The two-seater "Transition" is both a car with a steering wheel, and a plane with wings that pop out before take-off. It can reach a maximum flying speed of 160 kilometers an hour. Both a driver's license and a pilot's license are needed to get behind the controls of the "Transition", which is aimed primarily at the American market. The first vehicles are due to be manufactured at the beginning of 2019.

Last year Zhejiang Geely has completed the acquisition of US start-up Terrafugia, a firm which claims it will create a flying car within the next two years.

Founded in 2006 by five MIT graduates, Boston-based Terrafugia is considered a world-leader in flying-car technology.

Since its creation, the company has delivered several working prototypes, including a model that flies like an aeroplane, but also drives like a car on the ground.

Geely said it aims to deliver its first flying car to the market by 2019, and then launch the world’s first vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or VTOL, by 2023.

The first model, a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a range of 800 kilometres, is expected to cost US$279,000 and will have a 2-seater cabin with folding wings, meaning it can fit in a typical car lane.