Autoblog

Fortune asks, "Is the party in China over?"

Jeff Sabatini — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: China, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Earnings/Financials

Though many may not realize the extent of it, the auto business has been booming in China for a while now. General Motors actually sells more vehicles there than they do in the States, and huge market growth in China has been crucial to the bottom lines of all the carmakers that do business there. But according to Fortune, these boon times may be coming to an end.

LMC Automotive predicts that the 2012 vehicle market in China will only be growing at a 9.2-percent rate, less than half of last year's rate, according to the report. Perhaps more chilling is that the Chinese government wants to keep foreign automakers from expanding, in an effort to shield it's own domestic industry. While GM and Ford are already established in China, Chrysler - which does not build cars in the country yet - might be shut out given the new policies, Fortune says.

Then there's the possibility of an economic crisis in China, fueled by a combination of rapid middle class income growth and the expansion of state-owned companies, which some analysts say could happen in just three years. No matter how you look at it, the gold rush in China is likely coming to its inevitable end.

Fortune asks, "Is the party in China over?" originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roewe W2 concept a Chinese delight

Chris Tutor — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:27:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, China

We've had our fun with Chinese-designed cars before, but it looks like someone over at Roewe knows what makes a decent-looking car.

Roewe is expected to officially introduce its W2 concept later this month at the Shanghai Auto Show. Though officially a concept, Internet rumors indicate production later this year, though probably without the fancy LED touch screen control module in the center stack. Hopefully, though, the transformation from concept to reality will leave intact the car's stylish lines and handsome interior. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until the April 22 Shanghai show for more details.

Click through to the gallery for a couple more photos.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Gallery: Roewe W2 Concept

Roewe W2 concept a Chinese delight originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 13:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Design Geely's new logo, win RMB 2 million (that's $257k)

Chris Tutor — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 16:19:00 EST

Filed under: China

While Geely's logo isn't exactly iconic (ha ha), it's not nearly as bad or imitative as some we've seen out of China. In fact, it reminds us a bit of the old Plymouth logo. Nevertheless, the Geely folks think they need a new one and they're asking you, yes you, to design a new one. They're willing to award the best logo designer $257,000 for their work. There are some rules you need to follow, which are outlined in the press release after the jump. Not mentioned, though, is the company's new advertising slogan, "Beyond_The Value." And, yes, the underscore is intentional. So you might want to keep that in mind as you put in $250,000 worth of logo designing.

With all the creative entries we had on our business card design contest, we're hoping our readers don't disappoint. When the chosen logo is announced sometime after August, we expect to be showing you a photo of one of our more artistic regulars holding an oversized check with a bunch of Chinese zeros on it.

We had a hard time finding a place to enter the contest, but you might start by emailing Geely spokesman Zhang Xiaodong at kukubo@126.com.

Editor's note: Sorry about the typo Zhang's email address, now corrected.

[Source: China Car Times]

Continue reading Design Geely's new logo, win RMB 2 million (that's $257k)

Design Geely's new logo, win RMB 2 million (that's $257k) originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 21 Jan 2007 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bulletproof autos a hot item in China

Alex Nunez — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, China, Etc.

For Chinese managers and executives, the new must-have accessory is an armored vehicle.

Spurred on by fears of vehicle-directed attacks like carjackings and kidnappings, managers in China are lining up to have their personal cars and trucks converted into bulletproof bunkers on wheels. Companies like Chongqing Jinguan Automobile Manufacture are the beneficiaries of the newfound paranoia, as they generally pull in anywhere from $75,000 to 87,000 USD to ~~vonvert~~ convert a vehicle like a Toyota Land Cruiser. If the conversion subject is a luxury car, it costs even more.

Once armored, vehicles can withstand a variety of attacks ranging from window break-in attempts to small arms fire. Specialized tires allow targets to make a hasty getaway even if they've been shot out.

Given that luxury automakers like BMW have offered factory armor packages in the past, it wouldn't be all that surprising to see an armored factory option return to take advantage of this market opportunity.

[Source: China Daily]

Bulletproof autos a hot item in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jul 2006 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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