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MarkG
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Grand Lord of Apolyton, Owner of all this land as far as the eye can see
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quote:
First Chinese auto imports set to make European debut
Dutch rally driver and car dealer Peter Bijvelds expects to sell about 2,000 of the first Chinese cars in Europe this year at almost half the price of their nearest competitor, he said yesterday.
Mr. Bijvelds has a five-year exclusive deal with China's Jiangling Landwind Motor to sell its sport utility vehicle in 27 European countries at a time Europe's car makers are suffering from weak demand amid consumer belt-tightening.
Under the terms of the contract with the unit of China's Jiangling Motors Group, Mr. Bijvelds must sell 1,000 cars this year. He says he can do better and will market the Landwind SUV primarily on its cut-rate price.
"We can do at least double. There is a huge demand for it," the 26-year-old said. "The car is not expensive. The next competitor is at least 40-per-cent more expensive."
Mr. Bijvelds, who began negotiations with Jiangling about a year and a half ago, says the car's price will vary from country to country but that he aims to keep the final retail price to about €15,000 ($24,000) apiece.
He declined to say how much he was paying Jiangling for the vehicles but said his costs were very low.
"The economy in Europe is not doing that well and people aren't spending as much as they did a few years ago," he said.
Mr. Bijvelds, whose dealership is based in the village of Erp, in the Netherlands, has made minor alterations to the SUV in order to meet Europe's strict emissions standards.
He said he has already sold about 300 Landwind SUVs in the Netherlands and is in talks to set up a distribution network in Belgium before expanding across the continent.
But demand for the Chinese car could come from outside Europe too.
"We've had interest from . . . Dubai, Africa and even from Mongolia," he said. "We're just going to conquer Europe and then we will go further." |
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mindseye
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A Yankee living in Shanghai
Apr 1999
time: 13:34
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Cool! I had been meaning to start a thread on the Chinese auto industry!
Cars in China are very regional. The composition of local traffic is varies markedly in different cities, depending on what's manufactured (and serviced) in that region.
For example in Shanghai, Volkswagens and Buicks together probably comprise 60% of passenger car traffic. In Wenzhou, in neighboring Zhejiang province, most of the passenger car traffic is made up of Renaults and Citroens.
I believe most passenger cars manufactured in China are foreign makes, but there are a number of Chinese manufacturers. Typically they hire western firms to design the vehicles they produce. Some of the Chinese brands are manufactured under joint venture deals. I believe Great Wall SUVs, for example, are based on the products of its partner, Hyundai.
I'll post some shots I found on the web of a recent auto show.
Below: The Crossover, a new model from Chinese car maker Chery.
 Attachment: chery3.jpg
This has been downloaded 127 time(s).
Last edited by mindseye on 19-03-2005 at 20:40
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mindseye
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A Yankee living in Shanghai
Apr 1999
time: 13:34
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The problem of intellectual property theft in China extends into the auto world. Chevrolet claims that the Chery QQ is a copy of it's Spark. (I have to wonder about that name - Chery - just one similar-looking letter off from "Chevy" ...).
Top: Chery QQ, below: Chevy Spark
Attachment: chery qq, a, chevy spark, b.jpg
This has been downloaded 106 time(s).
Last edited by mindseye on 19-03-2005 at 21:30
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Wycoff
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Some of those cars are pretty nice looking... an even the worse aren't as fugly as the Scion box truck abomination.
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Dr Strangelove
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They named a car "crossover"? Is it "bi" or "trans"?
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All times are GMT. The time now is 05:34.
Apolyton Time is 00:34. |
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19-03-2005 14:49
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