Iveco's ups and downs
○图丨Giovanni Agnelli I
July 11, 1899, the nobleman Giovanni Agnelli led a group of friends at the time, founded the Fiat Automobile Company in Turin, Italy. 1900, Fiat manufactured the first car, until the end of the year, only 8 cars were produced. But just these 8 cars were soon sold out.
This also gave Giovanni Agnelli an idea to revitalize Turin with cars. The capital of Italy had already been moved from Turin to Rome.
Then Giovanni Agnelli wasted no time in proposing a plan to revitalize Turin by producing a series of automobiles, which was supported by the board of directors and a group of close friends. Giovanni Agnelli was then unanimously elected by the board of directors as general manager for his outstanding business performance, and became the representative figure of Fiat.
But then the Second World War disrupted Fiat's development, and as a result of the war, Fiat suffered an unprecedented blow. And the founder, Giovanni Agnelli, died, leaving Fiat in ruins during this period.
○ Picture 丨 Giovanni Agnelli III
Until Giovanni Agnelli Jr. came along and put Fiat back on track. Fiat acquired French truck maker Unic in 1966 in order to expand its passenger car and van business.Three years later, Fiat acquired Lancia, a maker of cars, trucks, buses and military vehicles.
In 1974, Fiat continued its expansion by acquiring German bus, truck and fire equipment maker Magirus Deutz, becoming the majority shareholder. The following year, it merged all the brands to create Iveco, as it is known today.
○ Photo 丨Iveco Daily first generation
Founded in 1978, Iveco built its first light commercial vehicle, the Daily, and two years later introduced a turbocharged diesel engine for heavy-duty trucks. Since then, Iveco has moved into commercial vehicles.
Iveco enters China
In the 1970s, when the country was still in a situation of "lack of weight and lack of lightness", our researchers were constantly searching for truck technology suitable for our country, and after a lengthy study, the introduction of the Austrian Steyr was finalized.
In this context, in 1983, in order to accelerate the increase in domestic vehicle ownership, the Chinese leadership traveled to Italy for an inspection visit, the same year announced that Iveco entered China.
○ Figure 丨 Nanjing Automobile Factory and Iveco signing ceremony
In 1985, the State General Administration of Materials completed the first domestic commercial vehicle import technology project, the introduction of the then latest Iveco DAILY car, the total investment in the Iveco project in that year amounted to 1.45 billion yuan, which is the largest project ever in the Sino-Italian technical and economic cooperation program.
The introduction of this project met the demand for specialized vehicles in various industries such as medical, electric power and engineering, and indirectly promoted the development of these industries.
The Daily used the same beam chassis as the trucks, so the daily could be equipped with either a closed cargo box or a palletized cargo box, but in order not to clash with its own Yujin series of products, Nanjing Automobile Manufacturing Factory only developed two models of the light passenger and the closed cargo box in the early stage.
In August 1991 the first Iveco light bus made in China came off the production line, immediately set off a domestic van, light bus trend, also means that the domestic commercial vehicle industry has increased the number of light buses, vans, known as the ancestor of the domestic van trucks.
○ Picture 丨 the first generation of Iveco Daily introduced in China
The first generation of Iveco daily, Chinese name DEYI, is equipped with a four-stroke diesel engine, the maximum output power of 72 horsepower, the maximum torque of 147 Nm, equipped with Iveco's own production of 5-speed gearbox. Such a configuration was more than enough for China at the time to cope with the demands of the working conditions at the time.
As the pioneer of domestic light trucks, Iveco has created a number of firsts in China, the first to introduce short-head light trucks into China, the first to launch diesel light trucks, the first to launch the light trucks of the national three emission standards, the first to promote the introduction of frontal collision regulations of China's light trucks, and so on, and so forth, and it is precisely because of so many firsts that Iveco has also achieved a solid position in the domestic light truck industry.
