• Almost seven out of 10 (68%) motorists say they would be more likely to buy from a Chinese car manufacturer with a UK factory
• 31% want to back companies that invest in the UK and 26% think these global companies should make cars here
• However, 13% believe we should instead concentrate on protecting existing UK manufacturers, shows the new Startline Used Car Tracker.

April’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 41% believe it would be a good sign if Chinese companies became part of the UK motor industry and 31% want to back companies that invest here.

Also, 26% believe that as global companies, Chinese car makers should have a UK manufacturing presence.

However, 13% believe we should concentrate on protecting existing UK manufacturers and 12% just want the best car for their money and don’t care where it is made.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “There have been press reports that some Chinese manufacturers are considering opening factories in the UK and we wanted to see if investing in the local economy would make people view these brands more favourably.

“The answer is a resounding yes. Chinese car makers could emulate Japanese companies such as Nissan and Toyota that reaped long-term sales benefits after opening UK manufacturing facilities in the 1980s and 1990s.”

Startline’s Tracker research also showed limited general resistance to Chinese manufacturers with 10% of respondents saying they wouldn’t buy a Chinese car wherever it was made and 7% considering Chinese companies in the UK are a security risk.

Paul said: “These are very low figures. The UK market has historically been welcoming to cars from foreign manufacturers that offer a high degree of value and it appears this applies as much to Chinese manufacturers as the Japanese and Korean companies that came before them. Anyone can see this from the high number of Chinese cars already on UK roads.”

Motorists were also asked how they felt about models from Western manufacturers that were manufactured in China, with 43% saying it made them less likely to buy.

Paul said: “This is an interesting finding and shows that a large minority of car buyers are probably more interested in where a car is made than who makes it – and want to back local manufacturing when possible.”

The Startline Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research, well-known in the motor industry for their business intelligence reporting and customer experience programs. This time, 300 consumers and 61 dealers were questioned.