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Filed under: Economy , China , Hatchbacks , FIAT Fiat's Panda is the best selling minicar in Europe, and has been for four years. When China's Great Wall Motor -- Chrysler's Chinese partner -- decided to make a minicar called the GWPeri, it borrowed from the best. That is, if by "borrowed" you mean created a car that differs only from the Panda in it's headlamps and bumper details. Fiat didn't just do a double-take when it saw the GWPeri, it sued Great Wall Motor both in Italy and in China to prevent the car from being sold in Europe and China. A court in Turin recently decided that "the [GWPeri] does not look like a different car but is a Panda with a different front end." Furthermore, if a Peri ever shows up in Europe, GW will have to pay Fiat €15,000, with every GWPeri after that incurring a €50,000 fee. Great Wall has already said it is going to contest the European verdict. The Chinese ruling hasn't come down yet, where the GWPeri...
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Filed under: China , Cadillac , Chevrolet , Ford , GM , Earnings/Financials , By the Numbers While domestic sales continue to slide, the auto market in China is thriving. Both General Motors and Ford have reported double-digit sales growth for the first-half of 2008 in the world's most populace country, with GM moving 590,126 Buick, Chevrolet, and Cadillac vehicles for a total sales increase of 12.7 percent, while Ford sold 172,411 units for 21 percent jump in growth. With China recognized as the second-largest vehicle market outside the United States, and with their economy forecasted to grow by at least nine percent this year, automakers in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. are investing heavily to expand sales and production in the Chinese market. It is worth noting that vehicle sales in China have been nearly immune to the increase in global oil prices as governmental controls keep diesel and gasoline prices among the world's lowest. [Source: Detroit News ] Permalink | Email this...
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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing , Ford , Volvo Following up on our report last month about Volvo possibly going to the Chinese, state media is now reporting that Chery Automobile, one of the largest independent and fastest growing Chinese auto manufacturers, has its eyes on the Swedish automaker. Although officials at Chery rule out the possibility of buying Volvo, other sources have stated that the Chinese automaker has already negotiated funding for a possible acquisition. If so, that funding will be significant-insiders put Volvo's value at 30 billion yuan (about $4.4 billion dollars). This isn't the first time that Ford has been rumored to be cashing-out on Volvo... however, it was just two months ago that Ford officials reiterated that Volvo was not for sale . We wouldn't bet our yuan on it. [Source: Automotive News , subs. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: China , Chrysler, LLC. , Dodge Above: Great Wall Peri Most automakers are struggling with horrible US market conditions right now, but unlike competitors such as Toyota and Ford, Chrysler doesn't have sales in other areas of the world to fall back on. The Pentastar is looking to improve its fortunes overseas while also benefiting from low labor costs by partnering with the Great Wall Motor Company. The young Chinese automaker doesn't specialize in the small vehicles Chrysler needs here in the States, however, as the company's primary focus is on trucks and SUVs. The goal of the union is to share distribution channels, technology, and components, which should save both companies money in R&D and improve economies of scale. The deal is unrelated to a separate pact with Chery to produce a small, Dodge-branded car for sale in North America. With sales down in the states by 28% in June, Chrysler appears to be in the most trouble of the Detroit automakers in the near...
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Filed under: China , Etc. , Green , Police/Emergency , Military From Xinhua via our friends at China Car Times comes the above photo, showing Chinese counter-terrorism forces going through drills as they prepare to crush any dissent terror threat that might arise during next month's Olympic Games. The black ninja suits, fritz helmets, body armor, and submachine pistols all fit the profile of a specialized group like this. But... Segways? [Source: Xinhua via China Car Times ] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: China , Volvo An eternally unanswerable question seems to be whether or not Ford is actively shopping around Volvo for a buyer. Just this week we reported that Chinese automaker SAIC and some Russian investors had expressed interest in purchasing the Swedish carmaker from Ford, but today we learn from a source within SAIC that the company is doing nothing of the sort. The unidentified source said that, as far as he/she knew, the two companies were not in contact about a possible purchase at all. Volvo's staying quiet and licking its wounds after announcing 2,000 layoffs this week, while Ford is singing the same old song with a catchy chorus that insists Volvo is not for sale. Well, the rumor that some Russians are interested in Volvo hasn't been refuted yet, so until someone named Boris says otherwise, let's considerable Volvo on the market despite Ford's protest. [Source: Automotive News , sub. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Auction Action , China , Lotus , Toys Last month China's Sichuan province was devastated by a massive earthquake that killed as many as 70,000 people. If you've wanted to donate to help the survivors but were waiting for just the right opportunity, this could be it. Our friends over at China Car Times are holding several auctions with the proceeds going to the British Red Cross. Three of the auctions require a little travel for us Americans, but just might be worth a special trip. One is a private tour of the London Taxi factory with a chance to drive one of the iconic cars and some special merchandise from the factory. The second is for the chance to be one of the first people to tour MG's Longbridge factory in Birmingham, England, since taken over by Shanghai Automotive. Not only that, but the top bidder will get to drive the new MG TF LE500. The third auction is your chance to try out the latest vehicles from Lotus right there on its test track in Hethel Norwich...
