Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd. is a Chinese central state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Founded in 1969,[3] it is currently the smallest of the "Big Four" state-owned car manufacturers of China with 671,000 sales in 2023, below SAIC Motor, Changan Automobile and FAW Group.[4]
The company develops and markets vehicles under its own branding, such as M-Hero, Voyah, Aeolus, Nammi, Forthing, as well as under foreign-branded joint ventures such as Dongfeng Honda, Dongfeng Nissan and Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën (all via subsidiary Dongfeng Motor Group). In 2021, foreign-branded cars took 79% of sales.[5] In addition to commercial and consumer vehicles, it also manufactures parts and cooperates with foreign companies.
As a state-owned enterprise of China, Dongfeng is controlled and managed by SASAC, which under Chinese law performs the functions of an investor.[6]
History
Background and founding
During the Korean war, there was a need for trucks to be used on the battlefield. The Ministry of Machinery planned a factory to build an imitation of the GAZ-51 truck. This was originally planned to be at Qingshan District, Wuhan, and later revised to Wuchang District, also in Wuhan. In 1955, these sites were disregarded as being too vulnerable to air raids, and Chengdu was chosen as the proposed site.[7] The reasoning is also mentioned in a dictate of Chairman Mao Zedong; as part of his "Third Front" strategy[8] However, due to the poor state of the economy, the plans were shelved.[7]
In 1957, Hunan was picked as the site for the proposed truck factory, as the Yangtze basin area of the province didn't have any heavy industry yet.
Organizational structure
Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM)
Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM) is the ultimate parent company using the Dongfeng name and is directly controlled by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.
Dongfeng Motor Group (DFG)
Dongfeng Motor Group (DFG) is a listed subsidiary that is majority owned (66.86%) by Dongfeng Motor Corporation.[48] The Dongfeng Motor Group (DFG) subsidiary is responsible for several joint ventures with foreign car companies, such as Dongfeng Motor Company Limited (DFL or commonly known as Dongfeng Nissan), Dongfeng Honda Automobile, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile.
Of the joint ventures, DFL (or Dongfeng Nissan), formed in 2003, is the largest and sells Nissan-branded vehicles under its Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (DFN) division. The DFN division also produces cars using Infiniti and Venucia branding. In 2017, DFL acquired 51% stake in Zhengzhou Nissan (total 79.651%) from its own subsidiary (at the time) Dongfeng Automobile Company Ltd. (DFAC) to consolidate Nissan China operations under DFL.[49]
Leadership
Brands
Dongfeng sells vehicles under various brand names.[55] Other brands may be associated with products manufactured or assembled by joint-venture companies that see foreign firms cooperate with Dongfeng in order to gain access to the Chinese market.
Voyah
Voyah (岚图) is a premium EV brand directly under Dongfeng Motor Corporation specializing in designing and developing electric vehicles.[56]
M-Hero
M-Hero Technology (猛士科技) is Dongfeng's brand for high performance luxury off-road vehicle.[57] The Chinese name of the brand Mengshi (猛士) was inherited from the military vehicle line of Dongfeng. In 2023, the brand unveiled its first full-size luxury off-roader M-Hero 917, a high performance EV/ EREV.
Joint ventures
Dongfeng is the Chinese partner in many joint ventures that make trucks and cars.
eGT New Energy Automotive
On August 29, 2017, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Dongfeng Motor Corporation announced the establishment of a joint venture, eGT New Energy Automotive Co., Ltd. This joint venture was created for the collaborative development and sale of electric vehicles in China. Renault and Nissan each hold a 25% stake in eGT, while Dongfeng owns the remaining 50% of the shares. eGT has established its production facility in Shiyan City, Hubei Province, located in the central region of China.[68]
The joint venture shares the production line and supply chain with Dongfeng Nammi[69] and produces the electric city car targeted at European market. Its main products, the Renault Group's Renault City K-ZE/ Dacia Spring, Seres Group's Fengon E1 and Nissan's Vanucia E30 (second generation) are rebadged by Dongfeng's Nano Box and EX1 city car.
Defunct
Dongfeng Sokon (DFSK) (divested)
Dongfeng DFSK (Sokon) or in Chinese Dongfeng Xiaokang (东风小康) is Sino-sino joint venture between Dongfeng and Seres Group Co Ltd.[117] Brands under the joint venture includes Dongfeng Sokon (DFSK, sometimes known as DF Dongfeng as the official website suggests) light commercial vehicles and Dongfeng Fengguang passenger vehicles. Seres also has its own electric startup brand based in North America called SF Motors.
