Chery to take longer to ripen than Bricklin expected
Time to unmark your calendars. Chery, the opening salvo in what is likely to be a tidal wave of Chinese imports into the U.S., is running behind schedule. Visionary Vehicles chief Malcolm Bricklin is relenting on his bid to have cars in American dealerships by late 2007, and when the vehicles arrive, he doesn't expect them to sell as many as originally expected.
Bricklin had targeted 250,000 units in Chery USA's first year, but it will appear that hopefuls and critics will need to wait until some time in 2008 before seeing how the whole thing pans out.
[Source: Bloomberg News]
(top tip, GP)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Poe 9:37AM (6/08/2006)
Shocker...
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Whiplash 9:45AM (6/08/2006)
Is it pronounced "Cherry" or "Sherry"? I just don't see americans driving something called a "Cherry".
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Shawn 10:06AM (6/08/2006)
It is pronounced qí ruì. Chery (Che-Ry) is just a easier transliteration for the western world.
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Glenn A. 10:35AM (6/08/2006)
I'm thinking this is not unexpected.
Will Geely get to the mainland US first? Or will some other company do an end-run and start supplying new Chinese cars to Wal-Mart and Sams Club?
How about a blue light special at K-Mart? (Or, would that only be police cars on sale)?
Hmmm, how about buying new cars online only? Well, at least that is somewhat more intelligent than what Daewoo tried in the US about 8 years ago. (Selling new cars through college students, instead of car dealers). Within 2 years that fell through (amazing).
Yeah, college students are such a reliable bunch, just the kind of people I'd want to sell my product ("hey, you guys, let's streak!") OK, maybe not.
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China Law Blog 10:55AM (6/08/2006)
I have no ties to the auto industry (though I am a native Michigander) but I have spent enough time in Chinese cars to be able to seriously question this whole thing. I just cannot even imagine Americans buying any more Chinese cars than Yugos. Unless and until Chinese cars improve, it just is not going to happen. Now, I do think it will happen eventually, just as it has for Korean cars, but I have to believe we are years away.
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JL 11:20AM (6/08/2006)
Does any one know that Malcolm Bricklin is a CPA ? Certified Public Conman that is!!
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That One Person 11:30AM (6/08/2006)
I find the idea of brining Chinese cars here funny. Even if they cost less than the competition, no one in their right mind would buy them. But I have a good feeling that they wont be priced cheap.
Also, look at what happened to the Yugo...
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Will Wheeler 11:40AM (6/08/2006)
As much as I despise Bricklin, and China in general, I would not underestimate the appeal of Chinese cars. The sad truth is most people buy cars based on price. And from what I have seen of these cars they will have a lot of extras that will be hard to ignore.
The incoming wave of Chinese cars is at the stage where Korean cars were 20 years ago, and maybe Japenese cars were 50 years ago. Initialy, people said the same thing. However the real danger with Chinese cars is that it is too easy for GM to say we are moving our production to China, since there are hundreds of auto factories in China. As I see it GM is sandbagging so they can say they have no choice but to move to China. The simple fact the China produces such a large amount of goods, will give them enough practice and experience to build pretty good cars eventually.
I hope the people realize that China is not a trading partner like Korea or Japan, but a competitor that wants to take over our spot as the only superpower. And our continued consumption of all things Chinese will only hurt the US in the long run.
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Chris 12:09PM (6/08/2006)
I agree with the above poster.
It may all look good on paper or out of Bricklen's mouth. But Chinese cars are more behind then they appear. Alot of technology goes into todays modern car and the Chinese are just not there yet. I predict it will be at least 2009 before they are able to make a showing here in America with our high emissions standards. Also, with high gas prices, who would buy a Chinese engine with poor gas mileage?
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John 12:16PM (6/08/2006)
These cars are only assembled in China. The vehicles are designed and the parts are manufactured in Europe
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John 12:19PM (6/08/2006)
These cars are only assembled in China. The vehicles are designed and the parts are manufactured in Europe
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.T 1:03PM (6/08/2006)
Gee theres a shocker for you. I was already certain that Bricklin expected to sell a million Chinese cars by now from his rhetoric.
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Patrick 2:55PM (6/08/2006)
I agree with Will Wheeler, we can't trust China...
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jimbo 6:06PM (6/08/2006)
I agree. I only trust Japan. They would never attack us. They won't have to. We are giving our country to them. Why use military force?
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PJ 6:08PM (6/08/2006)
Everyone's said it, but yeah, as if we didn't all see this coming.
At this point, though, I almost hope things work out for Bricklin and his Chery endeavor. He's become such a punching bag in the automotive press that I've started to feel sorry for him.
And of course, I agree that there's no reason why China couldn't be building fully competitive cars in ten or twenty years. The current efforts look to be pretty crude, but as with every other auto-building nation, it's just a matter of time and experience.
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PJ 6:17PM (6/08/2006)
Oh, and excuse the double post, but I don't see why the xenophobes are so worked up about the idea of Chinese cars leading to a hostile takeover of the States. The more our two nations trade, the less tension is felt between each emerging generation of people. As the current government powers age and die off, relations will ease. And if we're selling Buicks and Cadillacs to them (and they're building V6s for our Equinoxes), I can't see why they shouldn't have a crack at selling Cherys to us.
P.S.: Jimbo, it's not World War II anymore. Put the bayonet down and step away from the Camry.
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jimbo 9:14PM (6/08/2006)
PJ
If ignorance is bliss you must be thrilled to death. It may not be World War II but it's more like Trade War I, and we are not winning this one. Most Americans like you have been waiving the white flag for years.
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PJ 9:33PM (6/08/2006)
The people waving the white flags are also the ones wearing white collars in the Big Three's design, engineering, and administration bureaus.
If they were less concerned with cost-cutting, and more concerned with building vehicles that people actually wanted to own and drive, Toyota and Honda would have never gained the foothold that they currently enjoy in the U.S. market.
I find it interesting that the American-car/truck crowd responds this way to discussions about Asian cars. Because when people of other schools of thought criticize Suburbans and H2s for being oversized and wasteful with resources, many of the same folks fire back with "What? It's a free market! If people like 'em and want to buy 'em, well, who are you to..." et cetera, et cetera.
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PJ 9:50PM (6/08/2006)
Excuse the double post, but I forgot one last point:
My first three cars were domestic-branded cars. My last three have been import-branded (though one was built in the States). It's an unfair sample, of course, but the import cars were all quicker, better-handling, better on gas, and more reliable, all while holding their value better.
I'm genuinely rooting for Ford and GM, and I do feel for the blue-collar workers facing layoffs and financial woes if those automakers go broke. But I have a hard time compromising *my own* finances (not to mention fun behind the wheel) to save a company whose bigwigs tell me I should buy their inferior product because it's my patriotic duty.
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Paul Evans 1:35AM (6/09/2006)
Hi. I'm a Brit who has seen inside the car plants of some of the Chinese automakers. I'm a car man by professsion. I can tell you that some of the new export product, production facilities and quality control processes are world class. Some are third class.
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