China's Fast-Moving Vehicles

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The bright side for Geely and Chery is that Americans are growing accustomed to higher-end Chinese products, such as flat-screen TVs and laptop PCs. Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research, surveyed consumers to see if they would consider buying a Chinese car. About 36% said they would. "That level of consideration is twice what it was for Korean brands 10 years ago," he says. Mel Rapton, the California car dealer, figures that a combo of 100,000-mile warranties and cut-rate pricing will get Chinese cars moving. "It's a pretty big gamble," the 77-year-old admits. "But if I were 50, I wouldn't consider it a gamble."