CHERY Automobile Co, China's first vehicle exporter, said it sold 37,207 units in January, surpassing Volkswagen AG's two Chinese ventures and trailing only Shanghai General Motors Co.　
　
Chery sold 13,713 QQ compact cars and 9,804 Flagcloud cars last month, the Anhui Province-based auto maker said in a statement on its Website. The company didn't provide comparable figures for 2006.

Chinese auto makers are seeking to catch up with larger overseas rivals with more self-designed models and lower prices. Chery said it surpassed Volkswagen's two ventures for the first time to become the second-largest passenger car seller.

Shanghai GM sold 40,570 passenger cars, Chery said in the statement, citing industry statistics, the origin of which it didn't identify. Shanghai Volkswagen Co sold 35,128 units and FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co sold 32,084 units, it said.

Chery aims to expand sales by 29 percent to 393,000 units this year, compared with a 60- percent increase in 2006. Chery's sales more than doubled to 189,000 units in 2005.

The QQ and Flagcloud, also known as Qiyun, models were ranked No. 6 and No. 9 in domestic sales last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Source:佚名