Nanjing Automobile
Nanjing Automobile is a Chinese state-origin automotive enterprise whose vehicle, commercial-vehicle, and technology assets became part of SAIC Motor in 2007.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Nanjing Automobile traces its origins to an automobile repair workshop taken over in Nanjing in 1949 by a repair service organization attached to the East China Field Army. The enterprise's institutional history is generally dated to 1947, making it one of the earliest surviving organizations in China's automotive industry. It operated for much of its history as a state-controlled manufacturer and developed from repair and maintenance into production of trucks, buses, passenger cars, engines, and related components. Its first major manufacturing achievement came in 1958, when the company began producing the NJ-130, a 2.5-ton light truck derived from the Soviet GAZ-51. The truck was marketed under the Yuejin name, meaning “leap forward,” and established Yuejin as Nanjing Automobile's principal commercial-vehicle marque. Over subsequent decades, the company expanded its light-truck range and produced a number of related models, including the NJ-230, NJ-135, and NJ-134. Production of the early generation of these trucks continued until 1987, with total output of the various models reaching more than 160,000 units according to historical company material summarized in reference sources. Nanjing Automobile relied extensively on imported technology, tooling, and design licenses as China modernized its vehicle industry. It acquired production technology and equipment connected with Isuzu in the 1980s and entered a commercial-vehicle partnership with Iveco, Fiat's commercial-vehicle division, in 1996. The resulting Naveco joint venture manufactured Iveco-based light commercial vehicles, including versions of the Daily, and later incorporated truck-manufacturing assets associated with Yuejin. Nanjing also acquired the design and tooling associated with the first-generation SEAT Ibiza and sold a Chinese version as the Nanjing Yuejin Soyat. That passenger-car program ended in 2008. The company broadened its passenger-car activities through Nanjing Fiat, a 50:50 joint venture established with Fiat in 1999. The venture produced models including the Palio, Palio Weekend, Siena, and Perla. Fiat withdrew from the partnership in 2007, citing insufficient investment by its Chinese partner. Much of the venture's equipment and tooling was later taken over by Zotye. Nanjing Automobile's most internationally significant transaction was its 2005 acquisition of selected assets of the failed MG Rover Group and Powertrain. The transaction included the MG and Austin marques, other dormant British marques, manufacturing equipment, engineering materials, and production rights or assets connected with models such as the MG ZT and MG TF. Nanjing planned to divide production and development between China and the historic Longbridge site in Birmingham, England. The Nanjing plant was intended to manufacture engines, transmissions, and vehicles, while Longbridge was prepared for renewed production of the MG TF and related activities. The resulting MG range included the MG 7, based on the Rover 75/MG ZT lineage, the MG TF sports car, and the MG 3SW, related to the Rover Streetwise. A proposed production site in Ardmore, Oklahoma, was not realized. In December 2007, Nanjing Automobile and its state-owned parent, Yuejin Automotive Group, completed a merger with the much larger SAIC Motor. The transaction consolidated Nanjing's MG assets and other automotive operations within SAIC and transferred control of the Longbridge facility to the SAIC group. Nanjing Automobile subsequently ceased to operate as a major independent automaker, but its manufacturing operations, brands, joint ventures, and intellectual-property assets continued within the wider SAIC structure. Nanjing-related commercial-vehicle operations have included Yuejin light trucks and Naveco vehicles. The Naveco partnership continued producing Iveco-derived products for the Chinese market, including Daily-based vans and light trucks. Nanjing Automobile and SAIC also developed Chang Da, an electric…
History
Nanjing Automobile's institutional history reaches back to 1947, during the Chinese Civil War. After the People's Liberation Army captured Nanjing in 1949, a repair service center connected with the East China Field Army took control of an automobile workshop in the city. During the 1950s, responsibility for the workshop was transferred to China's First Ministry of Industrial Machinery. The enterprise moved from repair work into vehicle manufacture and in 1958 produced the NJ-130, a 2.5-ton light truck based on the Soviet GAZ-51. The truck was sold under the Yuejin name, which became the company's best-known commercial-vehicle brand. Nanjing Automobile expanded its Yuejin truck portfolio during the following decades. Models included the NJ-130, NJ-230, NJ-135, and NJ-134, with production of the early family continuing until July 1987. The company reported cumulative production of 161,988 units across those models. It also developed buses and other commercial vehicles, making the organization an important