Geely - your opinions?

[86 911]

I just heard on the news today that the Chinese car manufacture, Geely, is planning to sell their cars here in the U.S. for under $10K. The main reason why the cost is so cheap is because of the labor: $3.50 per hour for a Chinese worker VS. $64.00 per hour for an American worker. Their only fear is not to become like the Yugo in the 80's, but I think they'll succeed. Personally, I think it's great for the consumer, but very bad for American auto workers. It will probably still be a neat midsize car to drive around in, and I wouldn't mind owning one if their reliablity is top notch even though it looks like a mix of a VW Jetta and a Hyundai XG 350.
Here's a photo:

[cowtown]

Well, I won't be buying one because of the amount of US debt the Chinese own, but I doubt most car buyers are thinking about that. It will be a reasonable car with reasonable quality at a rock-bottom price, just like the pliers you buy at the Harbor Tool store. In other words, it'll be a hit, and one that will aid in destroying us as an economic force; too bad we will only realize this when it's too late.

Sorry for the heavy post - just the way I see it.

[Britwrench]

Yes it is an imported car, built by foreign workers and with a company owned by another country which holds US debt......hmmm just like Porsche then. And people buy those without any concerns.

The politics of China are a totally against Western ideas, maybe that will change at somepoint in time (but not anytime soon). And still WalMart is the biggest supermarket chain in the US, and most of their products come from??????

Looking at what happened to Hyundai, which went from building cars with a reputation of being cheap and not-all-that good to becomng a American manufacturer, no-one knows what will happen in the future. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are now US manufacturers.

Bearing in mind the large amount of "domestic" cars built in either Mexico or Canada and "imported" cars built in the US, the only real reason to be unhappy is that the cars could (and should) have been built within the US...but the domestic manufacturers were pushing on with their ideas of filling the country with SUVs. The largest volume selling vehicle in the US is the Ford F150 pick-up.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22749-1783784,00.html

http://paultan.org/archives/2005/10/08/jiangling-landwind-x6-crash-test-by-tuv/

If this is any indication of the Chinese method of ripping off western designs, I'll pass.

[cowtown]

How much US debt does China own? How much debt does Germany own?

Answer: over 10% (China). Less than 0.1% (Germany)

Here's an easier one: Which is a communist country?
And another: Which competes with us for oil? Steel?

I don't resent what China's doing. They're just winning the game right now, at our expense. I don't want to collaborate.

[Britwrench]

Very true, they are winning, but at the expense of most industrial countries. Every country is competing for oil and steel. It all comes back to what the comsumer thinks and does. I don't see that can be regulated without a nationalistic type of education and advertising campaign, which would have to include all countries that export to the US (and Europe) that are, in the end, not friends or have politic "issues". And there a lot of them.

Germany is part of the EU which holds a fairly substantial US debt.

[86 911]

F**k, I never knew they were that unsafe... makes me want to RUN away from this car. Huh, I never realized China has a debt to the U.S.

[cowtown]

Agreed, Brit. I'm an anti-regulatory type, so by necessity that means "vote with your feet." It's got to be on a personal level (as you say nationalistic education - which isn't happening here).

The times they are a changin'.

[Britwrench]

Maybe if Ford and GM (not including Chrysler as it's basically Mercedes- Benz) had "bigger picture" marketing and planning policies we wouldn't even being discussing this. As GM now has Korean cars in their line up, the Ford Fusion is a Mazda, there are so many cross-country assembled cars (the Mini being one) that a low cost car could have been manufactured (or assembled, there is a difference) in one of the soon-to-be closed Ford or GM plants. Think it's going to happen?

I don't.

[Serg]

Originally posted by Jared Fenton
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,22749-1783784,00.html

http://paultan.org/archives/2005/10/08/jiangling-landwind-x6-crash-test-by-tuv/

If this is any indication of the Chinese method of ripping off western designs, I'll pass.

more on chinese rip offs

http://paultan.org/archives/2004/12/05/china-pirates/

[86 911]

Just realized the comparisons. WTF? Haven't they heard of ORIGINALITY??? Why design a car literally the same as another, previous year car? I don't get this at all.

