By It would be strange to see brightly colored vehicles like the one below driving among the black and gray vehicles that fill the roads in Korea.
General Motors announced Thursday that it plans to take its global Chevrolet brand to South Korea, considered to be one of the most closed markets in the world, starting with the well-known Chevy Camaro in 2011. [USA Today]
For years, General Motors has imported cars from its Daewoo unit in South Korea. Now, it’s payback time.
GM just announced that it will export — yes, export — Chevrolets to South Korea next year. Camaros cruising next to the No Man’s Land of the DMZ? If anything could make communist North Korea admire the wonders of capitalism, we’d bet it would be that yellow Camaro.
We’re not exactly expecting Hyundai to be terribly scared of Chevy’s arrival. Koreas have the highest regard for their own cars and fairly low opinions of the ones made in the USA. But if any car can change minds, it’s the sweet lines of the new Camaro. [USA Today]
General Motors may be shying away from badge engineering here in the United States, but that doesn’t mean the company is giving up its old ways in other parts of the world. Daewoo recently unveiled its new Alpheon sedan at the Busan International Motor Show in Korea, and the car is as identical as identical gets to the 2010 Buick LaCrosse we all know and love. The Korean automaker says that its newest luxury cruiser is “based on the same architecture” as the mid-size Buick, though we would be more inclined to say Xerox couldn’t come up with a better copy. [Auto Blog]
Does anyone think that GM can turn a profit selling vehicles like the Camero in South Korea, or are Koreans too loyal to their own brand of vehicles?
8:22 pm on April 30th, 2010 1
One of the supposed "non-tariff barriers" to foreign car sales in Korea is Korea's taxing policy. Korea imposes an annual tax for car ownership. The tax is not based on the monetary value of the car, but on it's engine capacity.
You want to own a muscle car in Korea, you pay a heavy penalty. So if the Chevy Camaro makes it in Korea, expect to see a bunch of 4 cylinders puttering along Gyeonbu Expressway.
8:34 pm on April 30th, 2010 2
Many Koreans would like to have an American car, if they could afford it. But as JoeC mentions the Korean yearly tax is hard. So is the VAT… Also, I don't think I'd like gassing up a full blown Camaro on Korean priced gas.
8:47 pm on April 30th, 2010 3
Many Koreans like to have an American car??
8:52 pm on April 30th, 2010 4
Yes Tom, I hear it and see it quite often. Perhaps they are not good pure loyal Koreans like you.
I figured you want to chime in on that comment. 
9:32 pm on April 30th, 2010 5
You can claim whatever you want, but at the end of the day, it's just a crappy GM.
9:45 pm on April 30th, 2010 6
What does GM stand for?
Government Motors?
General Maintenance?
General Mistakes?
Generally Malfunctions?
General Misery?
Great Mess?
12:24 am on May 1st, 2010 7
Fun fact, the new camaro was actually designed by a Korean American.
3:44 am on May 1st, 2010 8
Well.
This pretty much demonstrates why GM's much-touted early payback of government bailout money was paid back with other government bailout money in hopes of getting a further "loan" at an even lower interest rate to prop up GM long enough for those associated with it to suck it completely dry before it reaches its inevitable collapse.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/23/general-motors-e…
They don't even pretend like they are running a business for long-term profit anymore.
Instead of concentrating on building a customer base by manufacturing quality cars at a reasonable price which fit the needs of their target market, they are pushing a gas-guzzling coupe in a country with expensive gas that doesn't buy many coupes.
You go, GM!
4:22 am on May 1st, 2010 9
@Tom..How can you talk negatively about GM taking of goverment money when almost every Korean conglomerate(재벌) is goverment subsidized in some way or another and that includes the major automakers.
@Chickenhead I think making the Camero available is just a small part of the overall strategy. I am sure no American company would ever turn to a market like Korea as the cornerstone of any major money making strategy.
6:08 am on May 1st, 2010 10
Hyundai sells 500,000 cars in America, but American car companies can only sell 5000 cars in Korea.
But wait a minute, doesn't Hyundai mostly sell cars in America that are manufactured in America?
Yes, but all the corporate profits go back to Korea, so that doesn't count.
OK, then what about GM? They have a manufacturing facility in Korea called Daewoo (name soon to be eliminated) which sells 100,000+ cars in Korea. Those GM cars with profits going back to the US. Isn't that same as Hyundai making cars in the US then?
No no no, that's not the same thing! This is unfair trading!
7:31 am on May 1st, 2010 11
I wonder what tom will buy when he grows up ?
8:23 am on May 1st, 2010 12
Don't blame Koreans. Many American cars simply have far too big engines.
8:24 am on May 1st, 2010 13
"OK, then what about GM? They have a manufacturing facility in Korea called Daewoo (name soon to be eliminated) which sells 100,000+ cars in Korea. Those GM cars with profits going back to the US. Isn’t that same as Hyundai making cars in the US then?"
Ah, but that is only the case because of the late 90s financial issues in Korea. I'm pretty certain Daewoo would never have been bought out by a foreign company had there been any choice in the matter. Should Korea get credit in this case for a foreign business activity on its soil for only 10 years which normally wouldnt have been permitted?
As to profits going back to America, I would like to see the fine print on that! I'm sure they get something. I also suspect the ROK government takes an unusually big slice of the pie.
8:24 am on May 1st, 2010 14
Many do, but most would prefer a German or Japanese car.
8:29 am on May 1st, 2010 15
Exactly. I don't imagine they'll sell many. Maybe it's just to attract customers into their showroom.
8:49 am on May 1st, 2010 16
Because of the financial crisis? Nah, Daewoo's days were counted. I mean, come on…
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/…
10:21 am on May 1st, 2010 17
I do not like the design of the new Camaro. Its looks too much like a Dodge product.
11:30 am on May 2nd, 2010 18
Or Koreans have far too small …. badum boash…
11:35 am on May 2nd, 2010 19
The kinds of people who would be capable of actually buying this car are the same ones that gas prices aren't even on their radar. The luxury tax would kill any attempt at price marketing so instead their going the other way and going for the rich Korean kids. The same guys who go out and buy higher ended BMW's, Ferrari's and Lambo's.
12:10 pm on May 2nd, 2010 20
Maybe Tom will show his patriotic stripes and buy a Daewoo Alpheon.?
2:28 pm on May 3rd, 2010 21
It would be strange to see brightly colored vehicles like the one below driving among the black and gray vehicles that fill the roads in Korea.
Have you been to the US lately? I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but Honolulu and Orange County are awash in the color-less palette: white, black, gray, and silver vehicles. Occasionally there will be a red or maroon one or dark blue.
Colorful cars are the exception, not the rule.