American car enthusiasts are no strangers to car groups owning some of their favorite car brands. For more than three-quarters of a century, General Motors owned a large portfolio of well-known manufacturers. The 2010 reorganization eliminated four brands, leaving only Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC. Mopar fans will recognize the American Stellantis nameplate on Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles. Even those who subscribe to the phrase “people are found dead on the road” know that Ford also owns the luxury brand Lincoln. The same goes for many different large international conglomerates, including companies with properties in countries such as Germany, India and China.
What may come as a surprise to these enthusiasts is that it is currently home to some of the most famous international automotive brands in the world. Jaguar and Land Rover have been part of the Indian manufacturer Tata Motors since 2008. Lamborghini became part of the Volkswagen Group in 1998 along with fellow luxury car makers Bentley and Bugatti. But what brand, so familiar on American roads, is now owned by a Chinese company?
Lotus was founded in 1952 by engineer Colin Chapman, and in 1957 produced its first car for public consumption, the Mark VII (or Lotus 7). Lotus continues to operate as an independent company, producing exciting sports cars for an audience that appreciates its effortless approach. In 1986, the company was acquired by General Motors. GM eventually sold the company in 1993 to Italian businessman Romano Artioli, who in turn sold it to Malaysian automaker Proton in 1996.
Under the control of Artioli and Proton, Lotus developed a new modular platform architecture, consisting of glued aluminum extrusions, that would form the basis of their cars over the next decade and beyond, starting with the mid-engined Elise. The second generation Elise eventually made its way to the United States, where Lotus equipped it with a Toyota four-cylinder engine that met federal emissions regulations.
In June 2017, Chinese automaker Geely acquired a 51% controlling stake in Lotus from Proton. Under Geely’s leadership, Lotus has significantly expanded its product portfolio beyond sports cars such as the Emira, to include the high-performance electric Eletre SUV and the all-electric Evija supercar. Also joining the lineup, which debuts in 2024, will be an electric grand tourer called the Emea. While the only legacy of Lotus’ early days appears to be the badges starting with the letter “E”, these new models herald a bright future for a brand that has struggled over the past few decades.
The first Volvo introduced to the US auto market was the PV444, which was the best-selling model throughout the 1960s. Their 240 series, first launched in 1975 as a sedan and station wagon, featured safety innovations such as crumple zones and a collapsible steering column, cementing Volvo’s reputation as the first choice for buyers who made safety a priority when purchasing a car.
In the 1990s, Volvo’s racing ambitions ignited and the works team entered 850 race-ready touring cars into the British Touring Car Championship. Around the same time, Volvo-run Swedish racing team Flash Engineering was formed, which was eventually acquired by Volvo in 2005 and rebranded Polestar as the brand’s in-house competitor, similar to rival BMW M division.
Volvo Cars’ independence ended in 1999 when it was acquired by the automotive giant Ford Motor Company. Ford will combine Volvo and sister brands Aston Martin, Land Rover, Jaguar and Lincoln into its Premier Automotive Group. The global economic crisis that began in 2008 forced Ford to liquidate many of its assets, including the sale of Volvo to Chinese automaker Geely in 2010. Since this deal, Volvo has diversified its line-up to include a line of SUVs with all-electric options, and Polestar is now an independent company specializing in electric vehicles such as the Polestar 3 for those looking for a Scandinavian sub-design, but in demand for those looking for more the sporty driving dynamics offered by the Volvo brothers.
MG Motor was officially founded in Britain in 1928, and the small company sold over 18,000 cars before World War II forced production to cease in 1939. The 1940s brought both the sadness of the tragic death of company founder Cecil Kimber and the opportunity for MG’s first sales in the United States. As sales of small convertibles surged across the country, America’s love affair with sports cars began in earnest.
Sales of MG cars continued to rise throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Within British Leyland, the total assembly volume of cars under the MG brand in 1975 exceeded the one million mark. Sales rose and fell in the 1980s and 1990s, and in 1994 the Rover Group (which included MG) was acquired by BMW, and in 2000 the troubled automaker was sold to the Phoenix consortium. The brand changed hands again, like a relay race, this time to the Chinese manufacturer Nanjing Automobile Company, which was subsequently acquired by a second Chinese company, SAIC Motor.
Within SAIC, MG faces the difficult task of regaining its position after an absence of more than a decade. The company initially did this with the MG6 sedan and MG3 hatchback, and now has a line-up of hybrid and fully electric cars, as well as promising a new Cyberster electric sports car with an awkward name but an attractive design, expected to debut sometime in 2024 . .
Post time: Sep-19-2024