A report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that another automotive entrepreneur, besides Malcom Bricklin, intends to import Chinese cars to the United States.
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David Shelburg, whose background includes work for Toledo, Ohio- based Jeep, expects to begin selling cars and trucks made by Chinese automakers Geely, Baoding Great Wall Automobile Holding Company Ltd. and Zhongxing Automobile Company Ltd., as early as December.
The announcement by Shelburg, a 75-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz., businessman who formed China Motor Corp. in 2001, caught auto industry analysts off guard. It had been thought that the only distributorship close to importing cars from China was Malcolm Bricklin, who founded New York-based Visionary Automobiles to sell Chery cars. But Bricklin is not expected to begin selling the Chinese-made cars until 2007.
“We had heard of a China Motor Corp. with a U.S. operation, but we had no solid information up until now,” Jack Nerad, an industry analyst with Kelley Blue Book, said yesterday, according to the report. “Essentially, this has all been happening pretty much under the radar.”
Shelburg has signed the first distribution agreements for the three largest domestic car companies in China — Shanghai-based Geely, Baoding Great Wall of Hebei and Zhongxing in Hebei, the report said.
According to the newspaper, he also said he has signed 30 dealers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Arizona, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Oregon, including Lockwood Auto Group in Girard, Erie County, and Mayo Motors of Trexlertown, Lehigh County.
The report said that the lineup is expected to include the Geely Solo, a small, well- equipped sedan that will sell for $6,995 and include air, power steering, dual air bags and other standard equipment; a pickup truck called the Admiral; a sport-utility vehicle called the Hover; and a car called the Alto that initially will be sold in Mexico.
The first stand-alone dealership will be Capitola Auto Mall in Capitola, Ca., owned by John Mandella, a former Pittsburgher. His dealership has been completed, and he’s awaiting the arrival of his first cars.
“We think the outlook is tremendous for us,” Mandella reportedly said yesterday. “We see a product that the American consumer will get that will have high quality for a fair price.”
