The Car Industry in China
So, you buy German, maybe a new VW Passat. Or, you buy American, maybe a Buick Excelle or LaCrosse or Verano, thinking they were designed by Germans or Americans. Fact is, all major automotive car manufacturers have design teams in China creating cars for the world. The VW Passat was designed in China, the Buick Excelle and LaCrosse was also. The Chevy Sail, which is really a Cruze-like Sonic, was also designed in China. Mercedes and BMW have lengthened certain cars because of Chinese tastes. Chinese also like a lot of chrome and LED lights. They also want more comfortable rear seats since they usually carry more than 1 or 2 people and large front grills.
Last year, over 18 million cars were sold in China, mostly German and US. In the US, only 12 million were sold. By 2016, China will be 30% of the world's auto market. China already exports over 800,000 cars a year for sale in other countries. In just a few years, many of the cars that world buys will be designed in China, manufactured there and ship elsewhere. American and European markets will also receive selected models.