A Chinese manufacturer has won its High Court battle over a famous name in British motoring history. Judge Sir William Blackburne said the Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) had acquired the rights to the MG trademarks and logos. He ordered Sports and Racing Europe, based in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, to stop using the famous octagonal logo and name on its MG X POWER supercar. The judge ruled it was infringing the marks and had no entitlement to them - according to BBC News.

Chinese automakers have set higher sales targets for 2010, driven by robust sales in January, to continue the growth momentum of late 2009, China Times reported. China's auto sales surged 124% year on year in January to a monthly record of 1.66 million vehicles, extending last year's strong gains and bucking forecasts for weaker growth. Passenger vehicle sales exceeded 1.3 million units in January, up 110%. Some analysts say there are signs of emerging overcapacity issues. The Chinese government will not approve auto capacity expansion project of its automakers unless they first agree to take over a domestic rival.

China's passenger vehicle sales hit a new high in January to exceed 1.3 million units, Xinhua News reported yesterday, citing official data. Last month, passenger vehicle sales surged 110% year on year (and 18.11% month on month) to 1.32 million units while output increased 130% y/y (and 4.33% m/m) to 1.24 million units, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

One of the problems that has traditionally beset domestic Chinese auto manufacturers is a perception of low quality and low price among Chinese car buyers. As a result, beyond the lowest entry price point, most Chinese auto buyers opt for foreign brands or, at the very least, joint ventures like Shanghai Volkswagen or Chang'an Ford. This "domestic prejudice" is especially apparent at the high-end, where Mercedes-Benz , BMW and Bentley (the favored brand of China's wealthy elite last year, according to the Hurun Report's "Best of the Best" list) reign supreme - according to Jing Daily.

Chery-Quantum LLC, a joint venture between Israel Corp. and China's Chery Automobile Co., will develop a compact jeep, whose initial technical details have been disclosed by the official Chinese press, said Israel's Globes Online. Israel Corp. invested $225 million in Chery-Quantum for a 50% stake in the JV. Last year, Chery-Quantum changed its premium car strategy to focus on an electric jeep. The new Chery-Quantum compact jeep, code-named T21, was designed at a studio in Milan, and resembles the general design of Chery's Tiggo 5, but is smaller

C-NCAP conducted crash test of Geely Panda. The car surprised all observers getting 45,3 points and maximum five stars, , because it got the best result among all city models crashed by local organization. Tests were conducted 29th of December, but official results have been unveiled now. Earlier – five stars results were given only for two compact models – Roewe 550 and Chery A3.

China's largest indigenous automaker Chery Auto plans to outsell its home-grown rival BYD Auto this year, the China Business News (CBN) reported Monday, citing an unnamed source. Ma Deji, Chery's deputy general manager, said its company has set the 2010 sales target at 700,000 units. But a company insider told the CBN that Chery will not loose ground to the Shenzhen-based BYD Auto, which has planned to sell 800,000 units this year.

Warsaw is about to play host to a very special new arrival in the form of the world famous London Taxi. The vehicle, which is being promoted by a local Polish company called Dufort London Taxis, is to get its first public unveiling in the capital city, Warsaw on the 26th January. The event is to be held at Motortest, an established car dealership and vehicle repair workshop centre, situated in close proximity to Warsaw’s airport starting at 5pm.

Chinese automaker Zhejiang Jonway Automobile Co. Ltd. and U.S. electric car maker Zap have agreed to jointly produce electric SUVs, cars and other electric vehicles in China for domestic and global markets, media reported yesterday. The partnership with Jonway is part of Zap's multi-phase business plan to target the booming electric vehicle market in China. Jonway is selected as a local partner as the company has produced one of the first vehicles in China to meet international quality standards.

Changan Auto is set to launch its first self-developed compact car Benben Mini in March, media reported. It will be priced between 35,000 yuan ($5,130) and 50,000 yuan. Based on the company's best-selling first-generation Benben model, which appeared to be a chunky but useable car, the Benben Mini has an entirely new door line, rear end and has been given a cuter front end, according to the China Car Times.