Polish people didn’t know much about the Chinese automobiles before 2005, when the first information about Asian pickup Zhongxing’s brand appeared in Polish media. These vehicles were twice cheaper compared to Japanese competitors, but nobody believed that they would gain recognition of Polish customers. So it was. During next five years many companies have tried to encourage drivers to buy Chinese cars, but none of them hit the jackpot so far. Below is the list of major events related to Chinese automobiles and the list of companies which showed up in media trying to make money from cars "made in China".

2005 (September)
Landwind Polska - the company located in Mogilno was founded in 2005 and offered only one off-road model based on Opel Frontera/Isuzu Rodeo design. The importer established a price for the vehicle’s basic version as high as PLN 86,900. It turned out to be too high for Poles. Unfavorable reviews of journalists and primarily the result of ADAC crash test has proved to be the nail in the coffin of the project. Sale of cars was discontinued throughout the European market. The Polish importer has stopped its activity in Poland, despite the general importer in the Netherlands has began to import and to sell CV-9 van model. Everyone is waiting for the result of Euro NCAP crash test.

2005 (November)
TNS OBOP carried out a survey, which showed that every fifth Pole had heard about new brands of Chinese cars and 10% of examined would take an Asian car into account when considering purchase a new car.

2006 (February)
Autochiny.pl website started its activity. :-).

2006 (May)
The information that the production of Chery QQ in Polish FSO factory is likely to commenced appeared in media.

2006 (September)
China Motors Hong Kong (CMHK) - news about the Bohdan Bogucki’s idea on how to import Chinese vehicles without required homologation spread across the whole country in September 2006. Businessman teamed up with China Motors based in Hong Kong and opened its representative office in Gdańsk, offering more than ten models in different segments and heavy trucks. The trader used a gap in Polish law authorizing citizens of Poland to import each kind of car once a year. However, good idea and low prices - for example, PLN 19,990 without VAT tax for the mini-van based on Suzuki Carry - proved to be insufficient to achieve a success. Now, China Motors (HK) Ltd. activities are focused purely on assistance in car importing from China.

2006 (December)
Great Wall Cars - the company also started its operation in 2006, but remained completely anonymous, with no advertising campaign. In December Rzeczpospolita Daily unveiled plans of the company owned by Russian businessmen. Great Wall Cars had planned to open 25 dealerships and to sell two models - Hover CUV and Deer pickup. Unfortunately, prices were too high. Initially Hover CUV cost nearly PLN 100,000, and it was more than a price for Toyota RAV 4. Great Wall Cars was closed in 2008. However, we should appreciate the business idea of choosing the Great Wall Motor’s brand, because this company was the first Chinese maker, which would begin the production of cars in the EU (Bulgaria)..

2006 (October)
Worldwide media announced information about potential expansion of Brilliance in Europe, including Poland.

2007 (May)
Prestige Automotive News Europe published a report on Roewe starting distribution in Europe, based on Ssangyong sales networks.

2008 (January)
STAMPA - Stanisław Pamuła, a businessman from Łódź, who i.a. produces ecological bags and rubbish-bins, has decided to bring Chinese electric cars to Poland. In 2009 Polska Daily unveiled that the company started to accept orders for BYD E6 model - the first Chinese electric van. The offer changed because the car couldn’t get safety certificates in the European Union, so called CEE”. BYD E6 officially enters the Chinese market this year.

2008 (March)
First information that ZX Auto Grandtier is likely to be produced in Lublin by Pol-Mot Warfama.

2008 (August)
Information of the Day delivered by Rzeczpospolita Daily - Jiangling Motors Group Company (the owner of the Landwind brand) will invest almost USD 1,5 billion in a factory near Opole.

2008 (November)
China Automobile Polska - the Polish subsidiary of China Automobile Deutschland (CAD) has completed its activities in 2008, even before it had began selling cars. Why? Well, Shuanghuan CEO, the first model prepared for Polish customers dubbed the nickname „Chinese copy of BMW X5”. Rightly or wrongly, the court in Munich issued both the sale ban for the model and big fines for the importer. The second model in offer: Jonway UFO (the Toyota RAV4’ copy) also had been withdrawn from the offer, so the Polish subsidiary, followed by the German company and ceased its operations. Plans to sell Chery models with Dragon logo has never been realized.

2008 (December)
Pol-Mot Warfama received approval for ZX Auto Grandtiger pickup.

2009 (February)
Information about "London" taxis made for Warsaw in China by Geely were published in media. Dufort London Taxis company from Grodzisk Mazowiecki received the exclusive rights to sell these cars in Poland. Jacek Kurowski became the official representative of the London Taxis manufacturer in Poland. Wawa Taxi corporation was the first customer.

2009 (November)
Pol-Mot Holding presented two Chinese cars - Roewe 550 and Roewe 750, at the Agro Show Bednary 2009, the exhibition of agricultural machines. Pol-Mot have had a long experience in cooperation with China as an importer of barn machinery. Recently a subsidiary company of Pol-Mot Warfama SA signed a cooperation agreement with Chinese company Foton from Weifang, thanks to which factory of Warfama in Lublin will come into being to adapt Chinese tractors to the European market requirements.

2010 (April)
Auto-Porada dealer, one of the Warsaw’s dealer of Tata, has started to sell Dongfeng Motor’s commercial vehicles. As we were informed, the company has been given an authorization of the Polish Ministry, the homologation, cards of the cars and every approval, which is required to sell the DFM models in Poland. Currently, the company is focused on creating dealer’s network.

2010 (June)
SUV Polska - SUV Polska – a private company was registered in Opole, as the first official importer of Gonow. The offer included two models – GA200 pickup and GX6 SUV. Unfortunately, media’s interest didn’t translate into interest of potential customers. The latest information is that SUV Polska has finished its operations, however the official website www.suvpolska.pl is still working.

2010 (September)
The Autobagi Polska company was founded. This is another importer and representative of DFM commercial vehicles in Poland. The company informed that it has got an approval of Ministry of Infrastructure and has taken steps to receive Euro V homologation. "Currently, we are building sales network" - say Andrzej Lewandowski, CEO of Autobagi Polska.

2011 (…)

The above examples show that only 1 of 10 companies, on average, achieved the success, but most of them ended up with a big flop. Of course, there were only the companies, which officially admitted to make trade with China, in this comparison. We don’t know precisely how many such companies existed. The exception is Pol-Mot Warfama, which started assembling ZX Auto Grandtiger in Lublin. Interestingly, this brand appeared as the first in Poland, as we have written above, because ZX Auto was previously known as Zhongxing. Whether the investment is successful and Chinese pickup receives Polish client’s acceptance or not, we will be able to say after next five years ...

Author: Michał Hadyś

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