The car giant started by marrying the daughter of the king

Chapter 428 Hongqi A6, the King of Official Cars
When Lingnan Semiconductor was stirring up the industry, BMW Group, as the main money-maker at the moment, was naturally not idle.

Land Rover has already drawn up most of the drawings for its urban SUV project, and the purchasing department is notifying suppliers to make molds, with the first batch of samples to be delivered in the first quarter of next year.

After the clay model of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan is completed, the relevant personnel in the R&D center will start drawing the blueprints of the city SUV after they finish the work on it.

As for the coupe from Chitu Automobile, Jiang Hui has already drawn up the renderings and arranged for people to make a clay model.

At this time, over at Hongqi BMW, Geng Weidong finally couldn't help it.

Because the clay model of the first car designed by Jiang Hui for Hongqi BMW was also completed at the same time.

"Boss Jiang, is this the clay model of our Hongqi A6?"

The moment Geng Weidong entered the BMW Group's clay model workshop, he was attracted by the car model in front of him.

Looking from the front of the car, the front face design of the Hongqi A6 is undoubtedly the most eye-catching focus.

Jiang Hui directly adopted the design of the sixth-generation Audi A6, but made some adjustments near the car logo.

The iconic "big mouth" air intake grille was first used by Audi in the sixth-generation A6 product line.

Now it has been taken out by Jiang Hui for use on Hongqi A6.

It is said that this design was inspired by the Auto Union Type C racing grille designed by Ferdinand Porsche in 1936. It not only gives the vehicle a strong visual impact, but also becomes a symbol of the new era.

The interior of the grille is decorated with exquisite chrome, which blends perfectly with the body lines, showing a low-key and luxurious temperament.

It is absolutely in line with the positioning of Hongqi A6 as a mid-to-high-end official car.

Geng Weidong fell in love with it at first sight.

Originally, people were still wondering whether the BMW Group did not attach enough importance to the development of the Hongqi BMW joint venture.

Now after seeing the clay model of Hongqi A6, Geng Weidong's doubt immediately disappeared.

If you really don't pay attention to it, how can you give it such a stunning appearance?
"Yes, this is the clay model of the Hongqi A6."

"If you look at the side of the car, the lines are smooth and elegant, showing a unique sense of dynamism and power."

"The waistline is designed in sections, and the overall shape accelerates and tightens towards the rear, creating a posture that is ready to go."

“The design of the front and rear fenders is fuller, complementing the body lines and further enhancing the visual tension of the vehicle.”

"At the same time, the vehicle is also equipped with multi-spoke aluminum alloy wheels, which are not only beautiful in appearance, but also show a sense of stability and calmness during driving."

Jiang Hui personally explained his design concept to Geng Weidong, allowing him to feel the charm of the car's appearance more intuitively from the text.

"The rear part of the Hongqi A6 is also uniquely designed."

"The taillight group adopts a through-type design. The internal structure will be complex and delicate, and it will present a charming light and shadow effect when lit."

“The lines of the rear are simple and powerful, echoing the front, creating a harmonious and unified overall aesthetic.”

"In addition, the vehicle is also equipped with design elements such as an electric sunroof, spoiler and hidden exhaust layout, which can further enhance the vehicle's sense of fashion and sportiness."

As Jiang Hui introduced, Geng Weidong was reluctant to take his eyes away.

He really didn't expect that Jiang Hui would design such an amazing product for the joint venture.

Although I knew before that Jiang Hui was particularly talented in car exterior design, now after witnessing it in person, the feeling is completely different.

No wonder General Motors wanted to cooperate with Jiang Hui before.

"Mr. Jiang, what is the body size information of our car?"

The quality of a product can be directly determined by the naked eye, and Geng Weidong had no intention of making any changes.

At this time, we naturally need to pay attention to the specific size information and other related parameters.

"The Hongqi A6 is 5 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and its wheelbase is initially designed to be 2.9 meters."

"It will be equipped with 2.5L and 3.5L engines produced by Nanshan Engine, and equipped with 5MT and 4AT gearboxes."

"This powertrain has been fully proven in the Land Rover G Series and Land Rover X Series."

Jiang Hui developed this car model for Hongqi BMW, but it was not to make a contribution to FAW.

Maximizing the interests of the BMW Group is inevitable.

The engine and gearbox are the most core parts of a car, and naturally account for the highest proportion of the cost.

