China is the largest car market in the world, and is still growing fast. There are more models available for Chinese car buyers compared to other countries. They can buy cars from European manufacturers that are not available in the United States. They can also choose cars made by Japanese firms that are not sold in Europe. What’s more, they can even purchase models from U.S. manufacturers that are not marketed anywhere else. They can also buy from an endless variety of local brands, and on top of all that there are cars that are made in China specifically for the Chinese market by foreign automakers.
Chinese law requires foreign firms to form joint ventures with local companies if they want to manufacture cars in China. The maximum stake a foreign firm can hold is limited at 50%. The cars that these joint ventures make are rarely exported, with a few notable exceptions like the Buick Envision and the Volvo S60 Inscription. This means that the vast majority of these vehicles remain exclusive to the Chinese market and inaccessible elsewhere. Here is the latest list of joint venture vehicles that are not available to the rest of the world – the forbidden fruit- , as seen on the 2016 Beijing Auto Show.
