As Chinese automakers grow (locally) and acquire more money, their expansionist tendencies will begin to take hold and what better market to concentrate on than the mature and traditional, but currently cash-strapped Europe.

Since Geely bought Volvo, we have become used to the idea of foreign ownership of an old European manufacturer. In fact, Volvo is on the road to doing quite well, even though they are not really there yet, I think, especially not with their limited lineup of models.

Now, BAIC (Beijing Auto), which in China collaborates with Daimler and Hyundai for the manufacturing of automobiles, is looking to get a firm foothold in Europe, and just like Geely before them, they are searching for a struggling automaker to take over and turn around.

Apparently, their newly established BAIC International Development Co. firm has already found three prospective “mid-sized brands,” and according to Bloomberg, they want to get things over with before the economy gets back on track, in order to receive a better deal.

The ultimate goal is to make “world-class” cars by the year 2025, and they have already hired famed Ferrari designer Leonardo Fioravanti (288 GTO, Daytona, 512 Berlinetta Boxer and the Fiat 130, to name a few) to boost the appeal of their brand outside of China.

So, does this mean that Nicolas Cage will drive an Italian-designed car, made by the Chinese in Europe? Now that’s amusing.

By Andrei Nedelea

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