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China Actually Admits To This Theft

boomslang

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Chinese automaker blatantly copies Ford F-150
By Gary Gastelu

Published April 23, 2014
FoxNews.com


  • Kawei K1Kawei

Ford’s been showing off its latest wares at the Beijing Auto Show this week, including an all-new Escort compact, as it touts its recent success in the world’s largest automobile market. Its sales there were up an astonishing 49 percent in 2013, and have risen another 45 percent so far this year.

But while it can’t seem to make enough cars and crossovers to meet demand, Ford doesn’t even try to sell its F-150 pickup in China, despite the fact that unofficial gray market importers sell some versions of the popular truck for upwards of $160,000.

Apparently sensing an opportunity in the market, a Chinese brand has stepped in to satisfy the demand for “Built Ford Tough” style at a tenth of the price, just $16,000, according to Car News China.

The Jiangsu Kawei K1, also on display at the auto show, features an admitted cribbing of the F-150’s design, including its distinctive headlight shape, wheel arches, bumper insert and tailgate, plus fender vents that are clearly inspired by the ones on the Raptor. Inside, it’s a slightly more original, but still manages to steal some of the flavor of the F-150’s cabin.

The situation is very different under the skin, however. The K1 is only available in two-wheel-drive and is powered by either a 140 hp gasoline or 105 hp diesel engine, both designed by Mitsubishi and mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The K1s top speed is just 80 mph.

Over the past decade Chinese automakers have copied the designs of a wide array of vehicles from foreign brands, ranging from the tiny Smart Fortwo to the Hummer H1. Some more successful than others.

This isn’t even the first time an attempt has been made to hijack the F-150. At the 2012 Beijing show, JAC Motors unveiled the F-150-esque 4R3, which has yet to go into production. Instead, the company sells a near carbon copy of the Chevrolet Colorado.

As for the K1, a Ford spokesman tells FoxNews.com “we are aware of the Jiangsu Kawei pickup. The F-150’s iconic and famous Built Ford Tough design is an established and important element of Ford’s F-Series, America’s best-selling trucks for 37 years and best-selling vehicles for 32 years. Ford’s legal counsel is investigating how best to address the matter.”


As usual.....Never a creator, always a copier. Sixteen thousand for a pickup ? That thing HAS TO BE a cheap piece of crap. I wouldn't let my enemy ride in one.
 
China make copy of ford model to sell the truck in 1/10 of the price win win for the Chinese population and their car manufacture.
 
$16,000 makes sense if you consider labor costs are much smaller in China. Remember, just because something costs less, doesn't mean it's worse.
 
I would advise against loading that thing up with a ton of stone and hitting the highway.
 
Looks nice. Hopefully will grab a nice market share to eventually drive the foreign auto-maker out. A win-lose!
 
A good-looking pickup truck, at least most Chinese can afford the cheaper price.

If there's a cheaper copy, who need expensive 'made in U.S' truck ? Make the Ford F-150 cheaper than KAWEI K1, then American can win China market.
 
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A good-looking pickup truck, at least most Chinese can afford the cheaper price.

If there's a cheaper copy, who need expensive 'made in U.S' truck ? Make the Ford F-150 cheaper than KAWEI K1, then American can win China market.

boomerang needs to work on his tone, but overall, he has got a point. Just because one cannot afford a certain product they can't just make illegitimate copies of it. It makes it a case of an intellectual property theft. Its against WTO laws.
 
boomerang needs to work on his tone, but overall, he has got a point. Just because one cannot afford a certain product they can't just make illegitimate copies of it. It makes it a case of an intellectual property theft. Its against WTO laws.
We don't care WTO laws.

If they wanna accuse of Chinese illegitimae copies they can came to China, at the same time China government can use internal laws to restrict American goods export to China market. Now how large & important China market for American companies, they knew it.

American + Russian playing Cold War 2.0, American + Chinese playing Economic War 1.0
 
Ford can't legally sue this company for copyright in China, other than this truck sale outside of China then Ford will have a chance to sue this company for violation of copyright.
 
OH NO, not the piss worthless crumbs the Americans and Euros "invest" in China in a plot to undermine Chinese companies and earn dirty profits.

Almost all investment in China comes from other Chinese.

When China manufactures iPhone, or iPad or any other American product for that matter its called investment; investments create jobs for Chinese and contribute to China's economy. Of course I just gave you that as instance for the purpose of elaboration, but I think you get the point.
 
When China manufactures iPhone, or iPad or any other American product for that matter its called investment; investments create jobs for Chinese and contribute to China's economy. Of course I just gave you that as instance for the purpose of elaboration, but I think you get the point.

Some investments contribute more to China's economy than others. Apple making iPhones nets China almost nothing.
 
Some investments contribute more to China's economy than others. Apple making iPhones nets China almost nothing.

China sells the raw material, China actually monopolized the market by not exporting rare minerals that are used in hi-tech gadgets, so its cheaper for the Western companies to bring the assembly lines to China rather than to assemble them elsewhere. Additionally, Apple is paying the Chinese employees, I know their working condition is bad and the pay is shit, but when you put that money together it amounts in billions.
 
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