China

China’s Car Sales Down in October – To 80 Percent Growth

By Bertel Schmitt
November 7, 2009

So used has the MSM become to China’s red hot car growth, that Reuters headlines the October sales report “Chinese car sales dip in October, but still robust.” China’s passenger vehicle sales clocked-in a year-on-year growth of 79.6 percent in October. In September, the growth was 83.62 percent, which serves as the reason for Reuter’s slight concern.
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | no comments

Tradewar Watch 7: More Shots Fired

By Bertel Schmitt
November 6, 2009

China’s Ministry of Commerce on Friday announced it would formally launch an investigation into subsidies on imports of some automobiles from the United States, Reuters reports. With all the bailout money sloshing around, China won’t have a hard time coming up with evidence.
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 9 comments

Made in China Saab 9-5?

By Bertel Schmitt
November 6, 2009

If the GM-SAAB-Koenigsegg-BAIC deal ever closes, Beijing Auto (BAIC) would be interested in taking the current generation Saab 9-5 and produce it in China once the 2010 Saab 9-5 is launched in Europe in April next year, Chinese media reports via Gasgoo.
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 13 comments

Hummer To China: Same Player Shoots Again

By Bertel Schmitt
November 6, 2009

With all the noise about GM’s interruptus of the Opel sale, we could forget that there is a brand GM wants to sell, badly: Hummer. Since June  it had been announced that the sale of Hummer to little-known Tengzhong in China is as good as done. Except that it wasn’t.

Still ain’t.
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 5 comments

Death Of A Chinese Car Salesman: European Brilliance Importer Crashes

By Bertel Schmitt
November 5, 2009

Did we mention that China’s Brilliance hasn’t been doing so, well, brilliantly? The joint venture partner of BMW, and maker of supposedly homegrown Ersatz-BMWs (the sight of which makes any BMW engineer reach for a bottle of Jägermeister) had racked up losses to the tune of 9b Chinese Yuan ($1.3b) in the first half of the year. And now, its European importer went kaputt. HSO Imports, located in tax-friendly Luxemburg, declared insolvency. To the tune of silent, but audible “hipp-hipp, hurrah!” amongst Germany’s automakers. Break out the bubbly, another attempted Chinese invasion has been repelled.
(more…)

Posted in China | Europe | News Blog | 21 comments

Have You Really Thought This Through Edition: Onstar To Invade China

By Bertel Schmitt
November 2, 2009

Nannification makes a great leap forward: OnStar services will be activated and fully operational in China in December 2009 on some Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet vehicles, PRNewswire reports. The system will be operated by OnStar Telematics Company Limited, a joint venture between  GM and SAIC. According to the blurb, “this is OnStar’s first venture outside of North America in its 11-year history.”
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 10 comments

China Car Market Likely to Remain High on Stimulants

By Bertel Schmitt
November 2, 2009

While other countries are weaning off their auto markets from the amphetamine injections, China is set to increase the dosage. Already the world’s largest auto market, the Middle Kingdom is hell-bent on turning its working masses into mega motorists.
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 8 comments

BMW Flirting With SAIC. Happy Couple May Produce 7-Series

By Bertel Schmitt
November 2, 2009

BMW is talking to China’s 800 lb gorilla SAIC about producing BMW’s luxo-barge, the 7-series in China. This according to Bloomberg who has it from Dongfang Daily, who heard it from an unnamed source at SAIC.

BMW and SAIC had been talking about a joint venture three times in the past, says the Chinese paper, but noting came of it.

If this isn’t one of those Chinese rumors that are floated on one day, and denied the next, then this could be interesting in several respects.

(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 11 comments

GM: China Will Lead The World For A Long Time

By Bertel Schmitt
October 29, 2009

China will lead the U.S. as the world’s biggest auto market for a “long time,” (if not forever.) This assessment doesn’t come from the Chinese propaganda machine. Nick Reilly, GM’s head of international operations, thinks China is too far ahead of the U.S. and demand will grow next year, Bloomberg reports.

Reilly sees  vehicle demand in China increase to more than 13 million units next year from about 12.5 million in 2009. “I don’t see the U.S. being anywhere near that,” Reilly said.

(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 10 comments

“Chinese Likely To Be Buyers Of U.S. Auto Suppliers.” What else is new?

By Bertel Schmitt
October 28, 2009

Someone who has the same name as myself had urged Chinese parts manufacturers for more than a year to go overseas and to buy parts houses at firesale prices. Why? Because they make much more money that way. The foreign parts houses mostly produce in China anyway. Often with huge Chinese manufacturers as subcontractors. By moving closer to the customer and up the value chain, by turning from contract manufacturer to marketer, the Chinese manufacturers could realize much higher profits.

A year later, this thought finally resonates in Detroit. Under the title “Chinese likely to be buyers of U.S. auto suppliers.” Crain’s Detroit Business runs a rather belated story.
(more…)

Posted in China | News Blog | 8 comments