America no longer has the greatest number of automotive buyers. China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, reported through the Xinhua News Agency that sales exceeded 1 million vehicles in March. Small passenger cars make up the majority of the sales in China. According to the Autodata Corporation, sales in the United States for March were only about 850,000 vehicles. Once the world’s largest auto market, the United States will most likely be overtaken by the Chinese market for annual total vehicle sales this year.
The growth of the auto industry in China in the early 2000s can be compared to the growth of the auto industry in the United States in the early 1900s. Since 2000, China has increased their automobile production 4-fold. In 2000, about 2 million vehicles were produced. In 2008, over 9 million were produced. And now with sales exceeding 1 million per month, production will surely follow this rapid demand for cars.
The question is…Which Chinese automaker will become the next Ford, GM, or Chrysler?
Geely (a car company that just started producing cars in 1998)
Chery (a company founded in 1997)
Dongfeng Motor Corporation
Great Wall Motor
First Automobile Works
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation
Chang’an Auto
Brilliance China
Guangzhou Automobile