Copying has occurred a lot in China’s auto industry, and outsiders have railed against it. Can’t say I blame them, but let’s also give credit where it is due. Many Chinese makers have invested heavily in contracting out their new model designs. Here is a list of a few.

Feel free to make corrections. There may be several.

I personally think Chang’an wins the prize when it comes to avoiding the temptation to copy.
In a tie-up with I.De.A., it has a design office in Turin. JAC also has a design centre in Turin.

Foreign-based designers

1. Pininfarina:
• Hafei - Zhongyi, Fantasy concept, Saibao, Big Overlord, Lobo (Lubao)
• Changfeng - CS6 SUV, Liebao (CS7)
• Chery - A3, M14
• Brilliance - Zunchi (BS6) re-design 2004, Junjie wagon
• JAC - A107, A108, A138 Tongyue, B15

2. Ital design S.p.A.(Giugiaro et al):
• Dongfeng - Fengshen S30
• FAW - Bentung (Besturn)
• Brilliance - Zunchi (BS6) original design, Junjie (BS4)

3. I.De.A
• Chang’an - Fengshang CV-9, CV11 MPV, CM7 Raimondi, CV6 Benben
Jiangling - Landwind X8 (designer: Justin Norek)
• FAW Haima - Huandong

4. Torino
• Guanzhou Independent – A-HEV concept
• Chery – Fulwin 2 series Lei (A13), Tiggo 5, Shooting Sport , Faira Series

5. Bertone
• Chery – A1, Tiggo 6, Riich G5 (B21), Riich G6 (B12), Riich A6 CC (B23)
Chang'he - Ideal

6. Dambrosio Luciano
• Chang’an - V101 Yuexiang

7. IAT
• Chery - Higgo Pickup (P12),QQ6 (S21), Karry Youya (S22), Rely X5 (P11 Higgo3), A6CC coupe concept
FAW Tianjin - A1
FAW Haima - S3, M2

8. Hivec of Japan
• Chang’an models

9. Fumia Design
Chery QQme (S16)

10. Sivax of Japan
Chery - Rely V8 (B13), Rely V5 (B14), Karry Youpai (Q21, Q21D)

11. Daejin (Korea) Jung Hae-Il
Geely - Emgrand GT Tiger, Shanghai Englon GE

12. Blu Design (Orazia Fusetti Daldosso)
FAW - Honqi SUV

13. Nova Team of Taiwan
Geely - GL Eagle iG.

14. DPECO (Korea)
Geely Emgrand EC718

15. Tesco
Chang'an Yusheng SUV

China domestic designers

1. TJ Innova
• Lifan - 520, 520i, minitruck
• Geely - Maple Marindo 506, Maple Meilu
Brilliance Jinbei - Granse (Toyota Hiace-based)
Chang'he - Dolphin
Dongfeng Liuzhou - Futurer (Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear-based)
Joyear (Mitsubishi Grandis-based)
Dongfeng Yu'an - MPV
Chang'an - CM6
Great Wall - Florid (Scion-based), Peri (Fiat Panda-based), Cowry, Voleex,
Soueast (Dongnan) - V3
JAC - Bingyue, Rein (Hyundai Santa Fe-based), Refine (Hyundai Starex-based)
FAW Haima - New Premacy (H2), Fushida 1 (M1), Fushida 2 ( F Star minibus)
Changfeng - Qilin (Kylin)

2. PATAC
• SGM – La Crosse, Park Avenue, Qilin concept, Buick Business MPV concept, Wuling Hongtu N200,
the Buick Riviera concept, Buick Excelle HRV

3. Kaking (Jiajing)of Anhui
• Chery – Qiyun, A520, Dongfangzhizi (Oriental Son), Chery QQ3 (S11), Karry V3 (A18), Chery Tiggo 3 (T11)

4. Edward Wong (Sphere One)
• Fudi SUVs (with Hong Kong Polytechnic)
BAW - BJ2S Warrior (Yongshi)

5. Chang Bing
• FAW Hongqi

6. Ruifeng of Wuxi, Jiangsu
• FAW - Hongqi C601
Great Wall - Hover H7, CHC011 sedan
NAC Soyat

7. Hidea of Jiangsu
Brilliance - FRV, M3 coupe

8. CH Auto
Changfeng - CH6, CH7

At the Beijing 2008 auto show, BAIC and Geely displayed some impressive concept models, but I don’t know which design houses were responsible. Or were they done in house?

Note: Many thanks to the contributions of Erik (Laofan) of CMVDC toward the many updates to this list. (made on 09/05/28)

I believe BAIC stuff were designed in house, CCT did mention it once. I forgot the guy's name.

