Rolls-Royce could soon come under pressure at the top end of the luxury market from a little-known Chinese brand. Domestic market focused car maker Hongqi, is planning an attack on the pinnacle of luxury motoring that will eventually go global.
As part of the FAW Group, one of China’s biggest car manufacturers, Hongqi aims to achieve this by leveraging a rich cultural and historical heritage that includes making official government limousines, like the popular L5 (above).
Now settled into his role as global vice-president of design and chief creative officer in Munich, Taylor told our sister publication, Autocar UK, of plans to build a flagship luxury car that would target affluent Chinese buyers who would traditionally aspire to own a Rolls-Royce. “We’re picking up young customers with extreme wealth they want to buy Chinese,” said Taylor of the Hongqi brand, which was revived last year.
