Historical Review of FAW Audi
Based on this idea, Geng began to contact and inspect some foreign automobile manufacturers, and finally decided to introduce Chrysler engines. 1987 The project of introducing Chrysler 488 engine was signed in the Great Hall of the People.
With Chrysler's engine, FAW should have introduced the production technology of Chrysler models, and at the same time, it began to carry out technical transformation and design new Hongqi models. In fact, FAW did it. 1May, 987, an improved red-flag car based on Dodge 600 was drawn on the drawing.
Almost at the same time, the German Volkswagen Group also received news that FAW is seeking cooperation to produce high-end cars on a global scale. Dr Hahn, the discerning chairman of Volkswagen, realized that this was an excellent opportunity for Audi to enter China. 1In September 1987, two senior representatives of Audi came to Changchun to try to cooperate with FAW. When they returned to China to report to Hahn, Hahn was impressed. In June+10 of the same year, Dr. Hahn left for Changchun directly after the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Dr Hahn's impression of Changchun at that time was desolate, but he was also inspired by the good automobile industry foundation here, and the two sides soon entered the substantive negotiation stage. After learning about the Chrysler 488 engine purchased by FAW, Hahn confirmed that the engine originated from Audi technology and can fully adapt to Audi 100 sedan.
After dispelling concerns, Geng dialed the telephone, and the other end was Lu Fuyuan, chief economist of FAW, who was negotiating with Chrysler in the United States at that time. At this time, Lu Fuyuan is negotiating with Chrysler. The other party thinks that China must buy another Dodge 600 production line after buying Chrysler engine, and then sit on the ground and start at $654.38+07.6 million technology transfer fee. After receiving the call, Lu Fuyuan terminated the negotiation, leaving only the Americans who still didn't know the situation.
A month later, an Audi 100 with a Chrysler 2.2-liter engine appeared in Wolfsburg, Germany. This surprised Gan Lin, then the chief engineer of FAW. After testing, the average speed of the car is 150- 160 km, and the top speed is 205 km/h. All kinds of performances are very good. The efficiency and sincerity of the Germans have been affirmed by Chinese personnel.
At this time, members of the FAW delegation have tended to cooperate with Audi to produce Audi 100. According to Lin's records, the reason of China technical experts is:
First, Audi 100 is superior to Dodge 600 in terms of products. Among them, the body design of Audi 100 is ahead of the Dodge 600 generation; Audi 100 is larger in external dimensions and internal space than Dodge 600, making it comfortable to ride. Audi 100 has won awards frequently all over the world, and its popularity is higher than that of Dodge 600.
Second, the public has provided better conditions and sincere cooperation.
Thirdly, Audi 100 and 200 can be produced as a series of products, and Audi 100 is a mid-to high-end car, which can be used as an official car for government officials; Audi 200 is a high-end car, which can be used as a central leadership car.
At this time, Chrysler still insists on charging a high transfer fee for the Dodge production line. China people left, and after the final decision of the top management, FAW Project will cooperate with German Volkswagen. At this time, Americans finally realized that they had to pay for their arrogance and had to sigh: we are late.
After the two sides confirmed their cooperation, they intensively agreed on a detailed cooperation plan. The two sides agreed that FAW would produce 30,000 Audi 100 models as a "pilot project" in the early stage. If both parties continue to sign the long-term project of 199 1 50,000 golf carts, Audi can waive the technology transfer fee of Audi 100 model190,000 mark. FAW purchased equipment from Volkswagen Factory in westmorland, USA at a price of1000000 Deutsche Mark, which was used to produce Audi1000.
In Geng's view, this is a good deal. This is equivalent to FAW only spending100000 mark to introduce 30000 Audi1000 models, and at the same time completing a production line with150000 capacity. What moved Geng most was to cultivate talents and introduce technology for the revival of Hongqi car.
For the public, they also need to complete the great rejuvenation of the Audi brand. From the late 1970s to the early 1980s, driven by Piech, Audi developed rapidly in technology, and a series of new products emerged in various auto shows and competitions. In just a few years, the weather-beaten Audi brand finally competed with Mercedes-Benz and BMW again.
Audi 100 imported to China embodies all the scientific and technological achievements of Audi. Streamlined design is the world's first mass production car with a drag coefficient of 0.3, and its structure is all made of lightweight materials. At 1983, it was rated as "world car" and won a series of world prizes. 1984, Audi 100 won the title of "world's best car of the year". What Audi needs most now is to hit the international market with fist products and expand the production and sales of Audi 100. In China, Audi found an opportunity.
With the formal signing of FAW and Volkswagen, under the planning of Dr. Hahn, the market of Volkswagen and China is getting closer and closer. Dr Hahn's long-term strategic vision is aimed at the future China market. He knows that the reform and opening up of China will undergo earth-shaking changes, and this will be the next Brazil and South Africa, and also the place where Volkswagen takes root.
Arrogant Americans are in sharp contrast to humble Germans. In the end, Americans missed an excellent opportunity to enter the China market, while Germans gained the trust of FAW, which not only put their products into the China market, but also laid a good foundation for the long-term development of Volkswagen Group in China in the future. This good start between China and Germany has also laid a solid foundation for further cooperation and development in the future. At the end of 1989, the Audi 100 welding line started debugging. The technicians of FAW completed the assembly and debugging of the production line under difficult conditions. 1989 On April 2 1 day, Audi 100 automobile assembly line was completed and put into production, and Dr. Hahn, chairman of Audi AG of Germany, made a special trip to cut the ribbon. Dr. Hahn sincerely lamented: "Our cooperation with FAW has given Volkswagen the most powerful partner. Your speed is not a truck, but an Audi 200 ".
