The Saehan Motor Company was a South Korean
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded ...
manufacturer founded in 1976, which was born on the collaboration of Shinjin Industrial Company and
General Motors to introduce their products on the South Korean market. Saehan was born on the former "General Motors Korea", which encountered difficulties when the South Korean market collapsed, following the first round of oil rises in 1973.
This joint-venture, 50-50 between GM and Shinjin, consisted on a car assembly plant in Bupyong, a truck assembly plant in Pusan and a foundry at Incheon.
In November 1976,
Shinjin Motors faced financial problems and sold its 50% stake in Saehan to the
Korea Development Bank (KDB). In 1978, the Daewoo Group acquired the equity stake and management rights from KDB. The company was renamed
Daewoo Motor Co. in January 1983.
History
The company origins can be traced back to
National Motors, a company established in 1937 in
Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea. Its name was changed to "Saenara Motor" in November 1962. Saenara was assembling and selling
Datsun Bluebird P310s. Very first automobile company in Korea, Saenara was equipped with modern assembly facilities, and was established after the Automobile Industry Promotion Policy was announced by the South Korean government in 1962.
Saenara Motor was then bought by Shinjin Industrial in 1965, which changed its name to
Shinjin Motor after establishing collaborations with
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
. Shinjin's range included various Toyota models, such as the
Publica
VEB Typoart was the only type foundry of East Germany. It was a state-owned enterprise (" Volkseigener Betrieb") located in Dresden. The foundry's most influential art directors were Herbert Thannhäuser (until 1963) and Albert Kapr (until 1987) ...
,
T40 Corona and
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...
.
After Toyota's withdrawal from its Korea investment in 1972,
Shinjin Motors started a joint venture with American
General Motors under the name "General Motors Korea" (GMK). Nevertheless, soon after the alliance, GM showed disconformity with Shinjin's management and in 1976 GM asked the Korean Government (through the US Embassy in Seoul) to find another partner. As the Shinjin Group was experiencing financial problems its shares in GMK were sold to the Korea Development Bank. As a result, the company's name was changed to Saehan Motor Company Ltd".
[ GMK shortly sold their Rekord model under the GMK ]marque
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...
, together with the Holden Torana
The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name apparently comes from an word meaning "to fly" in an unconfirmed Aboriginal Australian language. The original HB series Torana was released in 1 ...
based Chevrolet 1700. When GMK was renamed to Saehan, the 1700 became Saehan Camina
The Holden Torana is a mid-sized car that was manufactured by Holden from 1967 to 1980. The name apparently comes from an word meaning "to fly" in an unconfirmed Aboriginal Australian language. The original HB series Torana was released in 19 ...
.
Saehan's range was composed of diverse GM models: the Saehan Gemini
The Daewoo Maepsy (대우 맵시) is a compact car manufactured by Daewoo (and its predecessor Saehan) in South Korea from December 1977 to 1989. The Maepsy was a badge engineered version of the Opel Kadett C, or to be more precise, of the PF50 ...
was based on 1974 Isuzu's Bellett Gemini, then replaced by the Maepsy (known as Saehan Bird for export), which was a development of the Gemini.
Models
Cars
* Camina
* Gemini
* Maepsy
* Rekord
Buses
* BU110
* BF101
* BD101
* BL064
Trucks
* 8t Dump
* 11t Cargo
* Elf
Notes
References
{{Korean automobile industry
GM Korea
Manufacturing companies based in Seoul
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of South Korea