōwa Automotive was absorbed into the new , a state combine and subsidiary of the Manchurian Heavy Industries
Manchurian Industrial Development Company
The was an industrial conglomerate, or zaibatsu, in the Japanese controlled Empire of Manchukuo, established at the instigation of the Imperial Japanese Army to further in industrialization of Manchukuo, and in particular, to make it self-sufficient in strategic heavy industries.-History:Following...
in 1940.