

The latest accessory in the world of Chinese automobiles has fins and a tail.

At the Detroit auto show, GAC Motor, a carmaker based in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, is showcasing its concept car -- one that comes with its own fish tank.

Modern technology allows car designers to free up more space inside the car, making it more liking someone’s living room, said Zhang Fan, chief designer at GAC Engineering.

“Therefore we put a fish tank in,” said Mr. Zhang. The name of the car is Witstar, a new energy vehicle sedan. The fish tank sits in the center of the backseat and is roughly the shape and size of a small pillow. “It doesn’t mean that all GAC Motor's cars will have a fish tank. It’s more symbolic,” said Mr. Zhang. It’s not the first time GAC Motor has installed a fish tank in its cars. In 2011, the company installed one in the instrument panel of one of its models. The aquarium-on-board Witstar has also been displayed at auto shows before, but this is the first time it has appeared outside of China. Mr. Zhang, who worked in design for Daimler in Germany for more than eight years, said he has been pleasantly surprised by reaction from show-goers. “Everyone passing by—especially kids—gets very excited,” he said. “At these kinds of auto shows, people get used to conventional cars,” he said. “As a young company, we can innovate.” Mr. Zhang said he hopes such originality can make folks see that Chinese brands are more than just cheap imitations. “We want to change people’s stereotypes,” he said. --Colum Murphy

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