For the past two years, investor Malcolm Bricklin has touted a plan to bring ultra-affordable cars made by China’s Chery Automobile to the United States. This year, he revised the plan to focus on low-cost, high-feature models rather than bargain basement economy cars. The cars were expected to be sold under the Visionary Vehicles brand in late 2008 or early 2009.
According to a new report by AutoWeek, those plans may have been derailed. Sources suggest DaimlerChrysler’s involvement with Chery — including the possible manufacturing of the Dodge Hornet Concept — could be the reason behind the unravelling. The magazine suggests DCX may have convinced Chery to break off talks with Mr. Bricklin.
Bricklin, who is credited with bringing Subaru to America, is now believed to be drawing up plans for an original model line. Visionary Vehicles will then contract an appropriate Chinese automaker to manufacture the cars. It’s unclear how this change of strategy — if true — would affect VV’s launch schedule.
11/21, 6:37 PM
posted by:
A4
hes going to croak before he does anything useful in the next decade
11/21, 8:13 PM
posted by:
Veda
Good timing. I test drove the small Chery QQ last weekend and came out quite scared with the flawed manual transmission operation. The rest of the car is actually good value for the price but safety and operation needed work.
11/21, 8:40 PM
posted by:
A4
isnt safety and operation at least 2/3rds of a car
11/21, 8:44 PM
posted by:
MyGodBeatsYourGod
Is WalMart lined up next to import Chery cars?
.
11/22, 12:27 AM
posted by:
Hyperion
Being in a similar type of big-dog screwing over little dog situation myself right now, I am all for Mr. Bricklin’s plans to pursue another Chinese automaker to realize his plans.
The world is an unfair, open market but I just detest this sort of thing. Chrysler forces a foreign company out of major talks to import their cars simply because they are contracted to build a small niche vehicle.
Boo on Chrysler for doing what is convenient and ruining two years of work just to sell another front wheel drive kiddie car.
11/22, 1:07 AM
posted by:
Jason
This is a good thing. Think of all the lives saved by not importing these pieces of **** to the US.
11/22, 1:48 AM
posted by:
peter g
Thank God, – but one day the Chinese automakers definately will be present in the American market. I fully agree with A4 when it comes to emphasizing safety features, but the Chinese have only just begun and bearing in mind how clever they are at copying, well…
11/22, 3:01 AM
posted by:
John Landers
Mr. Bricklin is plenty rich to be happy til he dies.
He does this bring-over-a-no-name-company game just for kicks. It’s fun. It’s a nice challenge.
On Chinese cars, I don’t believe it’s possible to bring to the USA a Chinese car.
With China’s culture of blatant disregard for copyright laws in all fields of business, it cannot be profitable for any Chinese car company to spend the research funds to develop an original new car.
All the other Chinese car companies will crush this original thinking company with their low priced car clones of some foreign company’s design.
11/22, 7:25 AM
posted by:
Renton
This news does not even register on my “who gives a **** meter”.
11/22, 8:18 AM
posted by:
amanda
“credited” with bringing in Subaru, the *worst* of all Japanese cars?
11/22, 1:00 PM
posted by:
nowei
SV2, anyone?
/no
11/22, 2:03 PM
posted by:
eam3
Subaru is the worst of all Japanese cars? That title has gone unchallenged for many years to Mitsubishi, which other than the wicked little Evo, has been selling pure, uncut garbage to US buyers for too long now.
11/22, 6:31 PM
posted by:
F451
“Low-cost, high-feature” is an oxymoron. Yeah, like we need more four-wheeled pieces of crap on the American highways.
.
“Bricklin, who is credited with bringing Subaru to America.” No one person can do all this voodoo magic, as it takes many people to realize anything to fruition. Even Einstein understood that principle.
11/22, 7:51 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Good, this is one less garbage manufacturer to worry about. Excellent.
11/25, 3:01 PM
posted by:
Veda
Renton, that’s bs, otherwise why do you even bother putting a post? Come one just say it, you’re a close minded fool who hates chinese cars and would rip them anytime chance permits even though you probably will never even have the chance to test drive one. Don’t be shy…
11/25, 3:02 PM
posted by:
Veda
“Good, this is one less garbage manufacturer to worry about. Excellent.
”
Why worry if it’s garbage?
12/09, 3:41 PM
posted by:
Captain Spadaro
Dear Malcolm Bricklin, please cease and desist this nonsense at once. Nobody takes you seriously anymore (if anyone ever DID). Please retire to a small island and/or backwater town and never return.