In the early 2000s, the idea of Chinese car manufacturers competing with established global giants seemed, at best, ambitious. At worst, it was laughable. But today, China is the world’s largest car producer, an electric vehicle (EV) powerhouse, and the origin of an automotive revolution that is rippling across Europe and the West. Driving the Dragon, the compelling new book by veteran automotive journalist Mark Andrews, offers an unparalleled look into how China went from manufacturing curiosities to commanding global respect on four wheels.
A thirty-year resident of China, Andrews brings a rare and invaluable perspective to this transformation. As both teacher and test driver, journalist and cultural interpreter, he chronicles not just the machines, but the people, policies and pivotal moments that shaped the Chinese car industry. His book isn’t just a record of car models; it’s a story of national ambition, industrial reinvention, and cultural evolution.
From False Starts to Front Runners
Andrews opens his narrative with an unlikely protagonist: the Rover 75. A relic of British automotive nostalgia, the car found new life in China after MG Rover’s collapse. For most, the story might have ended there. But for China, it was just the beginning. The Rover 75 became a template—an educational tool for Chinese engineers, a crash course in Western design and production, and a building block for domestic automakers like SAIC and Geely to develop their own technical acumen.
Driving the Dragon doesn’t shy away from the missteps either. The book candidly details the early years of awkward imitations, quality concerns, and failed attempts to woo international markets. Andrews explores these “false starts” with the benefit of hindsight, showing how China used them not as excuses to retreat, but as stepping stones towards innovation and mastery.
The Electric Awakening
One of the most striking revelations in Driving the Dragon is the sheer scale of China’s current EV dominance. While legacy brands in Europe and the US scrambled to reorient their production lines and regulatory frameworks, China was already thinking several steps ahead. Brands like BYD, Zeekr, and Nio are now not only competing globally—they’re setting benchmarks for performance, pricing, and tech integration.
Andrews offers first-hand insights into these vehicles—not just as a journalist, but as someone who drove them during their development years. His reviews are layered with technical nuance and cultural context, painting a vivid picture of how Chinese EVs evolved from niche curiosities to mainstream contenders.
Beyond the Cars: Culture, Context, and the Chinese Way
What sets Driving the Dragon apart from other industry histories is its scope. Andrews uses the car industry as a lens to explore modern China—its people, its values, and the unique social contracts that underpin its explosive industrial growth. He draws parallels between the country’s Confucian heritage and its collectivist approach to innovation, offering rich cultural context that helps explain not just what happened, but why.
His writing also captures the paradoxes of modern China: the simultaneous push for global leadership and national control; the reverence for Western prestige alongside a fierce desire for self-reliance. It’s an honest, balanced, and refreshingly nuanced view of a country that is too often reduced to oversimplified headlines.
A Must-Read for Automotive Enthusiasts and Industry Watchers
As Chinese cars continue to flood international markets—no longer as budget alternatives, but as high-quality competitors—Driving the Dragon arrives at a critical moment. For car enthusiasts, policy makers, and anyone curious about the shifting balance of global industrial power, this book is essential reading.
Mark Andrews has delivered a work of insight and authority, rich with personal anecdotes and hard-won perspective. Driving the Dragon is more than a chronicle of cars; it’s the story of a nation rewriting the rules of the global automotive game—and doing it at breakneck speed.
About the Author:
Mark Andrews is a British automotive journalist who lived in China for three decades. During his time there, he test drove and reviewed countless Chinese vehicles, worked closely with manufacturers, and became a leading voice on the rise of China’s automotive industry. His deep knowledge and insider access make Driving the Dragon one of the most comprehensive and engaging accounts of China’s automotive journey to date.
