Chrysler is now going to import cheap Chinese Cars

[JCMach1]

and sell them under the Chrysler brand:





DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group and China’s Chery Automobile Co. have agreed on a plan for the Chinese manufacturer to build small cars to be sold worldwide.

The cars, which already are being designed, would be based on an existing model but will be modified jointly by Chrysler and Chery engineers, Chrysler spokesman Jason Vines said Friday. Chrysler is taking the lead on the design and will ensure that the vehicles meet high quality standards, he said... http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=68902




This is just the beginning. Chery and other Chinese auto manufactures are coming on fast. They are about where Hyundai was 1994-1997. In another 2-3 years they will have similar quality to Toyota, Honda, or Hyundai. I just saw the latest luxury Chery model here in the UAE. It comes with 5 DVD screens standard. Though hardly making a dent, Chery has been in the UAE for almost two years.


http://www.chery-me.com/products.htm



The QQ on the end is model that most likely will hit US shores first. It is a tiny GM Metro/Aveo sized car.

[spanone]

1. If you can't beat them......

[951-Riverside]

2. Even some of the fish we eat is imported from China

:mad:

[itsmesgd]

3. The Smartcar is supposed to be coming in large numbers this year as well

So now we just have to wait a couple of years for the suburban tanks to fall apart and maybe we can start to breathe a little easier.

[JCMach1]

6. The Smartcar is not quite so smart... gas mileage is not so great for size

Honestly, you are better off with a Toyota Yaris, or Honda Civic. Smartcars have been here for years and haven't been so impressive except when it comes to parking in the inner city areas.

[itsmesgd]

8. I like my Corolla, same price as the Smartcar and a tad bigger

Is the trend of the crossover suv showing that the bigger suv's are on their way out? I hope that we can get to a manageable size of automobile soon.

[JCMach1]

13. Crossovers are definitely the wave-- Seems bogus to me though

If you need to haul, or go offroad get a real 4x4 or SUV...

If you need to haul people, get a fuel efficient mini-van...

If you just want to drive, get a REAL car...

[twilight_sailing]

15. 1998 Corolla

When the battery was 6 or 7 years old, it died. That was the first and only time the old Corolla didn't start. LOL.

I am really kind of tired of it, but, hell, I can't see my way to buying a new car just because. I am worried that the old Corolla is going to outlive ME! ;)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

20. I have a '94 Toyota pickup. My wife a '91 Tercel.

Other than the usual maintenance, and a faulty heater on the Tercel, they've never failed to start, run properly, and do what cars are supposed to do.

The Tercel cost $5000 new. The truck $13,000.

We've given up waiting for them to fail.

[SoCalDem]

21. Corollas never die.. Our oldie was bought for $500 and it's still kicking

I bought it from my friend who called me from the dealership. They offered her $500 on a trade, so I brought her the cash and took the car. It;s been our back-up for ages, and even was sold to our son, and then bought back when he was ready to ditch it (again for $500).. Our other son has driven it in a pinch..and when we get our new car, we will finally get rid of it.. you guessed it.. we're selling it again for $500 ..this time to the son of the woman we originally got it from.. He rode in that car when it was new and he was a little boy :)

[Drum]

4. The Chinese gov't holds a lot of US debt...

so anymore there's not a lot of bargaining power the US has (or this tone-deaf admin is able to implement) to prevent this type of thing.

Tectonic plates of the superpowers are starting to knock together again, and the outlook doesn't look too good this time for the US, especially for our manufacturing sector...aka more lost jobs for Americans, trade imbalance, etc.

:(

[Rosemary2205]

9. Yep, they have us by the short hairs.

now we get the joy of buying a high quality slave labor car while our own manufacturing plants turn to rust.

[JCMach1]

5. GM and Ford have been importing cars

(especially from Korea) for a number of years now.

Also, you will be shocked to know that car manufacturing is exploding in India as well.

[tridim]

7. Well, that little car does get 53.5 mpg

Which makes it an instantly attractive alternative to almost every American made car on the road.

It's the gas, stupid.

[CountAllVotes]

10. yep and it will last about 1 year maybe

I think I'll keep my Honda Accord.

[JCMach1]

11. Don't count on it... quality is improving rapidly on these

Chinese cars... The 2007s I saw had good build quality....

[tridim]

Don't be so sure..

While keeping your Accord is probably smart, the Chinese aren't going to screw up a huge opportunity like this. Lack of quality would kill their plan to sell millions of Chinese built cars to Americans. China isn't Yugoslavia.

[JCMach1]

14. Chery has been working with Mistubishi quality control and engineers

for several years...

:(

[Double T]

12. bend over and kiss the USA's economic ass goodbye...........

wonder when the Flag of China will be hoisted over the Nation's Capitol and WH?????

[alfredo]

18. It''s a win win for the ruling class. They can move their money

around to protect it, and when the working class in America is completely defeated, starving and desperate, they will reinvest in America to exploit a compliant, fearful workforce.

