These days it doesn’t matter if you are a big or a small car maker with tiny production volume, you have to be present in the Chinese market.

The latest well-known brand to establish a base in China is the British sportscar maker Caterham. This will be the first time the iconic Seven has been sold in China and represents Caterham’s continuing expansion into new growth markets.

Courtenay Trading International (CTI) has been appointed as the official Caterham importer in China and they are going to launch six retailers in key provinces of China over the next year and is targeting initial sales of between 30 and 50 Sevens in its first year of operation.

The first Caterham cars will arrive in China from January 2012. The lineup includes all editions of Seven including Roadsport 120, Superlight 120, Roadsport 175, and the Superlight R300 and CSR 175. They will also look into offering the Caterham-Lola SP/300.R in China later on.

Caterham Cars’ International Business Manager, David Ridley, said: “We are engaged in one of the most exciting new chapters in the Caterham Cars story and our entry into the Chinese market is another tangible sign of how Caterham is striving to become a truly global brand.”