Almost seven out of 10 motorists say they would be more likely to buy a car from a Chinese manufacturer with a UK factory, according to new research.
April’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 41% believe it would be a good sign if Chinese companies became part of the UK motor industry and 31% want to back companies that invest here.
Also, 26% believe that as global companies, Chinese car makers should have a UK manufacturing presence.
However, 13% believe we should concentrate on protecting existing UK manufacturers and 12% just want the best car for their money and don’t care where it is made.
There has been speculation that some UK Chinese production could be on the cards.
In February Chinese carmaker Chery announced it was to open a new European HQ in Liverpool.
It was suggested the move could be a precursor to the brand agreeing a deal with JLR to manufacture cars in the UK using JLR excess capacity.
The two firms already have ties. JLR and Chery set up Chery Jaguar Land Rover in 2012 in order to build JLR models on Chinese soil.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “There have been press reports that some Chinese manufacturers are considering opening factories in the UK and we wanted to see if investing in the local economy would make people view these brands more favourably.
“The answer is a resounding yes. Chinese car makers could emulate Japanese companies such as Nissan and Toyota that reaped long-term sales benefits after opening UK manufacturing facilities in the 1980s and 1990s.”
Startline’s Tracker research also showed limited general resistance to Chinese manufacturers with 10% of respondents saying they wouldn’t buy a Chinese car wherever it was made and 7% considering Chinese companies in the UK are a security risk.
Paul said: “These are very low figures. The UK market has historically been welcoming to cars from foreign manufacturers that offer a high degree of value and it appears this applies as much to Chinese manufacturers as the Japanese and Korean companies that came before them. Anyone can see this from the high number of Chinese cars already on UK roads.”
Motorists were also asked how they felt about models from Western manufacturers that were manufactured in China, with 43% saying it made them less likely to buy.
The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research. This time, 300 consumers and 61 dealers were questioned.
(Photo: Illustrative purposes)
