At the Pekin motor show, which will last between 20-28 of April, two Chinese concerns will present three cars designed by famous Italian design house – Pininfarina. Anhui Jianghuai Automobile will present the New five-door hatchback (A107 code) and sedan CV8 (A108 code). Brilliance will unveil for the first time BS4 wagon version (Station Wagon).

„We are going to start with production of „A” range in the middle of 2008. Our predictions say about 50,000 units annually”, vice president and main concern’s manager, Jin An, announced. These are the first Jianghuai’s models, designed to fullfil European safety standards. “European sale might start in the end of 2009”, Jin An added. Anhui Jianghuai cooperates with Austrian AVL (Graz) company, which helped to create three new engines’ range with capacity of 1.1L, 1.3L and 1.5L”.

Brilliance, Chinese partner of BMW, will present BS2 Station Wagon, designed in Italy as well. Car’s production is going to start in August, and two petrol engines: 1.8L and 2.0L will driven the car. There are some rumors, saying that Brilliance will possibly present a new 1.9L Diesel as well.

The famous Pininfarina got its first contract in China in May 1996, when Hafei Motor was its customer. Italian design house designed then minivan Zhongyi, which was launched on the local market in 1999. Since that time Hafei started sale of five models stylized by Pininfarina, inter alia: city Lobo and two generations of compact sedan Saibao.

Except of Hafei, Brilliance and Anhui Jianghuai, the Italian company won contracts for Changfeng Motor (Liebao/CS6 SUV) and Chery Automobile (Chery A3).

Pininfarina’s director (Lowie Vermeersch), confirmed (in the interview for Automotive News Europe) strong connections with Chinese customers, to whom belongs 30% of all Italian studio’s orders.

Source: Automotive News Europe