Jeep in talks to build some vehicles in China
DETROIT (AP) — The head of Chrysler LLC's Jeep brand says the company is in talks to build some of its vehicles in China for that market.
Jeep's President and CEO Mike Manley told reporters during press previews for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that any production would be "relatively incremental." Jeep sells several models in China, including the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Compass.
Chrysler is owned by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA. Manley says Jeep has been talking with a Fiat partner in China about production.
Manley says the Wrangler always will be built in the U.S. and the brand's home is "always going to be" the U.S.
During the 2012 presidential campaign, GOP candidate Mitt Romney came under criticism for an ad saying Chrysler would build Jeeps in China.
Jeep's President and CEO Mike Manley told reporters during press previews for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that any production would be "relatively incremental." Jeep sells several models in China, including the Grand Cherokee, Wrangler and Compass.
Chrysler is owned by Italian carmaker Fiat SpA. Manley says Jeep has been talking with a Fiat partner in China about production.
Manley says the Wrangler always will be built in the U.S. and the brand's home is "always going to be" the U.S.
During the 2012 presidential campaign, GOP candidate Mitt Romney came under criticism for an ad saying Chrysler would build Jeeps in China.
Another bad move. Anything built in China will be stolen by the Chinese. They discontinued the Cherokee XJ here in the US in 2001 and built them for the Chinese markets instead. Well, that partership ended and the Chinese continued building the Cherokee (called the Qishi or Jeep 2500) on their own, though with a different powertrain. They bought the tooling for the Grand Cherokee in 2-4 (me thinks) and started building the Grand Cherokee for their own markets also.
"Manley says the Wrangler always will be built in the U.S. and the brand's home is "always going to be" the U.S.
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Jeep was bought by Daimler, who built the engines for the Luftwaffe fighters and bombers during World War II.
Some Wranglers were manufactured in Canada (mine was built in Canton, OH) and their transmissions are typically Japanese.
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When I say "What a piece of..."Â I'm referring to Jeep management, not my beloved old tip-damaged, '97 TJ with 192,000 miles on it.