It may occur to some motorists, as they’re stuck in Monday morning traffic, that there is an awful lot of space above our roads, but not that much on them. At present however, the technology required to take our cars into the airspace above us does not exist.

But a new patent by the Southern China Aviation Industry Group suggests that folks in the ‘world’s workshop’ may be on the verge of a creating a flying car.

To look at the design, it doesn’t conjure up images of the hovering DeLorean from Back to the Future 2, nor is it reminiscent of the futuristic car-like machines seen in films like Blade Runner or the more recent Star Trek: Into Darkness.

But the Chinese design is nevertheless very exciting – although from the initial designs it is hard to see exactly where the driver and passengers will sit. Two large fans sit at either end of the ‘car’, each spinning in opposite directions. Two smaller fans are situated in the centre, on the left and right sides. Plates under the two main fans are tilted to control the direction the craft moves in.

While far from being a tangible invention, it goes way beyond what most car makers are doing – which is essentially tweaking the standard car by adding electric or hydrogen fuel cells. The Chinese design is a reminder that while China may be where most of the world’s goods are manufactured, it is also now a place where goods are being invented.

And it is perhaps no wonder that a ‘flying car’ concept has come out of China – where some of the world’s very worst traffic jams take place. However, you might be well advised to top up your annual breakdown cover before you step into this particular one in its current state…