Chinese automaker Brilliance makes Geneva history

[EuroRocket]

Lost in the 2007 Geneva show?s Green Blitz and all the boutique vehicle brashness was an ordinary-looking booth like several others on the Geneva show floor. Its cars seemed nothing special, but they looked ok, the press release was clearly written by someone that understands English, and its cars are hitting European roads right now.

No, it?s not Chery, Chengfeng or Geely, it?s a Chinese automaker called Brilliance JinBei Automobile, and its appearance on the Geneva show floor marked the first time a Chinese automaker has come to Geneva with vehicles in tow.

And unlike its other Chinese competitors mentioned above, Brilliance seems to actually have it together, or at least it looks like it does. Brilliance, which was the first Chinese automaker to enter the European market through a partnership with HSO Motors Europe, used Italdesign Giugiaro as the vehicle designer for its first car, a sedan called the BS6. Porsche?s development center helped to optimize the chassis and the 2.0 and 2.4-liter four cylinder engines that power it were sourced from Mitsubishi. In addition, BMW production specialists advised the company on its build techniques.

The BS6 is the first of several vehicles the automaker has planned, and at Geneva, it displayed two more vehicles, a BS4 sedan that?s smaller than the BS6 flagship, and a coupe called the BC3, both of which are scheduled for European debuts this year. Sales goals are modest, with 75,000 vehicles forecast by 2010.

Yep, you guessed it, Brilliance also has designs on the U.S. Although no firm dates have been announced, 2011 has been thrown out. At first glance, Brillance looks like it may have a much better chance, and strategy, to make it Stateside earlier than its Chinese counterparts. We shall see.

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