"Schumacher and Ferrari are well-known in China, and our aim is that the brand's - and his own credibility - as clear leaders rub off on Fiat, and particularly on the Palio model, in China,
"We expect Schumacher will build up awareness very quickly for Fiat,
he added.
Auto-makers are looking at a virgin consumer market for cars, which until recently were purchased mainly for business and official use. Volkswagen, Ford and joint-venture operator Shanghai General Motors have either launched or will be rolling out models targeting the average consumer who is buying for personal use. "At the moment all the attention is on the smaller cars which are more attractively priced to the Chinese,
said Pearce. China's annual passenger car market - currently estimated to be 750,000 cars - is tipped to increase 60 per cent over the next five years from an estimated 1.2 million cars per year in 2002 to 1.6 million by 2008.
