The British brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance Plc has recently released the "Brand Finance Auto 100" list based on brand value and content. Toyota, BMW and Volkswagen grabbed the top three places. Dongfeng, SAIC and GWM ranked 29th, 34th and 40th as the top three Chinese auto brands listed. This is also the first time for GWM to be on the list.

According to sources, Brand Finance hammered out a list of top 100 auto brands this year based on the value of auto brands (commercial vehicle, motorcycle and parts brands). With a brand value of 34.903 billion US dollars in 2014, Toyota became the most valuable brand. Brand rating is also the important part of the evaluation. Ferrari was best rated as AAA+. GWM debuted on the list and got rated A+ with its brand value soaring up from 979 million US dollars in 2013 to 2.392 billion US dollars this year, the highest among the Chinese brands listed.

Global market competition has increasingly presented itself as brand competition. With the intensification of domestic and overseas market competition, a growing number of Chinese auto brands have realized the problem of weak brand strength. Enhancing brand image and establishing brand loyalty played a vital role in Chinese auto brands' efforts to break the ice and achieve breakthrough. Compared to 2013, the number of Chinese auto brands ranking among the top 50 increased from 2 to 4, and 19 Chinese auto brands were among the top 100, accounting for nearly one fifth of the total .

The brand value of GWM making the list for the first time has kept gaining industrial recognition in recent years. In 2013, GWM ranked 38th among Interbrand "Most Valuable Chinese Brands" with its brand value up 61 percent, moved into "Hurun 70 Most Valuable Brands" and was listed among "2013 China's Top 10 Characteristic Brands".

Brand Finance is a renowned British independent brand management and valuation consultancy named as one of the five major international brand valuation consultancies with Interbrand, Future Brand, Young & Rubicam and World Brand Lab.