China To Build Cars in North America

in General
This is an interesting new wrinkle in the global automobile market. China plans not merely to import their own automobiles, but to build them in Mexico.
Do you think that if this venture is successful, we will see Chinese cars built in the US in the near future?
Would you buy a Chinese car made in Mexico and imported into the US?
What's interesting about all this is that China has become prosperous in the past by making components for other global manufacturers, but hasn't yet make the jump to producing their own complex electronics, machinery, etc. They make their wealth on components.
One wonders if this type of operation represents the next shift int he Chinese economy, where they compete head to head with other manufacturers of big ticket consumer items.
Full Story Here:
http://www.bendweekly.com/Worldwide-News/7766.html
Visiting Host
Do you think that if this venture is successful, we will see Chinese cars built in the US in the near future?
Would you buy a Chinese car made in Mexico and imported into the US?
What's interesting about all this is that China has become prosperous in the past by making components for other global manufacturers, but hasn't yet make the jump to producing their own complex electronics, machinery, etc. They make their wealth on components.
One wonders if this type of operation represents the next shift int he Chinese economy, where they compete head to head with other manufacturers of big ticket consumer items.
Full Story Here:
http://www.bendweekly.com/Worldwide-News/7766.html
Visiting Host
Tagged:
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
[Ironically I'm typing this on a Chinese-made computer, perhaps I should be concerned about voltage leaks
and shocks
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
The progress of the Japanese and Korean automakers would be a good place to study from, initially. They can learn a lot and have a lot to learn from automakers such as Toyota, Hyundai, etc...
Geez, service is bad enough at Wal-Mart LOL!
Sears Roebuck used to sell cars (real ones).
Visiting Host
Sears used to sell the garage (and attached house) to put their cars in also.
I wouldn't mind separating sales from service - buy the car at Wally World and let Chery service it at the (former) Ford dealer ten miles away.
Wonder what Wal Mart will call their new cars....
Expect the same with cars no matter what name or how it's marketed. But did we say the same thing about Korean cars in the past?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
IBM Thinkpads are now made by and branded Levono, a Chinese company. They bought the whole IBM-PC division. I thought I read that the "Thinkpad" brand license was going to expire but can't find a link.
Maybe some Chinese company awash in cash will find an established brand of auto company to buy to gain instant "respect" and market share in North America or European markets.
I know that Chery officials were leary of Cerberus taking over the company they were gonna build the little car for and once they read up on Cerberus they were going to meet with Cerberus heads and get talking about the Hornet.
That was about a month ago and I've seen nothing else about it.
Yes, China will build cars that American consumers will buy. Somehow WalMart and their $4 generic drug prescriptions should be involved somehow. GM, Ford and Chrysler think they're in trouble now, look out.
This is not so hard for a guy like me, a iluvmysephia1 type of a guy, to imagine. I thought my Sephia was a fun little rig to buzz around in. Build was decent and the little 5-speed(no stereo, no A/C)was had for only $7,995. After a $2,000 Kia rebate. Once I bought some Yokohama 70,000 mile radials and Konig Diva wheels the little Sephia behaved in a much livelier manner on the road. Fun-fun-fun!
Point is, since Chinese and Japanese people are buying our skyscrapers up and have been for many moon, and the Koreans and Japanese have us buying rigs out of their hands left and right(for decades)I see no reason to start excluding nations making themselves available to our dollars.
Quality must be there, and it's funny, that guy that was gonna partner with Chery and bring us Chinese rigs(the same guy who brought us Subaru), his name escapes me...Bricklin!
Mr.Bricklin acknowledged that the quality must be there from the start or don't even bring 'em in here.
Bring 'em on. Funny thing is, I am all a part of Mitsubishi now and I'm so enamored with my Lancer GTS that the Chinese can build till the cows come home and I'll look but they've got some serious competition to overcome before those of us who used to buy Ford's part with our hard-earned pesos and pony up for a Chery. Gonna take something big. Big and large, shiny and exciting. Low cost is important but like Bricklin says, it's gonna need to offer something more and stay tacked together for the long run.
Anybody think the Chinese Warranties can touch Finbarr O'Neill's Mitsubishi(and, of course Hyundai and Kia's Long-Haul)Warranty. Yikes, them are awesome Warranty's. :shades:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20070703_Chinas_recipe_for_economic_success_includes_slave_labor.html
http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/state/new_jersey/20070702_ap_njimportersubmitsplanfortirerecalltofederalagency.html
I do remember that in elementary school we would stick "Made in Japan" stickers on anything we thought was cheap and shoddy. Probably my Dad's stories of fighting in Burma didn't help my attitude towards Japanese products, I have to admit.
But I got over it and now one of my cars is Japanese of course.
Since the Chinese were my Dad's allies, I have no problem with any of the one billion of them, except that their open end wrenches expand too much and you can scrape your knuckles. I wish they'd fix that.
Second, I worked in China for 2 years. Even the Chinese engineers said they would not buy a Chery. The main reason was, they only produced it for Chinese consumption, therefore there were no "Foreign Experts" to show or tell them how to make the car. The Chinese are fully capable of making quality products and they will. They just need the "Foreign Experts" to show them how to do it. Since China entered the WTO and opened up to the west, their domestic products have had an enormous increase in quality. the factories see how to make quality products for the western countries and the technology filters down. Shanghai GM, Chrysler/Jeep, BMW and others have plants there producing quality cars made to the "Foreign Experts" specifications and they are learning extremely fast about quality. If it's a government funded venture the expertiese is readily available to all. I saw a great many items in China that I wish I could buy here in the US. One of which was the electric bicycle. In China I could have bought one for about $100 to $200, here they are $1500. China is an amazing place, an land of contrasts, where you can see a 3 wheeled bicycle truck carrying a load of computers to market. The computer stores selling the absolute latest technology while in the market fresh meat hangs on a hook all day without refridgeration. It's truly an interesting place to work and live. They will succeed. Their system dictates they will and they will not want to be one called a failure.
I was only in China for a little under two weeks adopting a daughter but I know exactly what you mean with the contracts. One of the first things I saw that constantly amazed me was how you would see a new, modern apartment building and then next to it would be an ancient one with the top part already knocked down in anticipation of being next on the replace list while there are still people living in the lower floors hanging laundry out the windows.
That may very well spell future success for Chinese automakers, right there. Ya know how we're taught about the Japanese work ethic and saving face up against all odds?
Well, if the Chinese can become anything near the artisans the Japanese have become at carmaking, they are coming here with cars and we will buy them.
Why would we buy a Daewoo, Toshiba, Sony, etc. computer or computer part and exclude a Chinese-built computer part. We want them cheap but we want them to hold up for a long time as well.
It's the partnerships where the Chinese benefit from existing companies' engineering and manufacturing groups that is the missing link coming in to place now at Chinese carmaking factories.
The Chinese building plants here in NA is a new concept though, indeed. Have not caught any word of that happening as of yet.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
CNN
Where is Malcomb Bricklin during all of this? Strangely silent as of late, eh?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
-Rocky
NHSTA/Chinese work together for safer cars.
http://news.windingroad.com/countriesmarkets/china/ford-could-produce-verve-in-c- - hina-for-worldwide-sale/
Ford to(?) build Verve, in China, for worldwide distribution.
Hope this is not too many links in 1 post.
take care/not offense.
Something to ponder:
despite companies producing vehicles in countries with cheaper labor... we hardly see lower MSRP's(correct?).