Bricklin does a 180, sues Chery for doing business as usual

[Laconian]

From TTAC, because the original source requires a subscription.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/bricklin-finds-chery-deal-to-be-the-pits/

As accustomed as we Americans have become to buying cheap Chinese crap merchandise, the car industry is having a extremely hard time replicating the Wal-Mart model. You might  think that with fuel-efficient compacts becoming nearly unobtainable, bringing cheap econoboxes from China is a no-brainer, but you'd be wrong. Malcolm Bricklin is already deeply regretting his plan to import Chinese Chery cars to the US. Automotive News (sub) reports that the man who brought Subaru to America is suing his erstwhile Chinese colleagues for corrupt practices after losing $26m trying to bring Cherys to the US. The suit alleges that Chery has "systematically broken contractual obligations, stolen plans for vehicles, made cars designed by Western companies without paying for their rights, and made deals without the slightest intention of carrying them out." In other words, it acted just like any other Chinese automaker. Bricklin once described his partnership with Chery in glowing terms: "I have never met a more cooperative, more intelligent, more aggressive group to do business with. We're working together as if we've been working together for 100 years." Now he's changing his tune. "We're going to get them for everything they've done," says Bricklin, noting that Chery is legally vulnerable in the states, having already been successfully sued by an American vehicle designer. Not good news at all for Chrysler's plan to import Cherys into the US.

[2o6]

One: Chery was not very trustworthy in the First place. One of the worst chinese car companies he could have chosen to help.


Two: Bricklin imposed unrealistic expectations in a very small time frame that Chery could just not do. Chery realized the could not do it (According to bricklin, chery was supposed to be selling cars here LAST YEAR.......no dealer network, iffy quality!? Yeah right.) It was more like Bricklin getting tired of Chery Moving slow, and he left.

[93JC]

That's hilariously ironic. For the first time in his life Malcolm Bricklin is getting screwed over by his business partner, not the other way around.

[omicron]

That's hilariously ironic. For the first time in his life Malcolm Bricklin is getting screwed over by his business partner, not the other way around.

My first thought, too. SV-1s and Yugos for all!