[jim72911t]

Originally posted by 86 911
Huh, I never realized China has a debt to the U.S.

Other way around. The US has a debt to China. Wars aren't cheap.

BTW, I wouldn't buy one either.

Jim

[Evans, Marv]

Was it Lenin who said the communist countries would sell the capitalist countries enough rope to hang themselves?

[Howard Agency]

Originally posted by Evans, Marv
Was it Lenin who said the communist countries would sell the capitalist countries enough rope to hang themselves?

Except it has tended to work the other way around. Just using Germany as an example. The priorities after the war were basic living needs, but after that was accomplished, the economies went back to work. While the DDR was one the more productive countries in the Soviet Bloc, it paled in comparison to the West.

The East had Trabants and 'athletic' women while the West had BMW's and Baywatch. Once the people were fed, housed and clothed, natural human desires took over. IMO that was one of the biggest reasons the wall fell and capitalism 'won'.

The initial Chinese cars are poor copies of our outdated designs. But they will be cheap and appeal to lots of buyers. China will be successful, the workers will benefit and buy HD TV's. They will see Baywatch and BMW's and demand these things, too. Or at least their kids will.

Like the Germans and Japanese, they will then open plants in the US to take advantage of the cheap labor. I think I'm gonna puke.

[86 911]

That's a direct quote from the news channel. Seems too high for me as well.

[creaturecat]

Rows of Geelys parked outside Walmart.

The corp. response appears to involve moving manufacturing operations over to communist China.
General Motors is on the bandwagon.

http://www.gmchina.com/english/operations/index.htm

excerpt:

[azasadny]

Originally posted by cowtown
Well, I won't be buying one because of the amount of US debt the Chinese own, but I doubt most car buyers are thinking about that. It will be a reasonable car with reasonable quality at a rock-bottom price, just like the pliers you buy at the Harbor Tool store. In other words, it'll be a hit, and one that will aid in destroying us as an economic force; too bad we will only realize this when it's too late.

Sorry for the heavy post - just the way I see it.

Yep, that's why there are no American-manufactured TV sets... the list goes on and on and we'll be a third-world country before the end of my lifetime....

[RANDY P]

Originally posted by creaturecat
Rows of Geelys parked outside Walmart.

The corp. response appears to involve moving manufacturing operations over to communist China.
General Motors is on the bandwagon.

http://www.gmchina.com/english/operations/index.htm

excerpt:

For what, to build cars in China to sell to us? Is that what you're trying to imply? The coprorate page doesn't SAY ANYTHING OF THE SORT!

Even funnier, you're a CANADIAN *****ing about GM manufacturing policies..

What if the reason is to take advantage and sell cars in China to
Chinese? It's only the largest emerging market IN THE WORLD for autos -I applaud GM for venturing there - It's a miracle we're even allowed to compete there.


Ya really need to brush up on your comprehension skills son..

rjp
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0628_040628_chinacars.html

[cowtown]

Originally posted by RANDY P
Ya really need to brush up on your comprehension skills son..

Yep. Wayyyyy off course, Cat. As usual.

[M.D. Holloway]

Originally posted by 86 911
WTF? Haven't they heard of ORIGINALITY??? Why design a car literally the same as another, previous year car? I don't get this at all.

you have a country with 1.5 billion people, not a whole lot of natural resources compared to other countries, the majority of the population living in what we would consider squaller not to mention the fact that many can't read or write and you want them to be creative and have an original thought?

They are lucky to find a sparrow to eat and semi-clean water to drink. It is another world.

I just finished trained a bunch from Asia just last Friday. Several from China. They are trained at an early age that 1+ 2 = 3. Do not ask why. It just does. They are great at memorizing and applying but I have not met many Chinese that are very creative. Look at their art - it has not progressed in 3000 years.