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."
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