The Shanghai Auto Show is in full swing this week, and automakers from around the world are showing off their latest products.

The Chinese auto market is a young one, but it is already the world's biggest, and a key region for an industry that is still recovering in the U.S., and collapsing in Europe.

But to sell cars there, it's more than a question of translating manuals and opening a few dealerships.

Over the last 30 years, according to the New York Times, the Chinese public has also formed some very strong opinions as to who drives a particular make and model and why — and those views are often at odds with how brands are perceived in the U.S.

For non-Chinese automakers, understanding those perceptions is key to putting more cars on the road.