○ Figure 丨南京依维柯成立
依维柯在国内的发展迅速，获得成功后，依维柯加速了进入中国市场的步伐，1996年，3月1日依维柯汽车公司与南京汽车集团达成协议， ***同投资25.27亿元人民币成立合资公司，因此南京依维柯汽车有限公司正式成立。
○ Picture 丨 second generation Iveco Daily
Nanjing Iveco was established without the slightest hesitation, and quickly introduced the second generation of daily that we are all familiar with nowadays. iveco is not only contributing to the commercial vehicles.
And the second-generation daily, whose Chinese name is Turin, is one of the most common models, equipped with a Sofim 2.8-liter ****-rail supercharged diesel engine with emissions up to Euro-III standards, maximum power of 92kW/3600rpm, maximum torque of 285Nm/1800rpm. it was the hottest model in China at the time.
○ Picture 丨the second generation of Iveco Daily
Iveco has indirectly driven the domestic automobile industry many, many more, not only that, Iveco is also quietly playing the role of the invisible heroes.
In 1997, Hong Kong returned to the motherland, Nanjing Iveco as the garrison car, with the garrison across the Lo Wu Bridge.
In 1999, the return of Macao, also as the troops in Macao with the car, witnessed the history.
Also appeared in the first line of the 98 flood rescue, as a medical ambulance appeared in the front line of the fight against SARS, with the snowstorm power engineering experts to fight side by side. Iveco's figure is almost everywhere, which also let Iveco into the eyes of the people.
Nanjing Iveco not only has a civilian version, there are rare military version. 2000 after the development of the successful nj2046/2045 two models is the PLA's carriers to further enhance to a level.
Helping China's logistics also start
Millennium, China entered the period of rapid development of automobile, China's urban express logistics is still in its infancy, the country has not been on the logistics and distribution of vehicles for the strict specification of the definition of the phenomenon, therefore, the phenomenon of mixing of people and goods is very serious.
As the ancestor of the domestic van, Iveco did not sit idly by, Nanjing Iveco reference to the use of European logistics and distribution vehicles, combined with the domestic road conditions, launched the front and rear compartments separated from the logistics vehicle, a good solution to the safety of the transportation of people and freight.
Subsequently, Nanjing Iveco will focus on the express logistics industry, the first to launch the European standard logistics distribution vehicles, specially designed for the logistics industry models plus a full range of features, one-piece vans quickly become a large domestic logistics enterprises mutually recognized models. Iveco also take this to take the lead in occupying the transportation industry car market.
Laying down the industry again but no longer brilliant
April 2017 Nanjing Iveco launched a new generation of Iveco-Ousheng. Its new exterior design brings the product development of light commercial vehicles into the development mode of "both inside and outside", refreshing the light commercial vehicle industry to a new height.
○ Picture丨Third Generation Iveco Daily
Less than a year later, in November 2018, Iveco upgraded the new generation of Iveco Ovation 8AT version, which laid down the industry benchmark for light commercial vehicles in China.
As the latest generation, this Iveco Ousheng, equipped with the same pure imported eight-gear fully automatic transmission as the Maserati, and the Nanjing Iveco F1CE34818 engine, with a maximum horsepower of 146 hp, is one of the most cost-effective models today.
But with the gradual saturation of road passenger transportation and the emergence of competitors, once stood at the top of the tall building Iveco has long been no longer in the past only the status of the sky. The rise of rivals has led to Iveco's market share being constantly occupied by competitors.
It should not be the fate of an originator of light commercial vehicles to eke out an existence by relying on specialized markets such as caravans, which have no audience in the country.
Writing in the end
In the 30 years since it entered China, Iveco has taken one step at a time, doing a good job with its products and services, and not only pioneered a number of firsts in the history of domestic light buses, but also became synonymous with domestic light buses, driving the progress of domestic light commercial vehicle technology, and making a great contribution to China's automotive industry.
Today, in the face of fierce competition in the market status quo, Iveco can only make changes, perhaps to continue its future, home brother expects a new Iveco can appear in front of us as soon as possible.
This article comes from the author of the automobile home, does not represent the views of the automobile home position.