Brilliance Europe: We'll Never Surrender!

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Those Chinese sure are tenacious. After European Brilliance importer HSO went bankrupt last November, after Brilliance wrote a whopping loss for 2009 while the Chinese market went through the roof, after Brilliance announced that they had stopped all exports to Europe (there wasn’t much to stop,) one would have thought that China’s Brilliance thoroughly had it with exporting to Europe or any of the first world countries. But no …

China’s Brilliance is back in Europe. They just moved into offices in Ginsheim, Germany. Not far from Opel and the Frankfurt Airport, Brilliance opened its own European headquarters, under the name “Shenhua Europe GmbH.” Shanghai listed Shenhua Holdings is the parent company of Brilliance.

Instead with an importer, Brilliance’s parent goes it alone in Europe this time around. Brilliance and the unfortunate Hans-Ulrich Sachs, the former VW sales chief, who has made it his mission to bestow Brilliance cars on a reluctant Europe, must not have parted ways amicably. Sachs blamed Brilliance for being too expensive. A good deal of Brilliance’s 2009 loss could have been caused by the Sachs debacle. No wonder they don’t trust anybody.

As a first step, Shenhua Europe will take over the aftersales activities for the (rather few) Brilliance cars that had been sold to Europe. Shenhua Europe will deliver parts, process warranty claims, take care of dealers. That doesn’t need a whole company, it could be done by a traveling salesman. It’s unknown how many cars Brilliance has sold (they don’t register in any statistics.) Many of them were probably bought by European car manufacturers with the intent of smashing them to pieces in front of rolling cameras, pour l’encouragement des autres. Let’s guess: In 2009, all Chinese car manufacturers exported 745 cars to all of the EU. Amongst those, maybe a few from Brilliance.

Brilliance wants to change that: “Over the long term, Brilliance wants to establish itself in Europe with its products,” said Eberhard Nierig, Managing Director of Shenhua Europe, to Das Autohaus. They need a lot of luck and a lot of stamina. The European market is shrinking, and established brands are fighting for their survival. Cornered, wounded animals are dangerous. Especially for babes in the woods.

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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  • John Fritz John Fritz on May 13, 2010

    Die ist die Haltung! Ja Bertel?

  • Herb Herb on May 13, 2010

    Lada will have to be on alert.

    • See 1 previous
    • Herb Herb on May 13, 2010

      Me, too. But wait until the ADAC finds out that the Niva has no ESP and starts making elk tests, or maybe even crash tests. Wouldn't we be scared to death? Hint: Insurance companies are not. One of the lowest insurance rates I know in Germany for this car.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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