Reality Distortion, Financial Times Edition: Chinese Car Sales Up 75.8 %

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Are you unhappy with the fact that Chinese car sales were down 1.07 percent in October? No problem! All you have to do is to subscribe to the on-line version of the Financial Times. For the price of your subscription, you would be assured that “China’s passenger car sales in October surged 75.8 per cent from a year earlier.” Don’t believe it? The Financial Times will tell you it’s true. (If the link breaks, they woke up.)

By mistake, the Financial Times today republished an article that ran in Reuters in November 2009. It’s good that the FT is behind a paywall. Otherwise, the story would already be all over the Internet.

To subscribe to the feel good pink sheet costs you $7 a week. The Truth About Cars will remain free.

(No, wise guys. It’s not an old story that was found in the archives. Want proof?)

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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 3 comments
  • Cmoibenlepro Cmoibenlepro on Nov 15, 2011

    Link is broken

  • Daveainchina Daveainchina on Nov 15, 2011

    This is why I refuse to pay for services like the Financial Times. ie. If I'm paying for a news service that I want to rely on for investment information etc. (granted not just one) I d@mn well expect them to do a hell of a lot better in their fact checking than this. Hell common sense even tells you it's wrong, the market, even in China doesn't change that fast without some major policy or other upheaval in the markets. The person who posted it should be fired.

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