Ping Pong, Dim Sum, Tang Hu Lu and Chevrolet

by Frank Williams

December 21st, 2007 9:12 AM

ping pong dim sum tang hu lu and chevrolet

At the rate it's going, the first Chinese car sold in the U.S. might come from GM, assembled right here in North America. Currently GM buys 20 million parts per month from Chinese suppliers. Reuters reports they're increasing their spending by 25 percent a year through 2010. You can expect to see air conditioning, chassis, steering and brake parts coming from the PRC, in addition to the electronics, plastic parts, engines, aluminum wheels (half of the aluminum wheels they use worldwide are Chinese) and other Chinese-made components they currently use. If the trend continues, that "American-made" Chevy will soon have more Chinese content than domestic. An American revolution? I don't think so.

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4 of 16 comments

Sherman Lin on Dec 21, 2007

I think taxman its just more irony regarding buying an "american" car. Many of the domestic only buyers are also part of the avoid made in China products.

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Jthorner on Dec 23, 2007

"If it means that GM corp./my pension is assured they can get parts from Somalia." That sounds like: as long as I get mine, I could care less about anything else. What happened to trying to leave a better situation for our children than we enjoyed ourselves? That moral imperative which animated much of our grandparent's generation seems to be almost completely lost in modern times.

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Gentle Ted on Dec 24, 2007

RE The Equinox parts etc, I will quote from the Lemon Aid book by Phil Edmonston of 2006! The Equinox is an international parts bin: Its designed in the USA, engineered and built in Canada, powered by a Chinese engine, and loaded with parts from Japan, Mexico and the Philippines. Phil goes on to say a vehicle with so many outsourced parts are found on the bottom rung of quality/reliablility ladder!! From the ones I ahve seen around here, I know of one owner who wishes he had purchased something else, apparently the interior has a odour like a "skunk" that comes from the Plastic interior, so much for quality.

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Mel23 on Dec 25, 2007
That sounds like: as long as I get mine, I could care less about anything else. What happened to trying to leave a better situation for our children than we enjoyed ourselves? That moral imperative which animated much of our grandparent’s generation seems to be almost completely lost in modern times. What do you expect from Mikey and his (mostly ex) colleagues? They've worked hard and done their part for years while their 'leaders' have frittered away the tremendous value once held, and while the general public has bought the cheap import stuff regardless of the eventual impact. At some point, swimming against the rising and quickening current becomes pointless and impossible. We have sown and we're about to reap.

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