Whether from the perspective of enhancing the influence and production capacity of Nanshan engines and Nanshan gearboxes, or from the perspective of making more money, the engine and gearbox of the Hongqi A6 model must not be purchased from outside.

The most important thing is that there is no other choice now.

Even if FAW wants to purchase from outside, it has no better choice.

Besides, Nanshan Engine has always mainly sold 1.5L naturally aspirated engines.

Although there was no ban on the sale of 2.5L and 3.5L engines before, no OEM is currently using them due to strategically high bids.

This time, when it comes to making an offer to Hongqi BMW, the initiative naturally lies with Nanshan Engine.

Combining the selling price of Hongqi A6 and the overall parts cost, after leaving a certain profit for Hongqi BMW, the remaining profit can be transferred to BMW Group by increasing the engine quotation.

So even though the company has a 50:50 shareholding structure, the situation will be completely different if the final profits of the industrial chain are taken into account.

"Such a large sedan would really need a 2.5L or 3.5L engine."

"We will then focus on the mid- to high-end official vehicle market in the country."

"The 3.5L A6 can be used in the official car market at the department and bureau level and above."

"The 2.5L model can be used at the county and department level."

"We will launch a model with a lower positioning than the Hongqi A6 later, such as the A4 or A5, to target the lower-level official car market."

"The prospects of Hongqi BMW are definitely worth looking forward to."

Having just seen the stunning Hongqi A6, Geng Weidong is in a very good mood.

After so many years in the automotive industry, he still has a certain vision.

As for the product in front of him, even if the price is not cheap at that time, he is confident that the annual sales volume can reach more than 5 units, or even hit the annual sales mark of 10 units.

Once this goal is achieved, the situation at FAW will change completely.

The situation where trucks and cars are exerting their strength at the same time has been officially formed.

When the time comes, whether it is actual benefits or reporting to superiors, there will be a lot of things to report.

"First, we will use the Hongqi A6 to put the various production management systems after the reorganization of Hongqi BMW into operation."

"Now we are moving towards market economy reform, and various marketing plans should also work in this direction."

"After the Hongqi A6 is put into mass production and achieves certain results, our Hongqi A4 project can be officially launched."

"Then it will be just like what you said, Director Geng. We will launch both high-end and low-end models to dominate the official car market in various places."

"Ultimately, our Hongqi BMW will become an important force in the development of the domestic automobile industry."

Jiang Hui naturally saw through Geng Weidong's little thoughts at once.

However, developing more products does not harm the interests of the BMW Group.

For example, in the market for various official vehicles, it would definitely be more effective for FAW to take over this part of the market than for BMW Group to do so on its own.

Although the domestic economy has undergone a decade of reform, individuals' ability to purchase cars is still relatively weak.

The largest market is the purchase of official vehicles by various government agencies and state-owned enterprises.

Relying on this market, Hongqi A6 can live a comfortable life for at least ten years.

After the official car market opens up, the car that people see most often in daily life is probably the Hongqi A6.

Its shadow is bound to appear in various news reports.

By then, everyone will have the impression that the Hongqi A6 is a high-end sedan, which will be very beneficial for enhancing the influence of the Hongqi brand.

When the time comes, ordinary consumers will inevitably be affected by these factors when purchasing cars.

Invisibly, it is also beneficial to the sales of Hongqi A6.

The later Audi A6 followed a similar path.

In the early stage, it has accumulated strong brand influence and popularity through the official car market. Later, ordinary consumers will not be able to help but give priority to Audi A6 when buying a car.

Even from the perspective of brand power, Audi has the lowest level of luxury in the world among the BBAs, and it can be said that it has no way to compete with BMW and Mercedes.

However, in the Chinese automobile market, these three brands have been compared together for a long time, and Audi's sales are even higher than the other two.

Of course there are special reasons behind this.

“Our clay model is complete and the engine and gearbox are ready to use.”

“The chassis will also be that of a Mercedes-Benz sedan.”

"Even some interior parts can be directly used from Mercedes-Benz cars."

"In this way, we mainly make some changes to the parts on the car body and encourage the relevant supporting factories to produce these parts as soon as possible."

"Mr. Jiang, can we give the drawings to the relevant supporting factories within the next two months so that they can start preparing the parts as soon as possible?"

"As long as there are no special changes to the three major parts of the car, I think as long as the molds and production lines are ready, other parts can immediately enter mass production and directly skip various trial production confirmations."

"In this case, perhaps our Hongqi A6 will be available to everyone in the second half of next year."

