China's Chery Auto produced its millionth car on Wednesday, becoming the first Chinese automaker to reach the milestone.
The firm, established in 1997, started production in 1999 and took seven years and nine months to make its first million cars. The millionth car is an A3 four-door hatchback, which made its debut at last year's Beijing auto show and is expected to go on the market later this year.
Chery,the ambitious flag-bearer of Chinese indigenous brands, is capable of producing 400,000 cars, 400,000 engines and 300,000 transmission cases a year and plans to raise its annual output to one million cars by 2010.
Chery, based in the eastern city of Wuhu, sold more than 230,000 cars in the first seven months of the year,maintaining its position as the country's seventh largest auto manufacturer and the fourth largest producer of sedans.