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Filed under: Minivans/MPVs , China , Government/Legal , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , FIAT , Celebrities According to Olivier Francois, Chief Executive Officer of Lancia, Richard Gere was chosen for a recent ad for the Lancia Delta because he "is not merely a fine actor; not merely one of the most famous men in the world. He is a man with a great difference: the ability to combine talent, fame and style with great character. I'm talking about his commitment to peace." That affinity for peace stretches especially towards the people of Tibet, a people who's autonomy from China Gere supports. This commercial, which you can watch after the break, features Gere driving a new Lancia Delta from Hollywood to Tibet in just 30 seconds and aired in Italy. After reports of the commercial appeared in Chinese newspapers, China was apparently none too happy about it. Fiat has decided to apologize, with a company spokesman saying, "Fiat Group extends its apologies to the Government...
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Filed under: China , Government/Legal , Plants/Manufacturing , Chrysler , Ford , GM , Earnings/Financials American automotive companies have been doing rather well for themselves these last few years in China. Still, the majority of manufacturing those vehicles is done in China using locally sourced parts. For this reason, the Chinese government has been facing pressure to ink more deals with American companies for the export of goods there, which is apparently now beginning to take place. Ford, for instance, has announced that it will be sending 30,000 complete vehicles (no word on which ones) to China along with other various auto parts. General Motors has also signed on with about $1 billion in vehicles and parts for export to China. Chrysler too will get in on the trading, though its deals will likely be smaller than either Ford's or General Motors'. All in all, the automotive sector will make up about $2 billion of the recently announced deals, which total more than $8.3 billion...
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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing What's built in the States, stays in the States. At least that is how it used to be with one of the world's largest automaker. (The one exception is the Toyota Avalon sedan -- exported to the Middle East last year.) Toyota has now announced that it will ramp up U.S. vehicle production in Indiana and begin exporting vehicles to other booming markets around the world. The first to leave our shores will be the Toyota Sequoia , as it heads to buyers in the Middle East later this year. The Toyota Sienna minivan will follow, as it will be shipped to China and other markets as early as 2010. This news should be welcomed by workers and suppliers at the automaker's plants as Toyota recently slowed production at several facilities. This new trend of shifting production towards exporting vehicles may help keep them running at capacity, and keep everyone on their jobs. [Source: Automotive News , subs. req'd] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Gadgets , China , Government/Legal James Bond used them to elude Goldfinger's foot soldiers, but now revolving license plates have hit the open market in (where else?) China. Apparently over half of all speeders caught on camera in the south of the country get away scot-free by using false or occluded plates. A basic remote controlled plate switcher costs just 800 Yuan ($115), but more sophisticated gadgets that get the job done in just three seconds cost over twice that amount. So, would fitting one of these make your vehicle a Q Car? [Source: Reuters ] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Gadgets , China Not even James Bond has one of these: a watch that performs the functions of a keyless entry fob for your car. Developed by (or for) Chinese car manufacturer BYD, the gadget is made only for the F8 model. Press the top button on the right, and the car is locked, press the bottom button, the car is unlocked. The watch also has a starter function, but it's not labeled on the bezel like the others. Since it has a manual movement, you don't need to worry about a battery going dead as long as you wear the watch... and move. No word on whether you need to wind it in case you don't wear it. But come on now, it's not like you could stay away from your BYD F8 long enough for the watch to stop, is it? And as the brochure states, it even tells time -- which is not a bad thing for a watch. [Source: The Tycho ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Economy , China , Hyundai Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Hyundai Elantra in China As we learned last week , Hyundai used the occasion of Auto China in Beijing to debut its slightly refreshened Elantra. Its face now features a wider grille flanked by larger headlights, and a new lower air intake has also been reshaped. The overall effect is that the Elantra's friendly face has been been given a healthy dose of attitude. Likewise, the Elantra's rear also gets reshaped and loses its bulbous butt complex. We do expect these design updates to eventually reach the U.S.-market Elantra, as well as some new interior niceties like improved connectivity for digital music devices. As for when that will happen, your guess is as good as ours. Gallery: 2008 Hyundai Elantra (Chinese) Gallery: 2009 Hyundai Elantra [Source: Autoblog Chinese ] Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: China , Supercars , Bugatti , Misc. Auto Shows Click to view the Bugatti Veyron's unveiling in Beijing If you were looking for the new epitome of capitalism's slow-but-steady takeover of communism in China, we've got it for you right here. Bugatti brought its million-euro hyper-car this year to the Auto China show in Beijing, drawing hoards of spectators in its appropriate bright red paint job. What's more is that within two hours of the car's debut, Bugatti had already sold one. The customer will fly to Bugatti's Molsheim headquarters to pick out the color scheme and options (apparently no one told him he could do it online ), and pay a whopping 25 million yuan (approximately $3.6 million, more than twice the sticker price) for the privilege of owning the first Veyron in China. Mao who? Click on the images below and the press release after the jump for more on the Veyron's unveiling in Beijing. Gallery: Beijing 2008: Bugatti Veyron [Source: Bugatti...
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Filed under: China , Hatchbacks , Ford , Misc. Auto Shows Click above to view the Ford Fiesta S in hi-res China will undoubtedly be an important market for the new Ford Fiesta. Originally unveiled in European spec at the Geneva Motor Show last month, the Chinese version has just made its debut this week at the Auto China show in Beijing. The Chinese Fiesta is scheduled begin production before the end of the year at Ford's $510 million Changan Ford Mazda Automobile (CFMA) plant in Nanjing, China. Styling is by and large the same as its European counterpart, only the Beijing show car, displayed in S trim, features a sportier, more aggressive trim package that could preview what a future hot-hatch Fiesta ST or RS could look like. Did Ford hit the sweet spot in Geneva or in Beijing? Take a look at the Chinese and European versions in the galleries below and share your thoughts in the comments. Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta S - China Gallery: 2009 Ford Fiesta [Source: Ford] Permalink | Email...
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