 Special supplement: Landi Renzo's vision for China now reaping rewards
By Wen Zongduo (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-01 08:01
Ten years ago Landi Renzo branched out from its home in Italy and arrived in China, the same year Geely Holding Group, the nation's first private car company, sent its first vehicle onto the road. Today others admire the strategic vision of Landi Renzo, which not only had the foresight to become a leading manufacturer of gas-powered engine components, but was also the first in its sector to arrive on the mainland. In the half century following its birth in 1954, the maker of new-energy motor propulsion systems has become a hi-tech firm famed for eco-sustainable mobility, offering both energy savings and economic benefits. "Not many companies in the sector took China seriously as a strategically key market 10 years ago," said Wu Wei, general manager of Beijing Landi Renzo Autogas Systems Co Ltd. "From that point of view, we have been far-sighted." Few car brands were then self-developed by the Chinese. The emergence of Geely marked the beginning of a new era for the nation's own research and development, which was quickly followed by Chery Automobile Co next year. While Geely and Chery drew attention on the international market, much of it was doubt about their capability to mature. Yet Landi Renzo sensed the favorable tide and plunged in. Its vision was rewarded. At the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition last April, creative China-born brands set new records in scale and drew the most flashbulbs. Both industrialists and the general public were impressed by a series of products, including the Chery A3, Geely Panda, Roewe 550, Zhonghua FRV, Jun Jie Wagon, Great Wall Florid, Great Wall MINI, Haima, Besturn B50 and BYD F1. The media hailed the dawn of a new era of "created in China" instead of just "made in China". Automobiles using new energy sources were highlighted as manufacturers in and out of China released their research results. Changan Automobile Co unveiled its hybrid, the mainland's first self-produced model set for mass production. Chery followed suit and Geely exhibited its own design capable of using both gasoline and electric power. Today's soaring crude oil prices are changing consumers' lifestyles, including the cars they drive. A future that uses far less petroleum will bring a new era to the automobile industry, a time Landi Renzo is certain to welcome.  (China Daily 07/01/2008 page14) |
