Soon "Reverse Engineering Like No Other"
 

BEIJING, Dec. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Visiting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder laid the plant cornerstone for a new Mercedes-Benz production plant in Beijing Monday.

Located in southeast Beijing's Beijing Development Area, this plant was established as part of Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive Corporation, a new joint venture of DaimlerChrysler and Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company.

DaimlerChrysler and BAIC each have a 50 percent stake in the new 30-year joint venture, which will be responsible for local production of Mercedes-Benz E- and C- Class sedans at the new plant beginning from mid-2005.

Schroeder came here for a three-day working visit to China as guest of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. His entourage includes 44 businessmen from established German companies in fields of finance, electronics, machinery and aviation.

Noting the automobile industry is an engine of China's booming economy, Schroeder said that DaimlerChrysler's increased investment here will create a win-win situation, benefiting both Germany and China.

"DaimlerChrysler's move will surely lure more German small- and medium-size companies to do business in China," Schroeder said.

I can hardly wait for the first Mao Tse "D" Benz to come off the line.

Chinese Benz? :eek:
Maybe Fiat's weren't such bad cars afterall.

It's always great seeing a company getting back to its roots, the root in this case being slave labor.

I venture that the Koreans feel a little put out, since they only have a license from Daimler to reproduce the W124 for domestic consumption. :rolleyes:

HOT DAMN! Now Wal-Mart will finally be able to sell MB's. :rolleyes:

They did a pretty good job on the Jiang, a Chinese clone of a WWII BMW motorcycle, and lets not forget the bang-up job they did on all those AK's and SKS's................

China copied the Bimmer motorcycle too, huh? Russia did it too, and is still producing the Ural.

Yes, the Ural is getting to be a pretty good bike now. The factory improved it by going to an aluminum head and tightening up the QC. I have only seen one Jiang, at the J Peterman store in Indy: it looked pretty primitive.

Somebody was selling the Chinese bikes on e-bay as a kit. They had two different models – one with a flathead motor that looked very cool, but only put out about 35hp and had a top speed of about 50mph. In doing a little research I found several factories in China and Russia that by all appearances, made the same bike. This looks like a real “buyer beware” kind of market. Maybe they’ll get better – that flathead just looks so cool. They’re also making a “Royal Enfield” in India that I believe is pretty good, but again is slow.

Now we get to see "Made In China" embossed onto MB components...terrific!

Maybe they can get the injector nozzles right then we can get new injectors that work. God knows the indians can't do it right.

I have ridden a 500cc Royal Enfield: it is no crotch rocket, but is a very cool retro bike. There are a number of options for it, cafe racer, military and my favorite, a trials conversion. Shades of the 50s and guys in soft caps riding heavy four stroke bikes in the Scottish Trials!

Worst thing I ever did – Had a BSA Goldstar “Catalina Scrambler” when I was a kid. Sold it for $350.00 to a guy that ran it out of oil, seized the trans, and junked it. Not quite as good appreciation as a six-pack of unopened “Nude Beer” but Goldstars can be $10,000 for a project and god knows how much for one in tits condition.

Good God, now that is depressing. I never had a Goldie, but did have a Norton Atlas and a couple of Commandos. The Atlas almost gave me permanent brain damage riding it from Lake Charles LA to Daytona for bike week. It vibrated so much that I had blurred vision for several days. Took quite a bit of beer to get rid of that headache. Wish I still had her though..........