part of China's early automotive industrial base. From the 1980s onward, Nanjing Automobile used imported engineering and manufacturing know-how to accelerate development. The company purchased designs and tooling connected with Isuzu and obtained technology from Iveco, the commercial-vehicle operation of Fiat. In 1996 it established Naveco with Iveco. Naveco initially manufactured Chinese-market versions of the Iveco Daily and later produced a broader range of vans, light trucks, and diesel-powered commercial vehicles. Products associated with the partnership included Daily derivatives, the NJ2045 and NJ2046 military-related trucks, and later generations of Iveco China Daily vehicles. Nanjing also pursued passenger-car projects. It obtained the design and possibly tooling for the first-generation SEAT Ibiza and marketed the resulting vehicle in China as the Nanjing Yuejin Soyat. The Soyat was discontinued in 2008. In 1999, Nanjing Fiat was formed as a 50:50 joint venture with Fiat. Its product range included the Palio, Palio Weekend, Siena, and Perla. Fiat left the partnership in 2007, and much of the venture's design and production equipment was subsequently acquired by Zotye. The defining episode in Nanjing Automobile's later history was the acquisition of selected MG Rover Group and Powertrain assets in 2005. MG Rover had entered administration, and Nanjing acquired the MG and Austin names, other dormant marques, equipment, engineering information, and assets associated with vehicles such as the MG ZT and MG TF. Some intellectual-property-related equipment connected with Honda-based Rover models was excluded or recovered by Honda. Nanjing proposed a cross-border manufacturing strategy: engines, transmissions, and selected vehicles would be made in China, while the Longbridge facility in Birmingham would be retained for MG production and engineering work. The resulting Nanjing MG program included the MG 7, based on the Rover 75/MG ZT, the MG TF convertible sports car, and the MG 3SW, related to the Rover Streetwise. Nanjing planned significant production capacity at its Pukou facility in Nanjing, while a lease covering key parts of the Longbridge site was arranged with property company St. Modwen. A proposed factory in Ardmore, Oklahoma, did not proceed. After Nanjing's merger with SAIC, control of the Longbridge operation passed into the SAIC group. Nanjing Automobile's ownership structure changed repeatedly as China's automotive industry consolidated. Before the SAIC transaction, the business was associated with Yuejin Automotive Group and state asset-management firms including China Huarong Asset Management and China Cinda Asset Management. SAIC and Yuejin Automotive Group completed their merger in December 2007 after negotiations that had continued intermittently since 2001. Nanjing Automobile consequently became part of SAIC rather than continuing as a major independent automaker. The company's commercial-vehicle activities continued through structures such as Yuejin and Naveco. The Yuejin truck business was merged with Naveco around 2007, while a Wuxi operation that had produced Soyat passenger cars and Isuzu-derived utility vehicles was later repurposed within the SAIC network. Nanjing Automobile and SAIC also established Chang Da in 2009 to develop electric light logistics vans. Chang Da's H9, launched in 2017 after a multiyear development program, targeted fleet-based last-mile delivery and could be purchased or leased. Nanjing Automobile is therefore historically significant both as one of China's earliest vehicle manufacturers and as the organization through which important MG Rover assets entered the SAIC group.
- 2017
Chang Da H9 and new Iveco China Daily programs
[1]Chang Da launched the H9 electric logistics van, while Naveco began producing the new Iveco China Daily at Qiaolin.
- 2009
Chang Da electric-vehicle sub-brand established
[1]Nanjing Automobile and SAIC established Chang Da to develop electric light logistics vehicles.
- 2008
MG 3SW production begins
[1]Nanjing added the MG 3SW, derived from the Rover Streetwise, to its post-MG Rover product range.
- 2007
Merger with SAIC completed
[1]Yuejin Automotive Group and SAIC Motor finalized their merger, placing Nanjing Automobile within SAIC.
- 2005
MG Rover assets acquired
[1]Nanjing acquired selected MG Rover Group and Powertrain assets, including marques, equipment, and engineering resources.
- 1999
Nanjing Fiat established
[1]Nanjing and Fiat formed a 50:50 passenger-car joint venture.
- 1996
Naveco joint venture established
[1]Nanjing Automobile and Iveco formed Naveco to manufacture commercial vehicles, initially including Iveco Daily derivatives.
- 1987
Early Yuejin truck production ends
[1]Production of the early NJ-130 family ended after nearly 162,000 units of several related models had been built.
- 1958
NJ-130 light truck begins production
[1]Nanjing began producing the NJ-130, a domestically manufactured light truck based on the Soviet GAZ-51 and sold under the Yuejin name.
- 1949
Nanjing workshop comes under new state control
[1]A repair center associated with the East China Field Army took control of an automobile workshop in Nanjing after the city changed hands.
