Fast, bulletproof, and straight out of Anhui Province
Not being content with constructing fine automobiles that are capable of outperforming a Ferrari F430 on Shanghai's Tianma circuit, Chery Automobile has announced a joint-venture with Uruguay-based armoured car company, Bognor Automotive Manufacture and Assembly, to produce a bullet-proof version of their mid-range Eastar sedan here in China.
Fan Shiwei, the Chery official in charge of the project, said in a statement:
Bullet-proof cars are a new growth area. There are no makers of bulletproof cars in China now, and this means Chery has once again broken new ground...
There were no details of production numbers or targeted countries for export, by the way.
Chery is probably most famous for its tiny QQ hatchback. In 2006, Chery appears to have shrugged off allegations of blatant re-engineering and became China's seventh largest automaker, and fourth largest producer of sedans with sales of 302,500 vehicles. In January this year, Chery sold 37,207 vehicles, second only to the 40,570 units sold by Shanghai General Motors. Chery also recently announced JV plans with American Daimler Chrysler to produce a small-car for the US market.
For a good review on Chery, check out this Washington Post article.
