How did this car get here?

My Dark and Foreboding Mind........... ^ | 04-13-11 | Red Badger

[Red Badger]

This is a picture of the Chery QQ. It is made in CHINA. There is one on a USED CAR LOT near my house in Ft. Walton Beach, FL.

Price: $2400.

They have no dealerships or distribution network in the USA. They had proposed to sell these cars here back in 2005. They had deals with Chrysler and later Nissan, but since the 2008 crash and subsequent government takeover of Chrysler, that deal has died. As far as I know, this model has not passed any EPA or NHSTA tests in order to be allowed to be imported. They have had LEGAL problems with GM saying that the car is a rip-off of the of the Daewoo Matiz (which is marketed outside South Korea as the Chevrolet Spark).

My question is: How did this car get here?........

[Red Badger]

Curious ping.............

[Red in Blue PA]

You may as well drive around in a cardboard box:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7rrk3ZjN-I

[evets]

Driven in from Mexico?

[ozidar]

Probably an airman based in Korea or somewhere bought it, then got transferred to Eglin, then sold it?

[Viking2002]

Arrived via a Canadian or Mexican dealership? That thing has 'Yugo' written all over it........

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away, for his name is Obama."

[ClearCase_guy]

And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful
wife
And you may ask yourself-Well...How did I get here?

[Hazwaste]

By boat?

[Red Badger]

I thought about that, but usually a car must be able to pass the EPA regs at least or they cannot bring it home.............

[Red Badger]

Junk in A Chinese Junk?..............

[JimRed]

How did it get here?

Loaded on a ship, no doubt. Maybe hidden in a cargo container?

[NavyCanDo]

It could have been purchased by someone in the military and shipped back. When I was in, Sailors would often purchase European makers cars and have them shipped back. You could even gets Fords and Chevy’s over there, for less of a price than you can get here, even with the shipping.

[Pete]

Looks like it could have been smuggled in someone’s suitcase.

[Mr. K]

At $2400 I’ll take two

This is what cars would cost if not for unions.

Letting this into the US market would kill GM and FORD though.

[No Truce With Kings]

My bet?

Someone brought it over on a “Show and Display” exemption. I’d bet the car isn’t street-legal in the U.S. There was an article in Wired about cars that don’t make it to the states:

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/cars-uncle-sam-says-you-cant-have/

This sounds as if were cut from the same bolt of cloth.

[TankerKC]

Curious ping.............

Me too. I wonder if it has a VIN and can be registered....

[Salamander]

I wanna see it go head to head with this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZs1QuHerTU

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I think cardboard might at least provide a little cushioning.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Where is my beautiful wife?

[Lee'sGhost]

At my house. :-)