China’s Luxury Thirst Keeps Eastern Europe Cranking Out Cars

Chinese appetite for high-end cars is proving a boon for eastern European economies that had earlier fretted about an over-reliance on auto plants.

Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which make the most cars in the world per capita, have closed shops and bars to tame the second wave of Covid-19 infections engulfing Europe. Their factories, however, continue to churn out luxury vehicles including Porsche Cayenne SUVs for Asia and the U.S., as well as an array of lower-cost models from the likes of Peugeot and Skoda for customers closer to home on tighter budgets amid the pandemic.