Geng Weidong really hopes that Hongqi BMW Automobile can make some moves as soon as possible.

Therefore, even if there may be some quality problems after greatly compressing the development time, he can accept it.

Anyway, the three major components have not changed, so even if there are problems with other parts, it will not be a big problem.

At most, we will improve some parts while mass production is in progress, and eventually gradually increase production capacity.

“Although the time is a bit tight, it is not completely impossible.”

"I will ask the R&D center to draw up the body drawings of the Hongqi A6 first."

Putting the Hongqi A6 into mass production as soon as possible is not only in the interests of FAW, but also in the interests of BMW Group.

Half of the parts for this car will be directly supplied by the BMW Group. When the production volume increases, the benefits will naturally be huge. …

After Geng Weidong finished his visit and exchange with the BMW Group, he immediately explained the relevant information of Hongqi A6 internally and reported it to his superiors.

Naturally, the Capital Automobile Manufacturing Plant also received the news very quickly.

"Director Lu, Hongqi BMW's new product will be put into mass production next year. We need to speed up the development of the economy car launched by Corolla."

"We will strive to enter small-scale mass production by the middle of next year."

Chen Qi is now pinning the next sales volume of Capital Automobile Manufacturing Plant on the newly developed economy cars.

The price of this product will be less than 5 yuan, and it will directly use BMW's 1.5L engine and Capital Gear Factory's 4MT gearbox.

Other parts will also compete to the greatest extent possible to ensure cost advantages.

Originally, no one in China was working on this market.

But now that Hongqi BMW has emerged, he is worried that the other party will also be interested in this market.

After all, he only heard that Hongqi BMW's new product will be launched in the second half of next year, but he didn't get any specific information.

When Geng Weidong reported to his superiors, he also specifically emphasized the idea of ​​keeping the various parameters and product positioning of the Hongqi A6 confidential.

Otherwise, if Chen Qi knew that the Hongqi A6 was positioned as a mid-to-high-end product, he wouldn’t be so nervous.

After all, the consumers we are targeting are completely different levels.

"The drawings have been almost completed, and the supporting factories are already preparing for it."

"However, many of the drawings this time were confirmed based on the actual Corolla, and it is likely that some adjustments will need to be made to the drawings during subsequent sample production."

"According to this schedule, it will be stressful to carry out small-scale mass production in the middle of next year, but it should be no problem to complete it within next year."

Lu Jianqiang is also very aware of the current difficulties in the factory.

The sales of BJ212 have been declining, not to mention the BJ310 sedan, which has fallen to less than 1000 units per month, and its presence is becoming less and less.

Shouqi Jeep, a joint venture between Capital Automobile Manufacturing and American car companies, was completely unable to fight back against the competition from Land Rover G Series.

In this case, if Capital Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. fails to come up with a product that boosts sales, then it will certainly not be able to maintain its second place in sales in China next year.

"This car is of special importance to our factory, and it also has a very different meaning for our country's car industry."

"During the development process, we must avoid problems to the greatest extent possible and promote mass production of models as soon as possible."

"Then I will also arrange for the sales department to learn about the domestic developments of other automakers such as BMW Group, Shanghai Volkswagen, and Hongqi BMW in a timely manner."

"When the time comes, we must make it a huge success and not go downhill again."

Over the past few years, Capital Automobile Works has basically been on an upward trend.

Even at the end of the production of the old BJ212, sales were basically stable.

When the new BJ212 came out, sales increased rapidly.

But after going downhill in the past two years, Chen Qi felt very uncomfortable.

Many things also happened inside the factory.

For example, many of the additional personnel recruited in previous years due to increased production are now idle.

It might be possible to deal with temporary workers, but there is absolutely no way to fire regular employees.

Then some problems that were not obvious in the factory before became serious due to poor operating conditions.

Chen Qi actually doesn't have much experience in dealing with these things.

So now we are eagerly hoping that a new product can reverse the situation.

As long as the overall sales go up, everything will be easy.

……

Another company that is sensitive to information about Hongqi and BMW's new products is Second Automobile Works.

FAW and Second FAW are the two companies with the highest administrative levels in China.

Now FAW has responded to the call and is vigorously developing passenger cars.

However, the development of Second Automobile Works in the passenger car field has not been so smooth.

After all, their trucks only entered mass production in the late 1970s, and in recent years they have been trying to improve the quality and output of their trucks.

But looking back, we find that the domestic automobile market environment has changed a lot.

