Changan

Changan traces its origins to 1862, when Li Hongzhang founded the Shanghai Foreign Gun Bureau, a military supply factory, making it China's oldest industrial enterprise. The factory moved to Nanjing and eventually to Chongqing during the Second Sino-Japanese War to protect production from advancing forces. The company entered the automotive sector in 1958 with the production of the Changjiang Type 46, China's first domestically produced jeep. In the 1980s, Changan pivoted toward civilian vehicle manufacturing through a technical partnership with Suzuki, leading to the production of small cars and microvans that became staples of the Chinese market. The 21st century marked a period of rapid expansion through strategic joint ventures with global giants like Ford (2001) and Mazda (2005). These partnerships allowed Changan to absorb advanced manufacturing processes and design philosophies, facilitating the launch of its own successful proprietary brands such as the CS and UNI series. In recent years, Changan has aggressively pursued electrification and intelligence through its "Shangri-La" and "Dubhe" plans. In 2023, it launched the "Vast Ocean Plan" to accelerate international expansion, reaching a milestone of 30 million cumulative units produced by December 2025. The company now operates a sophisticated multi-brand strategy focusing on high-end EVs and global market penetration.