Published: 17th September 2007
Controversy flared at the Frankfurt Motor Show as Western carmakers objected to the presence of some Chinese manufacturers which – it was alleged – had copied vehicle designs.
China Automobile Deutschland, the German-based importer that is trying to turn itself into the “Aldi or Lidl of the car businessâ€, sells two models, the Jonway UFO and the Shuanghuan CEO, which bear more than a passing resemblance to the Toyota RAV4and BMW X3 respectively.
However, Karl Schloessl, chairman of China Automobile Deutschland, denied that the CEO is an ersatz X3. “The CEO has been produced for more than three years now and is on sale in many world markets. It is not a copy.
“You can find inspiration from other cars – the last inspiration is the tyres – they’re always black!†CAD is looking to take the concept to the UK: “We’re looking for an importer in England, and can deliver RHD in 60 days.
“We hope to find the right person and start to sell our SUVs in all European markets.â€
“We’re cheap and nice. Many people in Germany know Aldi ands Lidl – people want good quality at a cheap price – it’s the same with cars. We’re the Aldi and Lidl for the car market.â€
BMW – along with DaimlerBenz – has previously threatened CAD with legal action over the CEO and other Shuanghuan models, claiming that they are clones of existing models.
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