About Geely I am not so sure.

Wow your post is good you have done a good job thanks.

Great post, Dragin.
I have some more, to start with Chery:
4. Torino Design: Chery Fulwin 2 series (A13)
5. Bertone: Riich G6 (B12), Riich A6 CC (B23)
6. Piatti is the Torino designer, this is the same car as the Fulwin coupe under Torino (Fulwin 2, Lei, A13C)
8. IAT: Chery QQ6 (S21), Karry Youya (S22), Rely X5 (P11 Higgo3)
10. Fumia Design: Chery QQme (S16)
11. Sivax: Rely V8 (B13), Rely V5 (B14), Karry Youpai (Q21, Q21D)
Chinese designers:
3.Jiajing: Chery QQ3 (S11), Karry V3 (A18), Chery Tiggo 3 (T11)

more to come

8. IAT: Haima S3, M1. FAW-Tianjin A1.
12. Daejin (Korea), designer Jung Hae Il: Geely Emgrand GT Tiger, Shanghai Englon GE (copy Rolls)
Chinese designers:
8. PATAC (Panya) all the Buick and Chevrolet conversions
9. Ruifeng (Wuxi): FAW Hongqi C601, Great Wall Hover H7, CHC011
more to come

Chinese designers,
1. TJ Innova: Great Wall cars
7. Hidea: Brilliance FRV, Brilliance Kubao coupe (M3)

1. Pininfarina: Changfeng Liebao CS7 (Cheetah), Hafei Lobo (Lubao)
3. IdeA: Chang'an CV6 Benben, Jiangling Landwind X8 (Justin Norek is the designer)
Chinese designers:
1. TJ Innova: Jinbei Granse
10. Blu design (Orazia Fusetti Daldosso) FAW Hongqi SUV

corrections: sorry, IAT's Haima M1 must be Haima M2;
9. Ruifeng is the same as 6. Ruifeng.

Thank you very much Laofan. I value your input. Please don't hesitate to correct my mistakes. Soon I will update my original post with a new one that reflects your information.
When I think about the TJ Innova involvement with Great Wall and the Jinbei (Hiace) Granse, and some other copying examples, I wonder if I should have broken my post into categories of "legitimate" and "illegitimate".

Another one, Dragin,
12. Nova Team, Taiwan, designed the GL Eagle IG.

Thank you so much erik.

It is nice to see that some Chinese designers can do something, especially the nice Great Wall concepts at the Shanghai show this year. But I still remember TJ Innova, they are very repulsive with other Great Wall design in the past, aren't they the same people that designed the Lifan 620 or 520 something and say it is totally original.

I did not know that Shanghai Englon GE was designed a Korean group, their GT tiger is beautiful but that Rolls Royce copy was a disaster.

About the Geely Eagle IG, it is true that part of it as designed a Taiwanese design firm but Geely also said that they also did a lot of work with the in house team.

The beautiful Buick (forgot the name) that was designed by a Shanghai Chinese design team, are they part of Buick design group or a seperate group.

The most recent Buick Business MPV was also designed by the Chinese team PATAC, right ? It is so beautiful.

Hi Mememe:
....aren't they (TJ Innova) the same people that designed the Lifan 620 or 520 something and say it is totally original. ....
My understanding was that FAW Haima also helped Lifan with the (Citroen ZX-based) 520 design.
I am also not clear on which models the PATAC team are responsible for in China.

Erik

Do you know who designed the Great Wall Kulla Concept in the Shanghai 2009 ?

No, but I can ask my Chinese (insider) friends.

TJ Innova, according their own homepage:
JAC Bingyue and JAC Rein
Dongnan V3
Changfeng Kyrin
Lifan 520, 520i and minitruck
Great Wall Cowry (and Peri and Florid)
Dongfeng Joyear and Futurer

About Patac, they designed the Wuling Hongtu N200, the Buick Riviera concept from SH07, the Buick Business concept from SH09,
and they redesigned a lot of Buick, Chevrolet and Daewoo designs, like the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SLS, Chevrolet Lova, Aveo, etc etc.
I donīt know if they designed the next Wuling CN100 (the GP50 `Demo Car`).
greetings!

from a TJ Innova add:

JAC Refine
Haima New Premacy (=H2), Haima Fushida 1 (=M1), Haima Fushida 2 (= FStar minibus)
Shanghai GM Buick Excelle HRV

CH-Auto has on their website the Changfeng CS6 and CS7 (the version with the strange grille).(www.ch-auto.com)

CH-Auto has on their website the Changfeng CS6 and CS7 (the version with the strange grille).(www.ch-auto.com)