August 10, 1989, the first Audi 100 car rolled off the assembly line. In that year, Audi 1922 vehicles were assembled, an increase of 1 16% over the previous year.
The Audi 654.38+ 000 sedan with a price of over 654.38+10,000 yuan rolled off the production line.
According to the technology transfer agreement signed between FAW and Audi ag 1988, FAW will produce Audi 100 by licensing and CKD assembly for 6 years.
Six years later, 1995, this 1984 "world's best car of the year" finally completed its "special mission" in China. FAW immediately changed its leading car product from Audi 100 to a new generation of red-flag car, and named it Little Red Flag to distinguish it from the old large red-flag car. It is the result of the first foreign high-end automobile technology transfer since China's reform and opening up.
From 1988 to 1997, FAW produced 100 Audi car and 123294 Little Red Flag car based on 100 Audi car, with localization rates of 82% and 93% respectively. During the period of 10, the sales revenue reached 3 1 1 100 million yuan, and the profit and tax was 6.6 billion yuan, which was equivalent to 10 times of the total investment; At the same time, it also paid a tariff of 7 billion yuan for imported parts of Audi 100 CKD, and made great contributions to the import substitution of mid-to high-end cars, saving a lot of valuable foreign exchange resources for the country at that time.
After the import contract of Audi 100 project expires, a new question is facing China and Germany: whether to continue cooperation? How to cooperate? Do you want to maintain certain technical cooperation or establish a joint venture with China? If it is a joint venture, with whom and how?
Since 1993, the two sides have been negotiating on joint venture production of Audi. There is no need to elaborate on China's wish, but the Germans are divided on it.
At this time, two groups of opinions were formed on considering the introduction of Audi 100 successor models. On the one hand, when crossing the Audi 100 C3 model which has entered middle age, the new generation A6C5 model will be introduced directly and synchronously. However, opponents believe that A6C5 embodies the world's top automobile technology and manufacturing process, and FAW does not have sufficient production conditions at this time.
Dai Moore, who has been promoted to the chairman of Audi and then president of Audi, broke the deadlock in the breakfast conversation with Geng. Finally, the top management of both sides finally reached an agreement, and the project of Audi and FAW-Volkswagen to produce a new generation of Audi A6C5 began irreversibly.
1995165438+1October 13 During the visit of Kohl Department Store, then German Chancellor, FAW, Volkswagen and Audi jointly initialled a contract in Beijing to introduce Audi cars into the production of FAW-Volkswagen. A month later, on February 8, 18, the three parties jointly revised the joint venture contract and changed the share ratio structure to: 60% for FAW, 30% for Volkswagen and 0/0% for Audi/kloc. At the same time, FAW-Volkswagen signed a technology transfer agreement with Audi, and Audi series products will be formally incorporated into FAW-Volkswagen production as contract products.
Since then, Audi has become the first international high-end automobile brand jointly produced in China. Unlike 1988, FAW began to produce Audi 100 by licensing and technology transfer. Joint production means that Audi, as a shareholder, will fully participate in all aspects of domestic Audi's production management, parts procurement, product upgrading, marketing and after-sales service, and bear corresponding risks.
From 1995 to 65438+February, Audi officially joined FAW-Volkswagen. Until the end of 1999, the new generation Audi A6C5 rolled off the assembly line. For Audi and FAW-Volkswagen, apart from "lengthening" the Audi A6 to prepare for its production and sales, there are no planned Audi products on the production line of FAW-Volkswagen. Therefore, both parties of the joint venture decided to first produce the Audi 200 on the same platform as Audi 100C3 in FAW-Volkswagen.
1996 65438+ 10, faw-Volkswagen signed the "joint development" agreement of Audi A6C5. According to the agreement, the development of the extended model for the China market was closely coordinated with the development of the Audi A6 prototype, which was mainly carried out at Audi headquarters in Germany, and lasted for three years, involving more than 300 people, including six from China. The development fee is paid by FAW-Volkswagen, and Audi and FAW, as joint developers, charge this fee according to a certain proportion.
However, there are differences between China and Germany on the localization of A6 C5. The focus of the contradiction is whether A6C5 should be lengthened. Based on the deep understanding and respect of the high-end car market in China and the particularity of users' demand, FAW clearly proposed that the domestic Audi A6 should be "lengthened", the wheelbase should be lengthened and the whole car should be lengthened, because China users of this class pay special attention to the rear space. However, Audi believes that the Audi A6 is the only executive high-end car of Volkswagen Group, and there is enough space in the back row. Why must it be "lengthened"?
In the end, FAW persuaded the Germans. The extended development work basically follows the process of a new project, which lasts for three years. In order to minimize the possible adverse effects of lengthening on vehicle performance and appearance, almost all the work should be completed.
On September 6th, 1999, Audi A6 C5 was officially launched in Changchun FAW-Volkswagen. Compared with the global version, its wheelbase has been lengthened by 90 mm, and the length of the whole vehicle has also increased by about 100 mm, reaching 4886 mm By the time it was delisted in April 2005, this car had sold more than 200,000 vehicles in more than five years, which has achieved great market success. At the beginning, the investment in the expansion was rewarded handsomely.