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General Motors to Sell Chevrolet Badged Daewoo Cars in Europe

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Chevrolet, Already Led by the Corvette, Will Become Global Brand

In an unusual move, a spokesman at General Motors has unofficially announced it will rename its European-bound Daewoo models Chevrolets in Europe. Up to this point, Corvette has been the only established Chevrolet model available in Europe.

GM acquired majority ownership in the Daewoo brand when it purchased the assets of the South Korean automaker and formed GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co. (GMDAT). Altogether GM owns 42.1 percent of GMDAT, Suzuki Motor Corp. holds 14.9 percent and Shanghai Automotives Industry Corp. owns 10 percent.

Up until now, Corvette has been the only established Chevrolet model available in Europe. (Photo: General Motors) align="justify">Linguistically the Chevrolet brand name makes sense in Europe, a land that initially, at least, used French as its common language. The move also makes sense because Daewoo cars are up to the tactile quality standards expected in the European market. GM has considered selling its domestic product in Europe previously, but new product czar Bob Lutz has been concerned interior quality standards wouldnt be up to expected standards.

The Chevrolet Aveo, a rebadged Daewoo, is becoming a popular new model for Chevrolet in North America. (Photo: Alexandra Straub, American Auto Press) align="justify">GM sells all of its Chevrolet rebadged Daewoos in Canada already, as the Aveo (and Pontiac Wave), Optra, Optra5 and Optra Wagon, and Epica, subcompact, compact and midsize respectively. Suzuki sells its own variants, which include the Sprint+ (Aveo) subcompact in Canada, not available in the U.S., plus the Forenza (Optra), Reno (Optra5) and Forenza Wagon (Optra Wagon), plus the midsize Verona (Epica). There is no word as to what names Chevrolet will give to each new Chevrolet model when the enter the European market, nor whether examples of each car will show up in U.S. showrooms wearing bowties.

Regarding

Expect the official announcement of GMs global expansion of the Chevrolet brand name to be made at the Paris Auto Show next month. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press)
GMs plan of building Chevrolet into a global nameplate, Reuters news agency reported an industry source having recently said, "Indeed GM is going to build Chevrolet into a worldwide brand." The report added that a portion of Daewoos product line would be sold with the bowtie on the grille in Europe, while Daewoo would continue in the South Korea.

In other markets Chevrolet is already attempted to set up roots, such as Russia which markets the domestically built Niva sport utility under the "all-American" brand name.

According to the Reuters report, GMDAT sold 115,600 cars and light commercial vehicles in Western Europe in 2003, plus another 16,700 in central Europe. An official announcement about GMs global expansion of the Chevrolet brand name should be made at the Paris Auto Show next month, with the changeover from Daewoo taking place sometime in 2005.



 
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