编译文章:底特律震惊了 美国人看奇瑞
Dunne is founder and president of Automotive Resources Asia Ltd,a market strategy and communications company that specializes in Asian automotive markets。
本文作者是一家专门研究亚洲汽车市场的市场策略和沟通公司,亚洲汽车资源有限公司的 总裁 和创始人
When Malcolm Bricklin declared in January that Chinese-made cars from Chery would soon invade the American market,Detroit was caught by surprise。Bricklin’s assurance that Chery would come with a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty further frayed the nerves。
当MALCOLM BRICKLIN(我不知道这是谁,可能是把 奇瑞 带入美国的投资人或是某车评资深人士)在一月宣布来自中国的 奇瑞 汽车将进入美国市场的时候,底特律(美国的汽车工业基地)震惊了。特别是当他确定 奇瑞 汽车会带着10年10万英里的保证时,这种震惊就更是深入底特律的“神经细胞”了。
Recent revelations about Chery products,however,have taken Detroit’s hand off the panic button。
可是,最近的一些对 奇瑞 汽车的披露,却似乎打消了底特律的紧张。
For starters,Chery is just a five year old state-owned enterprise,based in a hardscrabble town of Wuhu,Anhui Province。
刚开始, 奇瑞 不过是一间只有五年历史的坐落在安徽,芜湖一个贫瘠镇上的国营企业。
The company struggled to achieve a 2 percent growth last year in a market that grew by 16 percent。One product,the¥6,100 Chery QQ mini car,accounted for 58 percent of company’s 2004 sales。Two other products in the line-up saw steep declines。
去年,当整个中国汽车市场实现百分之16增长的时候, 奇瑞 不过正在为2个百分点的增长在挣扎。一款叫做QQ的只卖6,100美金的 微型车 ,就占据了该厂2004年百分之58的销售额。其线上的另外2个产品,销量则是直线下降。
The company’s early reputation for poor quality also inspired a derisive chant among Chinese consumers:“Chery,Chery -- get in line for repairing。”If Chery products arrived in America today,they’d see the same demise as the early Hyundais,or even the Yugo。
奇瑞 早期的质量名声并不好,还在中国的消费者当中流传了一句顺口溜“ 奇瑞 , 奇瑞 ,排队等修”。如果今天 奇瑞 进入了美国市场,它会得到象当年韩国 现代 甚至是YUGO(好象是从东欧引进的一款车,市场失败了)的不太好的口碑。
Today,it’s safe to say that the Chery Car Company is a paper tiger。But that’s today。There are at least three reasons to believe that Chery can develop into a formidable competitor in future。
今天,我们可以说 奇瑞 公司不过是只“纸老虎”,可那只代表今天。至少有3个理由让我们相信 奇瑞 可以在未来发展成一个可怕的竞争者。
First,Chery’s president Yin Tongyao leads a strong team of senior managers wh