The former Wuhan Automotive Polytechnic University came from the original Wuhan Institute of Technology which was founded in 1958. In 1959, it was merged into Hubei Chemical Engineering College. Then in 1961, the college merged with the other two colleges, respectively, Wuhan Institute of Technology and Hubei Industry College and thus named itself Wuhan Institute of Technology. During the next fifteen years, the Institute underwent great changes and was forced to change its name due to China's Cultural Revolution. Then in 1979, the Institute regained its name as Wuhan Institute of Technology. Later from 1983 to 1994, the Institute showed its rapid development in many aspects. Then in 1995, the Institute changed its name to Wuhan Automotive Polytechnic University. What was more, in 1999, Hubei No.1 Mechanical Industry School and Hubei Energy Economy School were merged into the university. Later in May 2000, it merged with the other two universities mentioned in the beginning and thus formed Wuhan University of Technology.