Opel will be free to sell automobiles in China again under its new owner, PSA – but the boss of Vauxhall’s partner in Europe admits that such a move can only happen after the two freshly sold brands restore themselves to profitability.
Opel pulled out of the Chinese market in 2014 after almost 20 years as an underfunded bit-player in general Motors’ efforts in the region. The firm’s boss, Karl-Thomas Neumann, says that the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Peugeot-Citroen, confirmed on the eve of the Geneva show, opens up the possibility of a properly funded return to the lucrative market.
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When asked if Opel could eventually go back to China, Neumann replied, “Yes. even though in the old world [under GM], Opel didn’t intend to go back there. The first thing I did [when I joined GM Europe] was to close our little outlet in China, and the 12 dealers we had there. because if you want a brand like Opel in China, it needs substantial investment. and if you already have a number of successful brands there, then you don’t do that; you’d rather spend that money on your existing brands.