The state parent of Brilliance China Automotive <1114.HK> is near a deal to make special purpose vehicles in China with Daimler AG and Toyota Motor <7203.T>, a company source said on Friday.

Executives at Brilliance Auto, parent of Hong Kong-listed Brilliance, had said previously the company was in discussions with Daimler to convert Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles into special purpose models in China.

However, Ulrich Walker, head of the German carmaker's Northeast Asia operations, said last month that talk of a joint venture between Daimler and Brilliance to make special purpose vehicles in China was just a rumor.

Everything is going very smoothly and we're expecting final announcements to come no later than the end of this year, said the source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the deals.

A Toyota spokesman said he had no knowledge about any talks with Brilliance.

($=6.83 yuan)

(Additional reporting by Fang Yan in SHANGHAI; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

China Daimler AG Toyota