Chinese Cars Likely Next Year

Ateco, owned by Neville Crichton, expects to launch three Chery models next year. They’ll be strange bedfellows among a lineup that includes Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Citroen and Fiat. There is, however, a connection; Chery has an agreement to export 100,000 engine sets a year to Fiat.

Chery built its first car in 1999 and turned out its one millionth last August. It has been China’s leading vehicle exporter for the past five years and plans to release 38 new models over the next five years. Already on sale in various Western markets, Cherys have generally received lacklustre reviews.