Chinese Police Stops Government Agency From Publishing Confusing Car Data

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Ever since the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, a government agency that “assists the government in such activities as auto standard and technical regulation formulating, product certification testing, quality system certification, industry planning and policy research, information service and common technology research” started issuing monthly car sales numbers, we had our issues with them.

Month after month, they came out with data early, received headlines all over the world, and when the official CAAM numbers came out, they were totally different. There were attempts to explain that CATRC reports registrations, whereas CAAM reports deliveries to dealers. But the numbers were too far apart. In August, we yelped “Come on, guys. China is the world’s largest auto market. Why do we have to endure this rigmarole every month?” When we reported the September numbers, the CATRC was conspicuously absent. Now, we know why.

China’s biggest car site, Sohu, reports (in Chinese) that we were spared September numbers from CATRC, that there will be no October numbers, and that there will be no CATRC numbers thereafter. Sohu has it from “informed sources” that China’s Public Security Bureau (i.e. the police, the Department of Motorvehicles, and sundry other functions rolled into one) has turned off the stream of data to CATRC. Apparently, we were not the only ones who were unhappy with the data. China’s auto manufacturers association CAAM has voiced their dissatisfaction with the data, says Sohu, which eventually prompted “the relevant departments to intervene.”

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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 5 comments
  • Philadlj Philadlj on Oct 22, 2010

    My thoughts and prayers go out the families of those who worked for CATRC.

  • TrailerTrash TrailerTrash on Oct 22, 2010

    Jesus, Bertel! Where the hell are you, anyway? Your in Europe. Then you are in China. Your back in Japan. Your on everybody today. Get some rest.

  • Zackman Zackman on Oct 22, 2010

    I'm eager to see how this plays out and what the ramifications are, not only for the Chinese but for all those (the world) who deal with them. That photo is the funniest, most bizarre image I have seen on TTAC, yet!

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