Chery Auto exported a record 12,521 units of vehicles in April, a growth of 133.78 percent over the same period last year, the company said Monday.

The domestic carmaker has exported 500,000 units in aggregate, the company said during the 2011 Shanghai international auto show, calling it a milestone. The company aims to export 120,000 cars this year.

Among the cars exported in April, the model Tiggo tops the list with 3,933 units, followed by Chery QQ with 3,351, the company said in an email sent to China Daily. The export of A1 and A3 climbs steadily.

"The product composition shows that Chery is no longer competing with low prices, as the proportion of mid-to-high end models such as Tiggo and A3 is increasing," said Duan Wenru, a public relations manager of Chery.

Chery is among the first automakers in China to explore the overseas market. From early 2000s, it began to enter the foreign market, mostly developing countries. Besides exports, it built component making factories overseas as well.