Zongshen: the group, its brands and who controls it
Facts checked
- Private
- SZSE 001696
Zongshen grew out of a Chongqing motorcycle repair shop opened by Zuo Zongshen in 1982 and was founded as a company in 1992. It builds motorcycles, quad bikes, general-purpose engines and generators, and it makes engines and components for other manufacturers. Its listed arm, Chongqing Zongshen Power Machinery, trades in Shenzhen.
The group sells under the Zongshen name and the premium Cyclone brand, and it has a scooter joint venture with Piaggio in Foshan set up in April 2004. Output is over a million motorcycles a year and roughly a third of production has historically been exported, to Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
In 2024 Zongshen made the largest recent move in the Chinese motorcycle industry. Its vehicle Zongshen New Manufacturing agreed to buy 24.55% of the rival Chongqing maker Loncin for RMB3.346 billion and became Loncin's controlling shareholder, bringing the Cyclone and Voge premium brands under one roof. Group revenue was CNY12.31 billion in 2025.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 宗申 “dzong-SHUN” no literal meaning; it is the given name of the founder, Zuo Zongshen |
|---|---|
| Legal name | Zongshen Industrial Group Co., Ltd. |
| Ownership | Private |
| Founded | 1992 by Zuo Zongshen |
| Headquarters | Chongqing, Chongqing, China |
| Vehicles | Motorcycles and Components |
| Listings | SZSE 001696 |
| 2025 revenue | CNY12,309.54 million, against CNY10,383.52 million in 2024 |
| Loncin stake | 24.55% of Loncin Motor, agreed 2 July 2024 for RMB3.346 billion |
| Output | More than 1,000,000 motorcycles a year; about 18,000 employees |
| Piaggio joint venture | Zongshen Piaggio Foshan Motorcycle Co., Ltd., established April 2004 |
| Brands | Zongshen, Cyclone and Cineco |
Ownership tree
- Zongshen (group)
- Loncin (group) Held at 24.55%
- Loncin (brand) Held at 100%
- Voge (brand) Held at 100%
- Zongshen (brand)
Who controls Zongshen?
Zuo Zongshen controls Zongshen since 1992.
Zuo Zongshen founded the company in 1992 and is named as its actual controller in coverage of the Loncin purchase. No personal percentage was published in the sources we read.
| Holder | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piaggio & C. SpA | runs a joint venture with | not published | April 2004 | Zongshen Piaggio Foshan Motorcycle Co., Ltd. was established in Foshan, Guangdong, in April 2004. The split was not published in the sources we read. |
Brands
| Brand | Held | Origin | Founded | Models | Markets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 宗申Zongshen | directly | China | 1992 | 0 | 6 |
| 隆鑫Loncin | via Loncin | China | 1993 | 0 | 1 |
| 无极Voge | via Loncin | China | 2018 | 0 | 7 |
Joint ventures
| Venture | Partner | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zongshen Piaggio Foshan Motorcycle Co., Ltd. | Piaggio & C. SpA | April 2004 | Joint venture in Foshan, Guangdong, building Piaggio and Vespa products for China. |
Zongshen: questions people ask
- Who owns Zongshen?
- It is a private Chongqing group founded and controlled by Zuo Zongshen, with its power machinery arm listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under code 001696.
- Did Zongshen buy Loncin?
- It bought control rather than the whole company. Zongshen New Manufacturing agreed in July 2024 to take 24.55% of Loncin Motor for RMB3.346 billion and became its controlling shareholder.
- What is Cyclone?
- Cyclone is Zongshen's larger-capacity premium motorcycle brand, sold alongside the mainstream Zongshen range.
Related
Sources for Zongshen
- Wikipedia, Zongshen. Read . Founding, founder, brands, Piaggio joint venture, output, employees.
- Powersports Business, China: Zongshen to become majority shareholder in Loncin. Read .
- MarketScreener, Chongqing Zongshen Power Machinery Co Ltd reports earnings results for the full year ended December 31 2025. Read .