Sino-French auto JV launches car trip to France

A fleet of Peugeot and Citroen vehicles made in China will start a trip on April 1 from the Palace Museum in Beijing, with the Palace of Versailles in France its destination.

The trip is planned in honor of a 10-month, 12,000 km voyage by a Citroen fleet in 1931 to Beijing, said He Yong, spokesperson of Sino-French joint venture Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Company, on Wednesday.

He, also general manager of the company's brand development department, said the event is certified by the French embassy as part of the events in the Franco-Chinese year of cultural tourism.

The transcontinental trip will see drivers traverse through Chinese cities including Wuhan in Hubei province and Chengdu in Sichuan province, where the joint venture produces vehicles. After leaving China, the fleet will go all the way to Italy, Switzerland and finally France.

Zeng Dihao, Dongfeng Citroen brand general manager and Dongfeng Peugeot brand general manager, said the company would like to play a bigger part in facilitating cultural exchanges between China and France.

Since its establishment in 1992, Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile has sold over 6.3 million vehicles to Chinese car buyers. Besides the Chinese market, some of its models are now exported to other markets as well.