Great Wall Motor: From Baoding Repair Shop to Top-Ten Chinese Automaker

Great Wall Motor, known as GWM, is a Baoding-headquartered automaker that concentrates on SUVs and pickup trucks. It ranks among China's ten largest carmakers, with roughly 1.23 million vehicles sold worldwide in 2024. Its portfolio spans the GWM, Haval, Wey, Tank and Ora marques, plus Souo touring motorcycles, and the group's 2023 revenue reached about 173.2 billion yuan.

The company traces its roots to a 1976 vehicle repair workshop set up by Wei Deliang with a local township government in Hebei. His nephew Wei Jianjun, now chairman, took charge in 1990 at age 26 and steered the firm toward pickups; the 1996 launch of the Toyota Hilux-based Deer made Great Wall China's leading pickup producer. The business was privatized in 1998 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2003.

Today GWM sells across markets from Australia and Brazil to Russia, Thailand and South Africa, and since 2019 has run Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture with BMW that builds electric Minis in China. Leadership remains anchored by the Wei family, with Wei Jianjun as chairman and Mu Feng as CEO.