Abstract: Based on the theoretical framework of evolutionary economic geography, this paper investigates the evolving patterns of China’s manufacturing sectors and their underlying mechanism and determinants from an evolutionary perspective, while taking automobile industry as an empirical case. The results show that government policies had determining effects on the spatial distribution of China's automobile industry before the reforms and opening up. However, the determinants such as institutional factors and foreign investment have significant impacts on the evolution of the spatial configuration of China's automobile industry although the determinants vary from time to time. In the future, with the improvement of market economy and innovation capability of automotive industry, market demand and technological innovation will play an increasingly significant role in reshaping the geography of auto industry in China.