Asia Motors

Asia Motors
Hangul	아시아자동차
Hanja	亞細亞自動車
Revised Romanization	Asia Jadongcha
McCune–Reischauer	Asia Chatongch'a

Asia Motors Industries Co., Ltd.
Native name	아시아자동차공업 주식회사
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Founded	1965
Defunct	1999
Fate	Merged into Kia Motors
Headquarters	South Korea
Parent	Kia Motors

For the Indian truck manufacturer see: Asia MotorWorks

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Asia Motors Industries, traded as Asia Motors (Template:Lang-ko, IPA: [aɕʰia dʑadoŋtɕʰa]), was a South Korean car manufacturer established in 1965 and closed in 1999. Since 1976, it was a subsidiary of Kia Motors.

History

In 1962, as one of the measures to comply its First Five-Year Economic Development Plan, the Korean government passed a law exempting from taxes imported parts to assemble KD cars locally.^[1] In 1965, as a result of these incentives, was founded Asia Motor Industries, which initially was involved in manufacturing military vehicles. That year, however, the company began negotiations with Fiat and in 1969 it started to assemble Fiat 124 models.^[2] It diversified into the SUV and heavy vehicles market, including large and medium duty trucks, special military vehicles, lightweight cars, civilian jeeps (a small jeep look-alike called the Rocsta and later the Retona), motor vehicle components, to include engines, and buses and mini-buses. In 1973, the South Korean government launched a plan to promote the production of low-cost cars for export. Asia Motors was unable to satisfy the plan's conditions and was purchased by Kia in 1976.^[3] Hyundai in turn purchased Kia and the Asia brand was discontinued in 1999. The Rocsta's replacement, the Retona, was sold under the Kia brand.^{[citation needed]}

The Australian Asia Motors distributors, now an independent company called Asia Motors Australia, continues to use the Asia Motors name but now sources its products elsewhere.^{[citation needed]}

Vehicles

Car/Jeep/SUV

Small / medium-sized buses

Combi (AM805/815/825)
Cosmos (AM818)

Large bus

AM927 / AM937 / AM928 (city buses), AM929, AM939, AM949 (Gran Bird)

Truck

Granto (AM) truck

Other

KM900 APC - license version of the Fiat 6614 Armoured Personnel Carrier for Republic of Korea Army

References

^ Kim, Linsu (1997). "The Automobile Industry Crisis Construction and Technological Learning". Imitation to Innovation: The Dynamics of Korea's Technological Learning. Harvard Business Press. p. 107. ISBN 0-87584-574-6.
^ Kang, Tong-su (2008). Government policies and corporate strategies under structural changes and dynamism: the cases of Korea and China. KDI. p. 98. ISBN 978-8-980-63342-5.
^ Lansbury, Russell D.; Suh, Chung-Sok; Kwong, Seung-Ho (2007). "Hyundai Motors as a global auto company". The Global Korean Motor Industry: The Hyundai Motor Company's Global Strategy. Routledge Advances in Korean Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-415-41366-4.

External links

[SM-1] Kim, Linsu (1997). "The Automobile Industry Crisis Construction and Technological Learning". Imitation to Innovation: The Dynamics of Korea's Technological Learning. Harvard Business Press. p. 107. ISBN 0-87584-574-6.

[2] Kang, Tong-su (2008). Government policies and corporate strategies under structural changes and dynamism: the cases of Korea and China. KDI. p. 98. ISBN 978-8-980-63342-5.

[3] Lansbury, Russell D.; Suh, Chung-Sok; Kwong, Seung-Ho (2007). "Hyundai Motors as a global auto company". The Global Korean Motor Industry: The Hyundai Motor Company's Global Strategy. Routledge Advances in Korean Studies. Taylor & Francis. p. 50. ISBN 978-0-415-41366-4.

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