Products and positioning
Historically positioned as a state-backed Chinese vehicle manufacturer with a strong commercial-vehicle base, supplemented by licensed technology, international joint ventures, and acquired British passenger-car assets. Within the SAIC structure, its legacy is associated especially with Yuejin commercial vehicles, Naveco production, and the transfer of MG Rover assets into Chinese ownership.
Light trucks · 1958
Yuejin NJ-130 and related trucks
The NJ-130 was Nanjing Automobile's first major domestically produced light truck. Based on the Soviet GAZ-51, it entered production in 1958 and was sold under the Yuejin name. Related models included the NJ-230, NJ-135, and NJ-134. These vehicles established Nanjing Automobile's long-running commercial-vehicle identity and formed the foundation for its later Yuejin truck business.
Passenger car · 2000
Nanjing Yuejin Soyat
The Soyat was a Chinese-market passenger car based on the first-generation SEAT Ibiza. Nanjing Automobile obtained the relevant design and possibly tooling through a technology-transfer transaction and marketed the vehicle under the Nanjing Yuejin name. The model represented the company's attempt to broaden beyond commercial vehicles, but production ended in 2008.
Commercial vans and trucks · 1996
Iveco Daily-derived vehicles
Through Naveco, Nanjing Automobile manufactured several Iveco-derived commercial vehicles for China. The range included Daily-based products such as the Ousheng, Power Daily, Xindeyi, Ouba, and Venice, as well as the NJ2045 and NJ2046 light trucks. The joint venture combined Nanjing's manufacturing base with Iveco technology and commercial-vehicle product expertise.
Passenger sedan · 2007
MG 7
The MG 7 was developed from the Rover 75/MG ZT lineage acquired through Nanjing Automobile's purchase of MG Rover assets. It was intended to revive the MG marque under Chinese ownership and formed the core of the initial Nanjing MG passenger-car range. Nanjing's plans included sedan and estate versions, with production centered on China and linked to the Longbridge program.
Convertible sports car · 2007
MG TF
The MG TF was one of the principal vehicles included in Nanjing Automobile's MG Rover asset strategy. Nanjing planned to resume production of the mid-engined convertible at the Longbridge facility while also developing manufacturing capability in China. The model symbolized the company's effort to preserve a British MG production presence after MG Rover's collapse.
Compact crossover or estate · 2008
MG 3SW
The MG 3SW entered production in 2008 and was based on the Rover Streetwise. It extended Nanjing Automobile's MG range beyond the MG 7 sedan and MG TF sports car. Production was part of the broader effort to use acquired British vehicle platforms, designs, and manufacturing resources under the MG brand.
Electric light logistics van · 2017
Chang Da H9
The Chang Da H9 is an electric light logistics vehicle developed for last-mile delivery. It uses a structure based on the FAW Jiabao V80 and was developed over approximately three years before its 2017 launch. Chang Da offered the H9 to fleet customers through both direct purchase and leasing models.
Brand decisions
2017
Launch Chang Da H9 electric vanProduct launchBackground
Chang Da targeted the growing need for urban last-mile delivery vehicles with a dedicated electric light-van program.
Action taken
The company introduced the H9 after a multiyear development program and made it available for fleet purchase or leasing.
Aftermath
The H9 became the principal product identified with the Chang Da electric logistics sub-brand in the available reference material.
2009
Develop electric last-mile logistics vehiclesStrategyBackground
Urban delivery and fleet logistics created a potential application for compact electric commercial vehicles.
Action taken
Nanjing Automobile and SAIC established the Chang Da sub-brand to develop electric light logistics vans.
Aftermath
The Chang Da H9 was launched in 2017 for last-mile delivery, with purchase and leasing options for fleets.
2007
Merge with SAIC MotorM&ABackground
Chinese industrial policy encouraged consolidation among domestic automakers, while Nanjing Automobile and SAIC had pursued merger discussions intermittently since 2001.
Action taken
SAIC Motor and Yuejin Automotive Group finalized their merger in December 2007, making Nanjing Automobile part of SAIC.
Aftermath
Nanjing ceased to operate as a major independent automaker, while its MG, commercial-vehicle, manufacturing, and engineering assets continued under the SAIC group.
2005
Acquire MG Rover and Powertrain assetsM&ABackground
MG Rover entered administration, creating an opportunity to acquire its automotive marques, manufacturing equipment, engineering information, and selected powertrain assets.
Action taken
Nanjing Automobile purchased selected assets, including the MG and Austin marques and production resources associated with vehicles such as the MG ZT and MG TF.
Aftermath
The transaction led to a China-and-United-Kingdom production plan and ultimately brought the MG-related assets into SAIC when Nanjing merged with SAIC in 2007.
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