According to UK-based media service Headline Auto, one of the hot rumors flying around the Auto Messe in Frankfurt earlier this morning was that China Automobile, the German importer for Chinese automaker Shuanghuan, was going to get booted out of the exhibit hall. The controversy stems from some bad blood brewing between Shuanghuan and the mainstream manufacturers whose designs it blatantly, unashamedly copies. On display in Frankfurt are the Shuanghuan UFO and CEO SUVs. UFO is a Toyota RAV4 clone, and CEO is a 95% copy of the BMW X5. (We say 95% because Shuanghuan apparently elected to copycat Mercedes-Benz for the CEO's front end design.)
In the end, China Automobile Deutschland got to stay at the show, but Shuanghuan still faces potential trouble ahead, as BMW is considering legal action against the company.
[Source: Headline Auto]
RELEASE:
Headline News: Chinese whispers
Rumours on the morning of the second press day that the IAA show organisers might expel China Automobiles from the show sent TV news crews scurrying to witness the event.
At the heart of the row are the lookalike Toyota Rav 4 - called the UFO – and the BMW X5 lookalike, the CEO.
In the end, there were no flying saucers and no embarrassed chief executives at the importer China Automobiles Deutschland – but it provided for an entertaining interlude.
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