New Trend In China: Chinese Cars
You’d think that joint ventures with Chinese car makers would be hell-bent on underscoring their foreignness. That’s what sets them apart from Chinese cars. The Chinese customer is no fool and exactly knows whether a 3-series is made by Brilliance in China or by BMW in Bavaria. But push comes to shove, a car with a foreign nameplate has more cachet in China than homegrown produce. Which makes this new trend even more wondrous: More and more joint ventures turn out their own through-and-through Chinese cars.
Even more curiously, the trend is led by an American joint venture: SAIC-GM-Wuling. GM’s el cheapo mini commercial vehicle joint venture with SAIC and Wuling will bring out its first self-developed sedan, the Baojun. It will be launched November 18. More Baojun cars are soon to show up.
The Baojun is followed by Dongfen Nissan’s Qichen, expected to hit the Chinese showrooms by the end of the (Western) year.
Guangzhou Honda may come out with a self-developed Linian car early next year.
Whereas the Intellectual Property for JV cars is usually licensed to the JV, the designs of self developed cars belong to the joint venture. I know you will get suspicious now, and your suspicions are well founded: Deep in the Baojun lurks a Buick Excelle, says Gasgoo.
There you have it: Faux Chinese cars. Chinese on the outside, foreign on the inside.
And in case you want to know, Chinaautoweb tells us that “ ‘Baojun’ contains two Chinese characters: ‘Bao’ means ‘treasured,’ ‘precious;’ ‘Jun” means ‘fine horse’ or ‘steed.’ ” Well, “bao-bao” is what you call your Chinese “honey.” Honey horsey? Precious pony? Moneyed Mustang?
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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I believe bao-bao is what you address to a cute baby or cute infant. Herr Schmitt, you might score every now and then if you address your mistress "bao-babe".
I think Bertel is right here - had several Chinese co-workers, all of them addressing their wives / girlfriends with bao bao. None of them had children, and none of the significant others were infants, either ;)