Chinese Chery Will Not Use Name

[HarleyEarl]

Tuesday, September 20, 2005 Chinese car maker Chery will market under different name in U.S. By Associated Press DETROIT -- Chinese automaker Chery Automobile Co. won't market its vehicles under the Chery name in the United States because of legal threats from General Motors Corp., a spokeswoman said Tuesday. GM has said that the Chery name sounds too much like Chevy, which is short for GM's Chevrolet brand. New York-based Visionary Vehicles, which will market Chery in the United States, said it has decided it's not worth the money to fight GM. "They're bigger than we are and they have more lawyers than we do," Visionary Vehicles spokeswoman Wendi Tush said. "It's all about keeping value to the consumer." Tush added that the company is considering five or six other names and hopes to announce one soon. Five Chery models are expected to arrive in the U.S. market in the summer of 2007, Tush said. Visionary Vehicles has projected it can sell 250,000 in the first year. The company plans to open 250 dealerships around the country.

[the_yellow_dart]

Do you guys honestly think there would have been any confusion? I think this is a little silly...

[Sixty8panther]

CHERY and CHEVY, I think it's a bit too close but I'm biased. Imagine a small emblem on a trunklid from 20 feet away... yes it would be confused wiht CHEVY.

[HarleyEarl]

It's way too close. The Chinese are copycats. There is even a Chinese vehicle named Aurora. There are countless other examples.

[Sixty8panther]

A few of these are made under lisence... Never say never. The Chinese have very little chance of making a big push here this decade but then again who would have thought a Camry and Accord would both be in the top[ 3 saleswise bakc in the 1980s.