Geely will be first Chinese automaker to display at Detroit show

[Thom Little]

The Motor City will see some proof of the Chinese auto industry's growing ambitions next month when Geely Automobile Co. Ltd. becomes the first Chinese automaker to have a display at the Detroit auto show.

Geely (pronounced JEE-lee) plans a limited appearance, said John Harmer, vice president of Geely-USA Inc. It will show only one car - a five-passenger sedan called the 7151 CK - in the lobby of Cobo Center, where the North American International Auto Show is held. Geely's display will be up Jan. 8-11, during the show's media preview, but will be gone when the show opens to the public Jan. 14.

"Our presence in Detroit at this show is not to market the automobile. We are coming only to introduce ourselves to the American media," Harmer said.

.......

"We are absolutely determined to produce a high-quality vehicle that can be marketed to the American consumer for under $10,000," said Harner, an attorney and former Washington lobbyist who said he was hired for his expertise in regulatory issues. "We're not trying to barnstorm the American market. We're going to protect the product and the credibility of our name."


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