Originally Posted by Woodlands
As the Japanese and Koreans are taking the American market (check the American automobile manufacture's continuing percent of market decline on an annual basis), I certainly wouldn't say that they have found it very difficult to penetrate.
The Chinese can look at how the Japanese and Koreans have advanced their interests and cut time off of the learning curve. Don't sell the Chinese short. There aren't many things that they don't make and export to the U.S.
You do realize all of the failed ventures that you high-light above are European companies except for Daihatsu?
As I noted, it took nearly all of the Japanese makes nearly two decades (not to mention two fuel crises) to get a firm toe hold in this market. Toyota sold its first car here in 1957, if memory serves correctly. It look a long, concerted effort to become what they are today. Ditto Hyundai, which began selling the humble Excel here way back in 1986. They almost ceased to do business here in the early nineties, when their market share was a wafer of what it was in their debut year. Their phenomenal growth came about in only the past five years, the result of massive quality improvements, recognition, and a great warranty package. I wouldn't say that it was easy to penetrate this market (simply because they did). Honestly, I would say their success has a lot more to do with consistent improvements, putting their customers first, and taking the bad years in stride. Even long established Volkswagen ebbs between phenomenal success and barely hanging on by a thread in this market, every ten years or so.
I don't doubt the Chinese will be selling cars here, but I wouldn't look for them to become overnight successes. That takes a lot of experience, it takes a marketplace that knows and trusts the brands, and it takes a proven track record in terms of quality. And, no doubt the learning curve is shorter now. However, I think that has a lot more to do with the fact that a majority of the core engineering in modern automobiles is developed by the global supply base, and can be purchased for a price. However, it still takes a lot of know how to tie it all together and make it work well, how to build hundreds of thousands of cars without quality concerns, and how to tailor features and content to a specific culture.
Let me put it one more way. You've got $15K to blow on a new car. Are you going to be the first guy to sign up for some brand new thing coming out of China, or are you more likely to buy the car that your friends and relatives recommend, that has gotten red dots consistently from Consumer Reports over the last decade?