It is the spiritual home of Italy’s motor industry, a land of fast cars where Ferrari and Maserati produce their most sought after models.
Now, as President Xi arrives in Europe to face down claims Beijing is seeking to corner the market on electric vehicles, the town of Modena has declared war on China over alleged plans by one company to misappropriate its hallowed name.
The row centres on the SU7, the debut electric car from the Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi that has made waves since its launch in March, gaining 50,000 orders in China in the first 27 minutes of sales.
