Ariel Motor Co has set up a joint venture to
Saunders wants Atom to be No1 sports car in China
make and sell its Atom sports cars in China. According to Ariel’s MD Simon Saunders, UK production will continue in Somerset but this new Chinese production facility will cater for the burgeoning Asian market.
A new company, Quingdao Ariel Automotive Ltd has been set up to manufacture the cars at a new plant in the coastal city of Quingdao. It has already secured 200 orders, the first of which are expected to be completed later this year. Saunders maintains that these cars will remain mechanically identical to the cars produced in Somerset.
Ariel already has a similar licensee agreement in the US, which helps the company to remain small while expanding into new markets. We wonder if the Chinese Atoms will be substantially cheaper?
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