Auto designer sues Chery, Visionary Vehicles
Out of the Chery/Visionary Vehicles breakup/separation/whatever currently going on comes a story of one disgruntled would-be designer.
Kenneth G. Grant Jr., former Ford automotive designer who worked on the last Thunderbird and other projects, filed a lawsuit Thursday claiming, among other things, breach of contract on the parts of Chery and Visionary Vehicles. It seems Grant was under the impression he was to be the design chief of the Chery/Visionary Vehicles U.S. studio. When the two companies' plans didn't work out, Grant claims he was left jobless.
Visionary Vehicles, through a statement emailed to Autoblog, says that Grant was fully compensated for design work it requested of him. Visionary's statement goes on to say Grant was not offered longtime employment. The statement ends with " It appears that Visionary Vehicles' inclusion in this case may be an effort to generate more public attention to this complaint."
Read Grant's statement as well as Visionary Vehicles' after the jump.
[Source: PR Newswire]
Press release from Kenneth G. Grant's lawfirm...
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Dec. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Sommers Schwartz, P.C., announces plaintiff news conference planned for Thursday, December 7, 2006, at 1:00 p.m.
News Briefing Details
WHAT: News conference to announce the filing of a nine count complaint
against Chery Automobile Co. and Visionary Vehicles. Plaintiff's claims
include Breach of Express Contract, Breach of Implied Contract, and
Conspiracy. This suit arises out of Chery terminating Grant as its chief
U.S. auto designer and failing to establish its planned U.S. auto design
studio in suburban Detroit, Michigan.
WHO: * Plaintiff, Kenneth G. Grant, Jr., of Northville, Michigan. Grant
was the lead designer at Ford on the Mustang and Thunderbird vehicles in
the 1990's and was responsible for numerous U.S. and foreign auto design
projects after leaving Ford. Grant was solicited to become chief U.S.
designer for Chery's and Visionary Vehicles' U.S. joint venture. In the
summer of 2006, Grant severed all other professional and business
relationships to take the job as Chery's U.S. design chief. Chery
manufactures autos in China and together with its partner, Visionary
Vehicles, previously announced plans to begin importing vehicles to the
U.S. in 2007. Grant's employment was to be for five years, with Grant
acting as head of Chery's U.S. design studio. Chery established a Michigan
limited liability company in July 2006 to operate its U.S. design studio
and rented office space in suburban Detroit, Michigan to house the design
studio. Grant was a 15 percent owner of the design studio company. Grant
prepared numerous auto design concepts for Chery, which it and Visionary
Vehicles showcased in the media and in public presentations. In August
of 2006, Chery approved one of Grant's automobile design projects. On
September 6, 2006 Visionary Vehicles announced to Grant that Chery was
canceling its plan for their U.S. design studio and terminating him as its
chief designer; instead Chery was entering into a business arrangement
with DaimlerChrysler to develop a new small car.
* Daniel D. Swanson, Attorney for Plaintiff, Sommers Schwartz, P.C.
WHERE: Law Offices of Sommers Schwartz P.C., 2000 Town Center, Suite 900
- 9th floor board room.
Statement from Visionary Vehicles
To date Visionary Vehicles has not been served with regard to this matter.
Based on what we have seen on the wires, this case appears to have little to
do with Visionary Vehicles. Earlier this year, Mr. Grant was contracted to
do some design work for Visionary Vehicles, for which he was fully
compensated upon completion and delivery of the work, as is standard within
the industry. However, at no time was any employee at Visionary Vehicles
authorized to offer Mr. Grant the type of employment suggested in the press
announcement or to contract for any additional services. It appears that
Visionary Vehicles' inclusion in this case may be an effort to generate more
public attention to this complaint.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dave 11:51AM (12/10/2006)
once again it's a telling argument to not permit the communist chinese (their so called company's) to do business in the usa. they steal designs, they steal our jobs, they under value their money in order to buy america, they purchase small manufacturing shops only to shutter them in six months, they are the main supplier to most of the crap wal mart sells, and in general, nasty people to do business with. the less we buy chinese, the less they can support their military ambition to be the new world superpower. save america, buy american.
Reply
Nakagawa 12:10PM (12/10/2006)
Chery...
Is this chinese maker?
Chinese are always copy-cat.
hahaha...
Reply
GhostDoggy 12:49PM (12/10/2006)
This sounds sadly funny. I know its sad, but its also funny. He severed all other business relationships and took a gamble on an unknown. He lost, and instead of pulling himself up by his bootstraps, he's American-ing his way to better profitability by filing a law suit.
Good for him, financially (if he wins), but professionally no one will employ him again because of fears of future retaliatory actions.
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Carlos Mencia is Not Funny 1:50PM (12/10/2006)
Mr. Grant chose to partner up with a disaster-in-the-making. For Heaven's sake: you have Malcolm Bricklin, a living mess, and Chery, a commie carmaker that can't make an original design.
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Gardiner Westbound 3:31PM (12/10/2006)
If you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas... or unemployed.
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Gravy 3:41PM (12/10/2006)
This is more than a case of hiring on with a questionable employer and then suing when you lose your job. Mr. Grant made expeditures and created liabilities based on a written contract with Chery they then decided to pull out on without compensation for those expenses. If you were illegally uncompensated for expenses, you'd sue also.
Reply
iQuack 8:42PM (12/10/2006)
Anybody who'd quit a good job--unless he expected to get dumped anyway--to sign up with a known ditz like Malcom Bricklin must be megastupid.
Bricklin has a long history of failures and "you can't change the spots on a leopard"--a saying almost as good as, "sleep with dogs and you get fleas." (per comment above).
Reply
Mikey 8:09PM (12/11/2006)
That dipshit posting #1 always scribble racist anti-Chinese and anti-semetic rants.
White people stole North America, you dumbass. The Chinese invented paper, currency, etc. etc. etc.
Dailmer Chrysler made Chery use the escape clause in the contract. Blame Chrysler.
Reply
james a lark 4:26PM (5/14/2007)
have known ken grant for nearly twenty years !
he is bright, entrepreneureal, honest, experienced.
he is a brilliant designer as ford can attest to.
in addition to autos, he has made exciting after
market trim designs which are on thousands of vehicles. if ken says he was screwed by chery, i
believe it ! i hope he wins a bundle for this
insult ! good luck, ken. jim lark
Reply