CIJAN and Volkswagen - Witnessing the Miracle of Growth

The process of CIJAN in producing and developing shock absorbers is quite dramatic. From the initial processing of small agricultural tools to the production and development of shock absorbers, an unexpected opportunity completely changed the development direction of the enterprise.

In 1960, CIJAN took back a sample of lever type shock absorber from Zhengzhou, and independently developed the first lever type shock absorber DD680 in 1961. It was designated as a “designated manufacturer of automotive shock absorbers” by the Automotive Bureau of the Ministry of Machinery Industry. This filled the gap in domestic production of automotive shock absorbers in China, marking the beginning of a specializedproduction era for shock absorbers and achieving a significant turning point in the history of CIJAN.

The "Eighth Five-Year Plan" and "Ninth Five-Year Plan" technological transformation are significant milestones in the product transformation and upgrading of CIJAN. Advanced technologies and equipment were introduced successively from Spain and Germany, leading to the establishment of a large number of advanced facilities such as the German automatic welding line, automatic welding robots, micro-crack chrome plating line, automatic shock absorber assembly line, and electrophoretic-coated line. This greatly enhanced the company’s equipment, technology, and scale, and established the strategic decision of “focusing on shock absorbers, emphasizing lightweight design for vehicles, and allowing flexibility in the manufacturing of motorcycle shock absorbers,” resulting in comprehensive and wide-ranging optimization of the product structure.  Zhao Xiuxin, the plant manager at that time, boldly declared the vow to “produce Audi shock absorbers and bring glory to the country,” and hung these eight big red letters at the factory gate to show determination. To achieve this dream, the company began contacting FAW-Volkswagen in 1992, and in 1997 successfully commenced the mass production of Jetta shock absorbers, becoming the only company in the domestic industry to pass the localization recognition from FAW and FAW-Volkswagen, exclusively supplying parts for Hongqi, Audi, and Jetta sedan. This marked the beginning of a new era in shock absorber production and achieved a qualitative breakthrough in CIJAN’s development.

CIJAN not only initiated the history of producing sedan shock absorbers for FAW-Volkswagen by supplying Jetta products but also commenced over twenty years of collaboration with FAW-Volkswagen. In 2009 and 2011, CIJAN was awarded the A-level supplier honor certificate by FAW-Volkswagen, establishing the banner of collaborating with FAW-Volkswagen.

“Collaboration with Volkswagen is a banner of the market development of CIJAN. We have invested a lot of effort and hard work. It has not been a easy thing. This not only excites us but also strengthens our determination to thrive through quality.” Wang Wenbo, deputy general manager of CIJAN, recalled that period of history with a sense of pride. He said, “First of all, we are the first company to achieve the localization substitution of domestic sedan shock absorbers. Before this, all the sedan shock absorbers used in China were directly imported from Europe or Japan. We broke the complete reliance on foreign technology and pioneered independent brand sedan shock absorbers. Secondly, it also indicates that we had completely reached the domestically top level at that time, aligning with European and Japanese sedan shock absorber products.”

Over the past two decades, CIJAN has been a high-quality strategic partner of Volkswagen. While stabilizing and expanding the business of FAW-Volkswagen, the development of Shanghai Volkswagen has also thrived. In 20011, CIJAN successfully developed and supported the Santana model. Subsequently, products such as the Passat and POLO were successively developed, and in 2024, the Audi CSWV was successfully developed.

FAW-Volkswagen and SAICVolkswagen serve as the benchmarks of the Chinese automotive industry. For almost thirty years, CIJAN has partnered with Volkswagen, growing and thriving alongside them, and has consistently been a loyal strategic ally. At present, the global automotive industry is undergoing tremendous changes, with a wave of new technologies and vehicle formats emerging. While CIJAN ensures top-notch product quality, timely deliveries, and effective service, it will also introduce more innovative technologies and products to support Volkswagen’s fast development!

CIJAN will become the global partner of Volkswagen, and the legendary partnership between CIJAN and Volkswagen is bound to continue to be relevant and inspiring in the future!

Contributed by Liu Yunfei