Chery was founded in 1997 by government officials of Wuhu, who appointed Yin Tongyue, the current chairman, as the company's first technical director.

[6][7] Chery invests more heavily in overseas markets than other Chinese manufacturers, and many of its vehicles are assembled outside China using complete or semi-complete knock-down kits.

[30] In that year, Yin Tongyue announced changes to the company's strategy to become a multi-brand carmaker by introducing three new brands: Karry, Rely, and Riich.

[38][39] In mid-2011, the company signed an agreement with Fuji Heavy Industries (currently Subaru Corporation) to establish a manufacturing joint venture in China, with a production site planned in Dalian, Liaoning.

[40][41] Chery started partnering with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in March 2012, which was looking to produce cars in China through a mandatory 50-50 joint venturer with a local company.

The brand was introduced in September 2017 at the International Motor Show Germany in Frankfurt by showcasing the TX concept vehicle.

[48] In January 2018, Chery introduced another brand called Jetour at an event in Beijing, which focuses on "value for money" mid-size SUVs and targets Chinese families living in tier-three and tier-four cities who travel often.

[76] In October 2024, South Korean manufacturer KG Mobility, formerly SsangYong Motor, signed an agreement with Chery to co-develop electrified vehicles for global markets.

The dealer promptly visited Chery's headquarters in Anhui, aiming to meet current chairman Yin Tongyue, at that time an executive deputy general manager to discuss potential export collaboration.

From 2020 to 2023, Chery's export business experienced rapid growth, doubling to 937,100 vehicles in 2023 compared to the previous year, constituting 52 percent of its total sales.

[14] That year, Chery ranked first in export volume among Chinese automobile manufacturers, surpassing SAIC Motor's passenger cars division which held the position in 2022.

[90] Its overseas ventures were reported to be more lucrative than its domestic operations due to the larger margin per vehicle, with a significant portion of its over 30 billion yuan profit in 2022 coming from international markets.

[110] As of 2024[update], Chery has 10 production bases overseas which produce either complete or semi-complete knock-down kits, mainly in South America, the Middle East and Russia; they have also been expanding to Southeast Asia and Europe.

[90] Chery has a production base in Jacareí, Brazil, that began construction in July 2011,[113] in a joint effort with the government of the state of São Paulo.

[123][124] Between 2007 and 2015, the Argentinian company SOCMA Group[125] manufactured Chery vehicles in the Oferol factory in Barra de Carrasco, Canelones, Uruguay.

[84] Opened in September 2011, a new Chery production site in the north-central state of Aragua, owned by the ZGT joint venture, produces the A1 and A3 models.

[145] In late 2007, Chery stated that it held a minority ownership in a joint venture with Iranian Khodro and Canadian Solitac as its partners.

[151][152] In 2023, the brand returned to Malaysia under direct factory-backed operations, and assembled vehicles at Inokom's facility in Kulim, Kedah since August 2023.

[153] In 2024, Chery Malaysia announced that it will build a fully-owned plant in Shah Alam to complement production at Kulim, which would produce Jaecoo vehicles.

[157] The Chery A3 was assembled since August 2009 in Taichung, Taiwan, by Shengrong Auto, a subsidiary of Prince Motors (Chinese: 太子汽車; pinyin: Tàizǐ Qìchē), a Taiwanese car company.

[165] Chery will enter Italy directly and separately from DR Automobiles by selling two brands, Omoda and Jaecoo, by the third quarter of 2024.

[169] In April 2024, Chery signed a joint venture deal with Spanish company EV Motors to build cars in a former Nissan factory in Barcelona, Spain.

Nissan ended production in the plant in 2021, before handing the facility over to Spanish electric motorcycle maker Silence and local engineering groups QEV and EV Motors.

[90] In 2024, local manufacturer AvtoVAZ will produce the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max at a former Nissan assembly plant, now rebranded as the Xcite X-Cross 7.

[175] In October 2009, Chery announced plans for an assembly plant in Turkey to be built in cooperation with the Turkish carmaker Mermerler Otomotiv at a cost of $500 million.

[182] Assembly of Chery cars from complete knock-down kits began in Egypt in 2004 according to the company itself,[183] but news reports indicate that it only expressed initial interest in doing so that year.

The brand mainly produces mid-size crossovers and SUVs, targeting Chinese families living in tier-three and tier-four cities who travel long-distance frequently.

Luxeed (Chinese: 智界; pinyin: Zhìjiè) is Chery's premium electric vehicle brand in collaboration with Huawei under Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA).

Intended to begin operations in 2009, it was to manufacture Fiat and Alfa Romeo-branded products for the Chinese market and be located in Wuhu.

The plan was to establish a 30 billion yen plant in Dalian with initial annual capacity of 50,000 cars, that would expand to 150,000 units.