SAIC Group (officially Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group)) is a Chinese government-owned

Government-owned corporation

A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...

 automotive company. It is one of the "Big Four" Chinese automakers (along with Chang'an Motors

Chang'an Motors

Chang'an Automobile Co Ltd is an automobile manufacturer in Chongqing, China, and a state-owned enterprise with China Weaponry Equipment as parent....

, FAW Group, and Dongfeng Motor

Dongfeng Motor

Dongfeng Motor Corporation along with its listed subsidiaries comprise one of China's largest vehicle manufacturers.Traditionally included as one of the "big 3" Chinese automakers, Dongfeng is currently in the top 4 along with Chang'an Motors, FAW Group, and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation...

) and in 2010 produced 3.58 million units, the largest output of any Chinese manufacturer.

SAIC's origins date to the early years of the Chinese automobile industry in the 1940s, and it was one of the few carmakers in Mao's China, making the Shanghai SH760

Shanghai SH760

The Shanghai SH760 is a car produced in China from 1958 to 1991. It was primarily produced for government officials not important enough to warrant a FAW Hong Qi....

 for government officials not important enough to warrant a FAW Hong Qi

FAW Hongqi

Hongqi is a luxury car brand of First Automobile Works. These cars were the first domestically produced Chinese passenger vehicles.First manufactured in 1958, the original Hongqi models were only for high-ranking party elite and remained in production until 1981...

.