When Ford opened the industry’s first big overseas outpost(前哨；海外据点), in Manchester in 1911, it set the route(开辟道路；定下路线) by which ambitious carmakers went from dominating at home to spanning the globe. Over a century later, with Ford in retreat(处于退却状态；节节败退), it is the Chinese who are setting up factories abroad. They will not be able to bring all of their advantages with them. But many will travel—to the dismay of(令……沮丧的是) incumbent(在位者；现有企业)s.
1911年，福特在曼彻斯特开设了汽车业第一个大型海外据点，为雄心勃勃的车企开辟了一条从称霸本土到布局全球的道路。一个多世纪后，福特节节败退，而中国人正在海外建厂。他们无法把所有优势都带过去，但许多优势仍将随之转移——这让老牌车企深感不安。
China’s mighty(强大的；巨大的) carmakers, which pump out(大量生产；源源不断产出) around a quarter of the world’s cars, have competitors on the run(疲于奔命；四处逃窜) everywhere. The situation is intensified by a home market forecast to shrink 10% this year, with the resulting price war(价格战) encouraging overseas sales. In five years foreign firms’ share of the Chinese market has roughly halved, while exports from the country, of which local brands make up four-fifths, have risen seven-fold.(五年间，外国车企在中国市场的份额大约减半，而中国出口量增长了七倍，其中本土品牌占五分之四。) In 2026 exports could hit 10m vehicles, over 40% more than last year, according to AlixPartners(艾睿铂，全球知名咨询公司), a consultancy.
中国强大的车企生产了全球约四分之一的汽车，让各地竞争对手疲于奔命。国内市场预计今年萎缩10%，由此引发的价格战又进一步推动海外销售，使局面更加严峻。五年来，外国车企在中国市场的份额大约减半，而中国出口量增长了七倍，其中本土品牌占五分之四。咨询公司艾睿铂预测，2026年中国汽车出口量可能达到1000万辆，比去年增长40%以上。
Even so(即便如此), just as in Ford’s day, there are plenty of reasons to manufacture closer to foreign customers, starting with tariff(关税)s and the expense of shipping vehicles. A presence on the ground also helps with spotting and adapting cars to local tastes and conform(符合；遵守)ing with local regulations. And governments may dangle(以……引诱；悬赏) subsidies and other inducement(激励；诱因)s to attract factories and manufacturing jobs.
即便如此，正如福特时代一样，在离海外客户更近的地方生产有诸多理由，首先是关税和车辆运输成本。在当地设厂还有助于发现并迎合当地口味，以及符合当地法规。此外，政府还可能以补贴和其他激励措施来吸引工厂和制造业就业岗位。