Geely reportedly interested in Volvo Cars
We already know that Ford has placed Volvo on the auction block and is actively shopping its Swedish brand to at least one Chinese automaker. New rumors indicate that there may be more players in China with more than a passing interest in taking the brand off the Blue Oval's hands. If SAIC doesn't bite at Ford's $6 billion asking price, Geely has emerged as a possible bidder and officials from the Chinese automaker have reportedly made the trip all the way to Volvo's headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, to discuss a possible sale with Ford. So, what potential roadblocks stand in the way of a Chinese automaker snatching Volvo from the throes of bankruptcy? According to Autocar, one sticking point is that Ford does not want Volvo platforms being used by other automakers. A good deal of Ford products share their underpinnings with Volvo sedans and Ford is concerned that its intellectual property could end up in the wrong hands.
[Source: Autocar]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jeff Parris 6:30PM (12/18/2008)
Oh well, sucks to be Ford then. They either need to bite the bullet and hang on to Volvo (one of their better offerings, I might add), or be prepared to see Chinese bodies based on thier platforms. The Chinese are very smart this way. They have a keen eye for letting someone else do the expensive R&D and then they sit back and profit off of it. Kinda like that kid that was in your 9th grade Geometry class that copied off your paper and and passed the class, but did he ever say, "Thanks!"?
The Big3 are in big trouble. In my youth I was their biggest fan. Now......... eh? Let 'em fail.
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MotownMan 9:21AM (12/18/2008)
I find it funny that Ford, let along any automaker, would be so worried about their platforms as "intellectual property." Heck, they all ought to be more worried about buying in business in 5-10 years. For Swedes, Chinese ownership of any major company would be an insult to the entire culture. Gothenberg still has not gotten over the fact that Ford -- and American allied-company -- owns it. Stockholm would jump in and somehow prevent any Chinese firm from taking control. Bet on it.
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Paul 9:30AM (12/18/2008)
I hope you are right... BMW? hello? save us please!
zr 10:04AM (12/18/2008)
I for sure won't by another Volvo car if this deal succeeds.
capture 10:55AM (12/18/2008)
MotownMan wrote:
"...For Swedes, Chinese ownership of any major company would be an insult to the entire culture..."
MotownMan, you really need to shut up about your racist ideologies.
Judy Zik 9:29AM (12/18/2008)
As if the Chinese would actually honour any agreement about intellectual property.
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Judy Zik 9:43AM (12/18/2008)
I can't resist.
COMING SOON! To Geely dealerships across Great Nation.
All New Models From New European Design Studio At World Famous Volvo.
Mingdeo
Foocus
Kaa
Fingesta
All New Models Inspired By America Home of Famous Hollywood.
Edgewoo
Fooshun
Coming soon all new big vehicle with box on back. Look bad ass. G-150.
j 9:50AM (12/18/2008)
Go back to the boondocks, your husband/cousin misses you.
geo.stewart 10:02AM (12/18/2008)
anyway, I thought it was funny, especially considering the obvious ripoffs evident at the Shang-hai show, and the bans at Euro shows over controversies re: patent/ Intellectual properties.
j needs to get over him(her)self. but then in this new PC-dominated, not-my- responsibility world, maybe we'll have to have secret membership websites where we can enjoy humor ouside the purview of J and the 1984 Thought police.
Judy Zik 9:52AM (12/18/2008)
Wow.
My apologies. I am not now nor ever have been a racist and I don't think you know me well enough to call me a skank.
It was a joke based on the commonly known practice in China of copying foreign made cars and other products for that matter. It has nothing to do with my opinion of people of Chinese origin nor was it meant to.
Sorry if I offended anyone but I think you may need to lighten up a bit.
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Leo 10:00AM (12/18/2008)
ford needs to hold on to volvo, if it was not for the the tech volvo has ford would not be in the place that it is in...
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Smegley 10:04AM (12/18/2008)
Don't worry Judy. Some of us do not have chips on our shoulders and understand the jokes and that they are just jokes.
I for one can not wait for
.......... B eijing
.......... M otor
.......... W orks
to open its doors and offer us "The Ultimate People's Driving Machine."
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Shawn 10:10AM (12/18/2008)
Well J, stating a fact is not a racist comment. Calling someone a "hoe" is insulting because discussions on gardening tools do not belong on an automotive board. Judy can't go back to the "boondocks" because it is a cartoon and I'm sure there's a counterfeit Chinese version out there somewhere.
I mean, take a chill pill and calm that nationalism down a little.
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KennyYu 10:14AM (12/18/2008)
Actually as a chinese, my position is some kind of different from others, and also same as my worries.
I doubt if Geely can merge Volvo completely, maybe just "snatch" from Ford. It's not we expect.
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j 10:10AM (12/18/2008)
Your right, I overreacted it's just a sensitive topic but seriously, China copying foreign made cars? Have you ever seen a Hyundai before? and no Hyundai is not Chinese.
And I know you were trying to make a joke, but I was under the assumption jokes based on stereotypes are racist no? Is it not offensive to be mocked based on ethnicity and stereotypes?
You guys all need to get over your self righteousness. Give me a break, it's like the equivalent of me assuming every white person from the south is a Klan member.
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j 10:29AM (12/18/2008)
Shawn,
Just for the record, I consider myself American born and raised, anyhow
The boondocks is just a cartoon? Stating a fact? What is it exactly about what Judy said that makes it a fact? Could you be anymore ignorant?
It's like if every time Autoblog posted anything about Lamborghini or Ferrari I brought up Super Mario or spaghetti and meatballs or something just as ridiculous, is that not so extremely obnoxious at the very least if not just offensive to Italians and Italian-Americans alike?
Is that not the same as every time Autoblog posts something about a Chinese auto maker I have to hear some f'in ridiculous comment from some jackass mocking Chinese people or their accent when they try to speak English or about counterfeit goods or some other BS?
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RWD fan 10:34AM (12/18/2008)
Volvo's design principles and Chinese business practices couldn't be more at odds, and this is such an absurd pairing that I don't even want to picture it, let alone see it happen!
Volvo has never been the low price leader, or most efficient production manufacturer. Their lineup has always been about safety and reliability first and foremost. The iconic 1xx and 2xx series boxes were fantastic cars that are loved by their owners to this day.
One can hardly imagine what Geely might imagine for the future look of a Volvo, but I can imagine what will be tossed out immediately in the name of cost cutting and efficiency, and that's the safety.
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joe23521 11:24AM (12/18/2008)
Some of us have to start dealing with the fact that some of these Chinese companies are trying to learn and grow. The fact that they made/make crappy cars doesn't subject them to a life sentence of making the same crap. Geely has been planning to create a more upscale sub-brand and acquiring Volvo could be a major step in helping them achieve that goal some day.
I, for one, want to see these start ups do well in the future. If some of us enjoy seeing them fail and/or don't want to admit the fact that they might NOT fail, then we need to ask ourselves what our motives are.
Mobius_1 10:47AM (12/18/2008)
Ford worried about the Chinese? The Swedes weren't exactly worried about the Americans when Ford bought Volvo, eh?
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Rick 10:52AM (12/18/2008)
Ford doesn't want the wrong hands to get a hold of their shared platforms if it sells Volvo, but yet it's selling Volvo? I'm confused. How do you sell something but not want what you are selling to end up in the wrong hands? The platform is what is worth the money, or am I missing something?
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