“We want to have a discussion: how can we help JLR to resume volume scale as it used to?” Mr Yin said. “Our collaboration with JLR is deep in many perspectives. I wouldn’t be able to share too much with you because I think if we want to share, we should share together with JLR.”
What the deepening of this relationship could involve is another matter; Mr Yin highlighted how Chery wants “to find more UK capability in terms of engineering to handle the dynamics”, but a potential investment (or even buyout) cannot be ruled out.
Adding to this idea is the fact that Mr Yin said: “I have a personal, deep emotion with the UK as a country. I kind of want to revitalise a UK brand – for example, could we find a sports car company that we could help?” Jaguar could potentially be a prime target, with the 63-year-old even hinting at his ambition to go motor racing.
Whatever happens between JLR and Chery, any investment in the UK motor industry would come as a relief to many; car production fell to a 73-year low in 2025 following the implementation of import tariffs by US President, Donald Trump, as well as the pause in manufacturing caused by the cyber attack on JLR.
“If we want to become a great company, it’s more than just market share,” Mr Yin explained. “It’s more like a social responsibility: the value we can provide to the customers, and also contribute to the economy for a country.”
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