Pending Eastern Invasion?

It seems we’re on the cusp of a second major international vehicle onslaught. Revealed at Belgium’s Busworld in Kortrijk, four times as big as any of our own Expos, was a Scania—built entirely in China. So what? Well, the vehicle is designed for the European market. It represents the first European builder to collaborate with the Chinese. Initial production will be to LHD specification aimed first at central Europe, with western Europe to follow. We cannot rule out a UK version to challenge our existing manufacturers.

The Scania Touring is aimed squarely at the European market, will offer good value and will be available from 2010, at a time when European manufacturers will still be suffering from a depressed market

There are currently only some two dozen luxury Chinese King Longs on our roads. Scania’s China project is different. It sets the scene more for the future, as China offers:

• Cheaper labour—reducing costs
• Probably a lower emphasis on health & safety and environmental management—lowering costs further
• A huge national production capacity—other manufacturers may follow Scania’s lead
• Increasing build quality—you can guarantee that Scania will have that sorted
  

Check your mobile phone, the Christmas presents for the children, your computer, the clothes you are wearing and you’ll probably not far from a “made in China” label. Are we about to add coaches and buses? Also represented in Belgium were other Chinese products:

• Asia’s largest PSV manufacturer, the Chinese Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co
• Anhui Ankai Auto Group Co
• King Long, who won Busworld’s Coachbuilder of the Year
  

The Scania Touring will be manufactured in partnership with Higer Bus Co, a relatively new Chinese manufacturer already exporting to the USA and Russia

The first major international vehicle onslaught had devastating UK consequences. It coincided with a period when demand for upmarket coaches was at its height, when medium-weight British manufactures were caught on the back foot. By the early 1980s, first Volvo then MAN, Neoplan, Kassbohrer Setra, Scania, Bova, Jonckheere and Van Hool had arrived, together with later appearances from the likes of Berkof, Beulas and Sunsundegui. These have all had a direct or indirect impact on UK manufacturing, depressing local demand, threatening Plaxton, and contributing to closures at Beford & Ford, and the take-over then closure of Duple.

Later Turkish imports such as BMC and Temsa have yet to make an impact. Ditto Egyptian MCV and Polish Autosan. That’s because the quality or finish isn’t quite there. Scania already exports European specification all-Polish Omnicity single & double decks. Quality is good, as it will no doubt be from China.