In September 2019, Sokon acquired the remaining 50% of the DFSK joint venture from Dongfeng Motor Group (DFG), becoming 100% owner. They continue to produce vehicles using the Dongfeng logo and under the Dongfeng Sokon and Dongfeng Fengguang (Fengon) branding.[118]
Dongfeng Renault (defunct)
Created in late 2013, Dongfeng Renault Automotive Co Ltd planned to produce 150,000 whole vehicles per year at an as-yet-unbuilt production base in China.[119]
Military products
Dongfeng Mengshi
Dongfeng Mengshi (东风猛士) is a brand for military vehicle, which belongs to the Special Purpose Equipment Division of Dengfeng Motor Corporation (DFM). It entered the civilian market in 2021 with the launch civilian version Mengshi M50, a military off-roader.
To distinguish the M-Hero (猛士科技) and Mengshi (东风猛士) which have similar name in Chinese, the M-hero belongs to Dongfeng Motor Group (DFG), which is a listed company. The Dongfeng Mengshi belongs to Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM), the parent company of DFG. DFM is an unlisted company and most of its military production information are classified.[134]
- Dongfeng Mengshi MS600, military armored vehicle.
- Dongfeng Mengshi M20 (2023–present), full-size pickup/SUV, civilian variant
- Dongfeng EQ2050/Dongfeng Mengshi (2007–present), military armored vehicle
- Dongfeng Mengshi M50 (2021–present), civilian variant, full-size pickup
Production bases and facilities
Originating from Hubei province, Dongfeng now has sites throughout China.
Dongfeng sites
Its primary production base for passenger vehicle manufacture is in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, with secondary sites in the city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province.[13] Some commercial vehicles and powertrains are made in Shiyan, Hubei province.[135] Nammi and Dongfeng-Nissan vehicles are produced in Xiangyang, Hubei.[136] In Shenzhen, Dongfeng produces trucks for municipal use, such as garbage collection and street sweeping.[137] In January 2026, it was revealed that Dongfeng was looking to producing passenger cars in Turkey.
International investments and holdings
Stellantis (1.58% of stakes)[139]
- In 2014, Dongfeng Motor Corporation acquired a 14.1% stake in French PSA Group for 800 million euros (equivalent to 6.691 billion RMB).
- In 2019, PSA and FCA reached a merger agreement. In order to facilitate the merger plan, Dongfeng Motor Corporation agreed to sell 30.7 million shares of PSA, reducing its stake from 12.23% to 9.14%.
- In 2021, PSA and FCA completed the merger, and Dongfeng Motor Corporation's PSA shares were converted into shares of Stellantis Group. Dongfeng sold 36.06 million shares of Stellantis
Overseas activities
Dongfeng sells products overseas through various legal arrangements that see mostly light commercial vehicles sold under its own brand name in a variety of formats and specifications.
Foreign countries where Dongfeng has or had a presence include: Pakistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Paraguay,[142] Philippines,[143] Vietnam,[144] the United Kingdom,[145] and Turkey.[138]
Dongfeng has a joint venture for assembly of commercial trucks with Pakistan's Ghandhara Nissan,
Sales
Etymology
The name "Dongfeng" which means "East Wind", is taken from Mao Zedong's famous saying "The east wind shall prevail over the west wind", which means that the power of socialism will surely defeat the power of capitalism.[155]
Brand efforts and sponsorships
Dongfeng sponsored the Chinese entry for the 2014–2015 Volvo Ocean Race, a round-the-world sailing race.[156] Dongfeng also sponsored the winning entry in the 2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race.[157]
In June 2025, Dongfeng sponsored Singapore Premier League football club Young Lions as their main sponsor where the brand will appear on the front shirt.[158]
Controversies
Some Dongfeng heavy duty trucks are sold as military vehicles, and limited exports under the name Dongfeng Aeolus have occurred. Dongfeng has, at times, exported military spec vehicles to conflict-ridden nations and places including 400 to Myanmar in 2005 and 200 into Darfur, Sudan, that same year.[159] This precipitated the Government Pension Fund of Norway abstaining from investment in Dongfeng Motor Group for a seven-year period between 2007[160] and 2014.[161][162]
See also
- FAW Group
- China Changan Automobile
- Automobile manufacturers and brands of China
- List of automobile manufacturers of China
- Automotive industry in China
External links
References
- 吉林副书记竺延风接管东风 东风徐平调任一汽 qq.com, retrieved 2 May 2015^
- 2016 Annual Report Dongfeng Motor Group, 27 April 2017, retrieved 28 July 2017^
- Dongfeng Motor Corporation 东风汽车集团有限公司 – Dongfeng Motor Corporation 东风汽车集团有限公司^