[Moochy]

23. Bingo!

IMF-ing of the USA! Isn't that a catchy song chorus?

[alfredo]

24. We're too uppity. We expect a fair days wages for a fair days work.

We won't settle for slave wages. yet.

[Double T]

25. The US economy is 75% consumer based; consumers don't buy.....

because they have no money, then economy collapses into ANOTHER CRASH and LONG TERM DEPRESSION. Let's see WHO is jumping off buildings THEN.

[itsrobert]

16. I find it funny when people start bashing American cars

by saying they should buy a Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc when most of those cars are built in the US.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. The height of hypocrisy in the 1980s was Lee Iaccoca

complaining about competition from Japanese auto manufacturers destroying American jobs, while the Dodge Colt was being made in Japan by Mitsubishi and imported to be sold under the Dodge name. This was an open secret, but I never saw a reporter call bullshit on Iaccoca.

[Vinca]

19. This will be the final nail in the coffin of the U.S. auto industry. nt

[ReverendDeuce]

22. The Chery logo is very close to the Infiniti marquee...

Nissan's lawyers are soon to begin salivating at the thought of a lawsuit...

(Of course, I do understand they wont be marketed as "Chery" in the United States, but Infiniti is a luxury brand world over, so... <shrug>)

[napi21]

26. The reason I heard they were doing this is because all the US

mfgs claim they can't make any $$ building small cars. I've been trying to figure this out ever since I heard it. WHY? I understand there's not as much of a margin in the smaller ones, but so what? They still should be able to make SOME $$.

[tridim]

29. American manufacturers don't have a clue what the consumer wants

Cases in point, the Hummer and the Escalade.

[oblivious]

27. Amazing. The company has only been around 10 years. Owned by the Wuhu govt. Copied Daewoo.

Chery Automobile

Chery Automobile is an automobile manufacturer in People's Republic of China. It is owned by the local government of Wuhu, and produced about 188,000 vehicles in 2005. Chery was founded in 1997 to prop up the economy in remote Wuhu. The company was not able to obtain a license to produce vehicles for sale in all of China, but was saved by an order for taxis by the local government. In 2001, Shanghai Automotive Industry Company (SAIC) invested in the company, allowing it to use SAIC's national retail sales license. In 2003, Chery founded a research and development organization, quickly designing its own 3- and 4-cylinder engines. However, Chery was also sued by GM Daewoo for copying that company's Chevrolet Spark (a.k.a. Daewoo Matiz). Chery claims that they licensed the vehicle design prior to General Motors' purchase of Daewoo. Chery was able to scout a number of key engineers from South Korea's Daewoo motor during its bankruptcy proceeding in 2001~2002, who took a complete set of plans with them and went on to create Daewoo vehicles at Chery. The copied vehicles are Daewoo Matiz(Chery QQ) mini car and Daewoo Magnus(Chery Oriental Son) mid-size sedan. They are exact replicas of Daewoos, being able to swap door panels and key components between them. Both Matiz and Magnus are currently sold as Chevrolets outside of South Korea and Vietnam. Its expected that the Chery QQ wil hit the markets in europe in 2006, the introduction price is expected at 5000,= Euro's, making it the cheapest car in Europe together with the Dacia Logan. In 2005, Chery started export of right hand drive vehicles to Malaysia. The rebadged Chery A15, is to be powered by BMWs Tritec engine.


Despite its humble beginning, Chery has achieved many unlikely breakthroughs and become the fastest growing independent automaker in China. Chery is committed to developing world-class automobiles via cooperation with top engineering firms such as Lotus Engineering of the U.K, and Mitsubishi Automotive Engineering of Japan, and leading auto designing firms such as Bertone and Pininfarina of Italy. In its relentless pursuit of quality, Chery adopts DURR Paint Systems in its paint shop in 2004. In 2005, as a groundbreaking event for Chinese automotive industry, Chery starts producing China¡¯s first high-performance Euro IV engines in cooperation with AVL List of Austria. In addition, in J.D.Power 2004 China Initial Quality Study, Chery QQ finishes NO.1 in compact car segment. With an ambition to become a global player, Chery has so far launched its products in 29 countries. For the time being, Chery is developing a new line-up of products aiming at auto markets in the U.S and EU. In 2005, a strategic partnership is formed between Chery and Vesionary Vehicles of the USA for launching Chery products in North America in 2007.

http://www.chinacarforums.com/chery_automobile.html

[tridim]

28. Wow, they're using Bertone and Pininfarina!

Two of my all time favorite designers. I still own a Pininfarina designed Fiat Spider, just because I like how it looks (it's actually a pretty nice car too). I've also owned two Bertone designed Fiats in the past.

However, I do question the Lotus Engineering partnership. I haven't even heard that name since the 70's.

[physioex]

30. Lotus makes cars that you can still buy today....

It's called the Elise and it is a very nice small sports car that has good weight to power ratio..