Chinese cars coming to U.S.? (1st dealer in Arizona)

[donsu]

http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/27/pf/autos/chinese_cars.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes


-snip-

David Shelburg and his privately held company, China Motor Corp., want to cash in on China's fast-growing auto industry and cheap labor costs by establishing a network of 100 dealers to sell vehicles from a trio of Chinese manufacturers across the United States by the fall.

The plan is to have the dealers sell as many as 60,000 Chinese-built cars and trucks at prices starting below $10,000, by the end of the year, Shelburg's business associates told Reuters.

-snip-

Shelburg's company plans to import cars, SUVs and trucks made by Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd., Great Wall Automobile Holdings Co. Ltd. and Gonow, a manufacturer of motor-scooters that is entering the truck market.

-snip-

Shelburg's business is attractive to dealers because he charges a franchise fee of only around $20,000, much lower than the $100,000 or more charged by major automakers, said one Texas dealer who asked not to be named.
-snip-
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the article said Shelburg tried to do this in the '90s in Tex. but it didn't pan out and money went down the drain and he is barred from selling in Tx.

the important part of this article is that in the near future Chinese cars will be sold in the US

[Burma Jones]

1. I Smell A Yugo Coming

I haven't bought anything from China that was much good. However, if India starts making automobiles, then that might be something.

[JCMach1]

2. Some Hyundai's are already built there...

Of course Chevy builds cars in S. Korea...


You can't judge a car by its cover these days.

[On the Road]

3. When China Awakes, Let the World Tremble

Their first wave of cars might have uneven quality, but the price alone will assure them a measure of sales. I have no question they will improve dramatically. "Made in Japan" used to mean cheaply manufactured goods, too.

One advantage China has is the size of its domestic economy. If they can get critical mass with domestic sales, they'll be able to hold on long enough to improve their quality for foreign products.

China has tons of precision manufacturing now, including auto and aerospace. They are not a competitor to be ignored.

[TO Kid]

4. But on the plus side...

The more China make off of us, the more they would have to lose in a war.

[On the Road]

6. It's Not All Negative

for China's sake I hope they succeed. They're a very productive people and have a lot to contribute.

But it accelerates the need to address good employment and economic inequalities in this country.

[Chef]

5. Chinese Cars

I would save this if I were you. GM builds Buicks in China as well as other manufactures. Given enough time, they will be able to produce cars that are equal to US/Japanese/European standards for a fraction of the cost. It wouldn't surprise me if Walmart would start selling them. Since autos are one of the few things still manufactured in the US, you will be able to kiss those jobs goodbye.

Remember the Japanese junk that first came to the US? They learned to produce quality cars pretty quickly.