Malcolm Bricklin is reportedly talking to a number of Chinese carmakers, besides its existing partner Chery, about selling cars in the United States.
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Previously, Bricklin had been planning an exclusive tie-up with China’s Chery Automobile, but discussions with Chery have gone on for more than a year without the launch of a project.
A deal with Chery is still said to be possible, but a spokeswoman for Bricklin’s firm Visionary Vehicles told Reuters that other Chinese car manufacturers are being consulted.
“Malcolm will pick three partners in the first quarter of 2007, and I cannot stress enough that one of them may well be Chery,” Wendi Tush told Reuters.
“We had a partnership and still very well may go forward with Chery, it’s just that Chery will never be manufacturing all of Visionary’s vehicles and cars,” she added.
Bricklin is planning to sell low-cost Chinese-made vehicles in the US.
Once a Chinese deal is sealed, Bricklin will have between 10 and 15 Visionary-designed models made in China by his partners — up from the previously planned five models — and ship them to the United States from late 2008 or early 2009, Tush said.
The Chinese models, probably carrying the Visionary brand name, would be sold at prices averaging around US$20,000. Cheaply made Chinese cars could be sold even to the US luxury car market at attractive prices, Tush said.
Chery is also talking to DaimlerChrysler about making cars for sale in the United States and other markets.
