Businessman Malcolm Bricklin has changed gears regarding his plan to import cars from Chery Automobile in China to the United States. Bricklin had planned to sell low-cost minicars in the U.S. starting January 2007, but he has since cooked up an even more compelling strategy. He now plans to sell upscale Chinese luxury cars for low prices stateside. “Now that I’ve seen what Chery can produce we’re going to have cars starting at $19,000,” Bricklin said. “Our first car now will be a sedan the size of a (compact) Audi A4 with all-wheel-drive, leather and wood interior, a 10-year/100,000 mile warranty and a price tag of $19,000 vs. $30,000 for the Audi,” Bricklin said. “In the second year, we’ll go after the Mercedes S and BMW 7-Series with a rear-drive/all-wheel-drive, V-8-powered sedan starting at $35,000 vs. their $70,000 and higher,” he added. “Someone who buys a Mercedes isn’t going to buy one of my vehicles, but someone who buys a Toyota will,” Bricklin concluded. Bricklin’s company is currently in the process of signing dealers for the cars.

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