Yantai-branded automobiles are a brand under Shandong Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. This brand has produced light-duty trucks, including the "Yantai" light-duty truck and the later "Yantai 1605 model" low-speed cargo vehicle series. In 1999, Shandong Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd. successfully turned losses into profits by launching the Yantai 1605 series and acquired multiple companies to enhance its strength.
The product line of Yantai-branded vehicles was once very rich, including dump trucks, special-purpose vehicles, and agricultural transport vehicles. In particular, the YT1041 model, launched based on the Isuzu model, was a flagship product that was once very popular in the market. In addition, the YTQ1042JEEV3315 type two-class pure electric cargo vehicle chassis produced by Weichai New Energy Commercial Vehicle Co., Ltd., demonstrated the exploration and development of the Yantai brand in the field of new energy.
However, with market changes and internal company issues, Yantai-branded cars later faced challenges. Imbalanced product development and a single market form led to difficulties for the company after the low-speed cargo vehicle market cooled down. Despite attempts to launch new models and cooperate with other companies, the situation was not significantly improved. In the end, Shandong Automobile Manufacturing Factory became a subordinate trust enterprise of Shandong Province Automotive Industry Group Co., Ltd., and with the merger of Shandong Province Automotive Industry Group Co., Ltd. and Weichai Holding Group Co., Ltd., it became a light truck production base under Shandong Heavy Industry Group.