Could Brexit spell a boom time for our car industry? Not unless we focus on what fires up foreign drivers, and deliver their dreams. Simon Hacker cogitates some industry tips

1 First up, China. A tough market to crack given its ability to ëborrowí ideas from elsewhere and rework them for a fraction of the price. Chinaís best seller in 2016 was the Wuling Hongguang MPV, which had turned over 567,000 examples. This makes the car the worldís third-best seller. So, whatís a Hongguang like? Also known as the Chevrolet Enjoy in India (where it also has a 1.3-litre diesel option and sells under the double entendre-begging ìThere is always room for happinessî), this two-airbagged car trades on value at £7,000. Essentially a GM product, itís not too shabby, but the mid-size formula for seating eight people works better, one suspects, where the average height of a bloke is five-foot-six (in China) or five-foot five (India). Tip: think big, but keep your ideas bijou.

2 If we can lovingly intertwine fingers with Donald Trump, chances are a little light manhugging might be possible with Kim Jong-un. Unexploited demands for wheels surely await in North Korea (population 24.9 million). The car to set our sights on is the model from Hawtai, who built the Lusheng E70 in a joint project with Hyundai. The pay-off was a 200-model deal for taxi drivers in Pyongyang. Yes, 200 is not exactly a lot, but well within the overtime capability of such niche makers as Morgan in Worcestershire. North Korea has its own brand ñ Pyeonghwa Motors, which peddles a turgid line of western clones and one MPV resembling an LDV Pilot van fashioned in pastry. Tip: elitismís what they want here, er, seeing as only the elite are permitted to drive.

3 If you thought brand Lada shuffled off into history in the smoke trails of the Trabant, think again: itís still a major player in Russia and its popularity reveals a broader tale: the current top ten Russian purchases are all manufactured within the state. The Lada Grantaís top spot was challenged in 2016 by the Taganrog-built Hyundai, who usurped it with the Solaris (aka the Accent). A base-spec Granta, liberated of such frills as corrosion treatment and power steering, can be had for around £3,500 new. Tip: time for Aston Martin to consider knock-down kits for a Peopleís Vantage?

4 Salesmen hoping to escape the Brexit story will naturally head for the ends of the earth, and odd trends are happening in Australia, where Toyota and Ford have been eating into their own car sales by virtue of the nationís insatiable appetite for pick-up trucks. At the same time, the Aussiesí love for luxury motors is raging, though we donít know when that bubble might burst. Tip: we need to play on our strengths, serve up posh fare, but embrace the double-cab pick-up fad. Come on Rolls Royce, how about it?

5 Last and least, donít forget Nauru. Where? Itís the smallest Commonwealth member, a speck island of 10,000 people halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Thereís one metalled road and a 25mph speed limit, and the police chief did buy a Lamborghini once. Nauru built (and blew) its original fortunes by exporting bird poo (phosphorus) but recently began exporting it again. Tip: where thereís muck, thereís brass, but 4×4 options might be best.