Lust to love

China loves Buick.

Or, to put it another way: 中國愛Buick

In fact, the communist nation may be the only country that truly appreciates the car that used to be built in Flint.

"Buick is one of the most well-known automobile brands in China, with more than 1.7 million Buick owners," according to a recent G.M. press release. "Last year, Buick sold more than 300,000 units there and more than 567,000 worldwide, a 17,000-unit increase over 2006. Buick has a strong history in China, where Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a Chinese revolutionary hero, and Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, both owned Buicks."

Wait a minute. Sun Yat-sen — the man who said "An individual should not have too much freedom" — drove a Buick? Who knew?

Pu Yi's Buick, still running strong at a parade in Changchun of Jilin Province, China, in 2007.

Of course, G.M. isn't exactly picky when it comes to lovers these days. The automaker is as desperate as a balding, recently divorced, middle-aged guy hanging out at the White Horse Tavern with an unemployment check burning a hole in his pocket.

Buick has already re-introduced the Park Avenue in China only, and recently completed a deal with China to sell the Enclave, a so-called "luxury crossover." The Buick China website even features a fantasy sketch of a Chinese skyscraper built in the shape of the Buick logo.

For Buick, this sounds more like lust than love.