The Force in Chinese Autos

11/01/2005

China's looming presence in the global automobile industry is being felt this week at the Detroit auto show, even without a single Chinese-made vehicle on display.

The Chinese force was apparent at the North American International Auto Show as the businessman backing a venture to bring Chinese auto vehicle to the US market said he would be back next year showing the vehicles to the US public.

"January next year, right here, we will show our auto vehicles," Malcolm Bricklin, founder and chief executive of Visionary Vehicles, told the reporter.

Bricklin, who was behind the failed Yugo and successful Subaru launches in the United States, announced a plan earlier this month to import Chinese autos from the Chery Automobile Company by 2007 at prices about 30 percent below the current market level.

The executive said the company has ambitious goals.

"We're going after Lexus," he said, referring to the Toyota luxury brand. "We'll beat General Motors on quality in the US market."