On the one hand, their trucks were originally aimed at the military truck market, but due to disarmament and cost-cutting, sales in this area have declined sharply.

On the other hand, the performance of the Ligong heavy-duty trucks launched by the Ligong Special Vehicle Factory is much better than that of the trucks produced by Second Automobile Works.

This led to a further deterioration in the truck market situation.

"Zhang Fan, Hongqi BMW from FAW is planning to launch a new sedan next year. It is estimated that the power system will be purchased from BMW Group."

"When the time comes, their powerful combination will surely make Hongqi's new product the king of official vehicles."

"How is your design department planning for our own sedan products?"

As the factory director of Second Automobile Works, Chen Liangrong has been under great pressure in recent years.

It was the superior departments that provided a lot of manpower and material resources that made Second Automobile the current situation.

However, in the past two years, the sales volume of Second Automobile Works has not only not increased, but has declined.

The performance in new product development is also very poor.

Chen Liangrong was worried about the position below his butt and how many more years he could remain in office.

"Director, we have never made cars before. It would be very difficult to do it all by ourselves."

"FAW has been producing Hongqi cars for many years but has not made any progress. The BJ310 produced by Capital Automobile Works is also completely useless."

"I heard that they developed their new sedan by directly purchasing a Toyota Corolla and disassembling it."

"And the Shanghai Automobile Manufacturing Plant has taken the path of relying on Volkswagen and is working hard on the Santana localization project."

"Weren't we negotiating with French carmaker PSA about setting up a joint venture?"

"I think we should get this done as soon as possible and stop dragging it out."

Zhang Fan has a very accurate understanding of the strength of the design department he is responsible for.

Asking them to develop a completely new car is simply impossible.

Even if the engine and gearbox can be purchased from outside, their design department cannot handle other parts.

But he didn't want to say this directly.

So I had to change the subject.

Anyway, establishing joint ventures with international automobile giants to produce cars is in line with the current development trend of the domestic passenger car industry.

FAW, Shanghai Automobile Manufacturing Plant, Capital Automobile Manufacturing Plant and Yangcheng Automobile Manufacturing Plant are all following this path. Isn't it normal for Second Automobile Works to follow this path as well?
"France's thinking is very strange. They actually want to import a hatchback car, thinking that this is the most suitable model for the Chinese market."

“I strongly disagree with this.”

"In addition, they also put forward many of their own ideas on the terms of the joint venture, which made people very uncomfortable."

Chen Liangrong is not against a joint venture with PSA, but he feels that if a joint venture is established, it will require spending foreign exchange in the early stages to import parts for CKD assembly, and the cost of the car will be very high.

Compared with Hongqi BMW and Mercedes-Benz cars, it has absolutely no advantages.

Not to mention that the Capital Automobile Manufacturing Plant will soon launch a new car.

It would be embarrassing if we spent a lot of foreign exchange to set up a joint venture factory but failed to achieve any outstanding results.

"Although PSA's request is a bit strange, hatchbacks are selling well in France."

"There is no sedan with that kind of design in China at present. It is not surprising that it will be very popular in the market after we produce it."

As long as the joint venture can be established, Zhang Fan doesn’t care what the first car is.

If the first car fails, you can always consider making a second one.

Anyway, the company’s focus cannot be on letting them make cars on their own, that would make things difficult for him.

"Since you think so, let's continue to talk to PSA."

"It would be best if we can talk about success. If not, then we can learn from the Capital Automobile Factory and find a car that sells well in the international market to learn from."

Chen Liangrong made a decision quickly.

There is no way, time waits for no one.

FAW has already made such a big move. If the situation at Second FAW gets worse and worse, the superiors may ask FAW to merge with Second FAW.

This is definitely not something Chen Liangrong can accept.

I would rather have a chicken head than a phoenix tail.

This is an idea that many people agree with.

"If the negotiations really fail, we can also consider cooperating with BMW Group and follow the same path as Hongqi BMW."

"FAW makes Hongqi sedans, and we can make off-road vehicles and form a joint venture with Land Rover."

Zhang Fan was absolutely unwilling to develop a new car model by himself; that would cost him his life.

So in addition to promoting PSA's project, he then came up with a new plan.

Regardless of whether this plan is feasible, just throw it out first.

"This is also a direction. We will find an opportunity to contact the BMW Group when the time comes."

Chen Liangrong really did not reject Zhang Fan's proposal.

But this idea may not necessarily come true.

(End of this chapter)