BMW Group selects Thaco as new Vietnam distributor

Letter of intent appoints Thaco as new distributor from January 1.

BMW Group Asia has announced the signing of a letter of intent between BMW AG and the Truong Hai Auto Corporation (Thaco), in which BMW has selected Thaco as the new importer and distributor of BMW and MINI vehicles in Vietnam, starting from January 1, 2018.

Detailed information about distribution systems, the import roadmap, and product policy will be announced within the next few days.

BMW Group Asia will be ending its partnership with Sime Darby Motors, a majority investor in the current BMW distributor in Vietnam, Euro Automobiles Corp (EAC), on December 31, 2017. “Our customers are our number one priority, and until further notice, EAC will continue to provide high quality after-sales services for all existing BMW, MINI, and BMW Motorrad customers in Vietnam,” said Mr. Paul de Courtois, Managing Director of BMW Group Asia.

August saw a new record achieved in BMW Group sales, with deliveries during the month totaling 169,913 worldwide, a 2.7 per cent increase year-on-year. The company also sold more vehicles than ever before in the first eight months of the year, with a total of 1,571,467 (up 4.2 per cent) delivered to customers around the world.

The Truong Hai Automobile Co., Ltd was established on April 29, 1997 and is headquartered at the Bien Hoa II Industrial Zone in southern Dong Nai province. It was founded by Mr. Tran Ba Duong, who is now Chairman.

In 2007, the Truong Hai Automobile Co., Ltd. became the Truong Hai Auto Corporation. It has three administrative offices, in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Chu Lai, central Quang Nam province. The Chu Lai - Truong Hai Auto Manufacturing and Assembly Complex was established in 2003 on an area of nearly 600 ha and consists of 24 subsidiaries and affiliated factories.

Thaco currently operates in automobile manufacture, assembly, and distribution, provides spare part and maintenance services, including manufacturing, trading, and distributing commercial vehicles (trucks and buses), and manufactures and trades passenger cars from brands including Kia (South Korea), Mazda (Japan), and Peugeot (France). As at April 2016, its distribution network consisted of 89 showrooms and 53 dealers nationwide, with 14,900 employees.

The latest report from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) showed that Thaco’s sales in August totaled 6,228 units, accounting for 30 per cent of the market, followed by Toyota with 27.9 per cent and Ford with 11 per cent.

by Doanh Doanh / VET