Who rips off other cars on the road?

[Rollo]

Chrysler

http://www.geocities.com/rollo75/chryopel.jpg

Sad but true, but the Chrysler 200C which has just been unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show and hailed as "innovative" is little more than a copy of GM's work in Europe.

Seriously, can the people at Chrysler honestly claim that they came up with something, even down the to fold and trim lines at the front of the car as their own? It's like someone sitting in an exam room and turning in an identical essay to the person sitting nest to them.

I understand perfectly well that Americans clearly can not style cars if the North American Ford Focus is anything to go by, but simply ripping off the work of another company must surely either rank as either plagerism or copyright or trademark infringement or some such.

I know that you're in financial trouble Chrysler, but I'm going to have to give you an F on this and make you sit a make-up test.

[Mark in Oshawa]

News for you. That car has been under development for 2 or 3 years. When did that Opel come out? Ever see a Mazda 6? Should put a pic of that there too. They ALL have simliar styling. Since Chrysler 200's wont be sold over in Europe and we don't see that Opel, they don't look like anything else but that Mazda 6 and about 3 other models that are similar.

The car I thought it looks like is a bit like a Hyundai Genesis in the grill..

If you look at all the other Chrysler models, they are unique. Nothing looks like the 300 or the Charger, not to mention the PT Cruiser. You want bland styling...take the Mustang and F-150 aside and most Ford's in NA are just boring....alright..but boring.

[Rollo]

News for you. That car has been under development for 2 or 3 years. When did that Opel come out?

The Opel Insignia was launched at the British International Motor Show on 24th July, 2008. The production model (that's the PRODUCTION model) went on sale on October 1, 2008.

The Opel GTC concept which the Insignia was developed from with a few changes was first shown off at the Geneva Motor Show on May 7, 2007. Assuming it was in development before then, we aren't talking two or three years but nearly 4.

[Azumanga Davo]

I think you are being a bit too selective in the marques. In both, I see quite a bit of E90 320si in them.

And for many years, manufacturers have clung rather close to each other in the design department. Pick up an original TOCA Touring Cars game and tell me how many actually look very similar to each other. You would be surprised how close they all are in relative appearance.

We should pick on Ford anyway, who have dressed the Falcon up the same for the last 9 years... :p :

[Daniel]

I think you are being a bit too selective in the marques. In both, I see quite a bit of E90 320si in them.

And for many years, manufacturers have clung rather close to each other in the design department. Pick up an original TOCA Touring Cars game and tell me how many actually look very similar to each other. You would be surprised how close they all are in relative appearance.

We should pick on Ford anyway, who have dressed the Falcon up the same for the last 9 years... :p :

Well I'd say they both look like Mercs as well.

[Azumanga Davo]

Hmmm, understandable with the Chrysler, who must have started design work before the split with Mercedes.

But again, look at other eras of cars. E-Type Jaguar, had a Japanese clone, as did MGBs. Muscle cars of the US also had very similar ideas going on. It's just never going to change.

Although I'm at a loss as to why there wasn't a Goggomobile copy... :D

[Hondo]

It's hard to beat Toyota's "Mustang Celica". Look at a 1970 Mustang fast back and a 1976 Toyota Celica hatchback.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Fiero...but the Celica didn't rust on a humid day and the Ford had a v8. Now not only are the cars the same looking...they often have the same drivetrains.

[steve_spackman]

Fiero...but the Celica didn't rust on a humid day and the Ford had a v8. Now not only are the cars the same looking...they often have the same drivetrains.

Doesnt Mazda/ Volvo and Ford share the same drivetrains..on the focus?

[Mark in Oshawa]

The Focus in NA has a Mazda sourced motor yes.....

AS for Volvo..not sure...probably...

[Rollo]

Doesnt Mazda/ Volvo and Ford share the same drivetrains..on the focus?

The Mazda 3, Ford Focus, Volvo C30, and Volvo S40 all share the same drivetrains, platforms and passenger cells.

Volvo, Ford and Mazda have been sharing architecture for a while but because they're all part of a consolidated group structure, that's different in principle to Chrysler "copying" clays from GM who aren't connected at all... yet.

[Easy Drifter]

Copycat design has been with us for years. I remember when every US designed car had fins with everybody trying to out do the next guy. Impractical, wasted space and aerodynamically unsound but every where.

[BDunnell]

Copycat design has been with us for years.

Exactly right. And those criticising the Chrysler for not being innovative should consider that in the US market it probably appears more 'innovative' than it probably does in Europe.

[Jag_Warrior]

You want bland styling...take the Mustang and F-150 aside and most Ford's in NA are just boring....alright..but boring.

I agree! Other than the Mustang and the F150 (even it to some degree now), Ford's current lineup is a great cure for insomnia.

[leopard]

If GM claims that a Chrysler is basically duplication of their product, while they don't have enough evidence to proof that Chrysler copied their product deliberately, GM can do the way other around to copy the best product of Chrysler. What's the problem, Chrysler might only follow the recent update to produce model which currently the trend is hot.

A Toyota has the front end like both of them too.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Leopard...they wont copy Chrysler. They may just buy them. Chrysler has broken with convention more often than any other automaker. Look at the K Car(goofy looking car but it was efficient in design and saved their rep), the first Minivan Voyager and Caravan, the Viper, the Intrepid/Concorde, and the 300 and Charger. All were unique designs that were completely different than what their American cohorts were doing and influenced designs that came later. So taking a pot shot at the 200 is a bit much because Opel has a car the same colour and shape. With a 2 to 3 year lead time in any car, it is tough to copy anyone unless you have spies...and Chrysler isn't going to copy Opel to sell more cars in America...

[Jag_Warrior]

Nah, a real copy/rip-off is a 2002-05 or so Hyundai Sonata. Imagine a Jaguar S-type gets drunk and a Mercedes C-class gets high. They tumble in bed, do the nasty and have a baby that neither wants to claim. What do ya get?

A Hyundai Sonata!
http://www.iceposter.com/thumbs/A23974_b.jpg

But Hyundai has been kicking ass & taking names ever since. So I can't say much.

[leopard]

Wasn't Chrysler sold already to Cerberus, MiO...?

I think that headlamp of Hyundai is strong resemblance of that of C class.

[Jag_Warrior]

Wasn't Chrysler sold already to Cerberus, MiO...?



Yeah, the good fellows at Cerberus (anybody remember "Dumb Dan" Quayle and Bush's man John Snow?) are busy lining their pockets with whatever cash is left at Chrysler. My guess is whatever is left of Chrysler will be sold or blown out by the end of the year - Jeep and the minivan operation should be able to find a buyer. The money the U.S. government just laid out for Chrysler ($4 billion or so) might have just as well been set on fire. Other than AIG, Cerberus made out pretty good off the U.S. taxpayers (really the Chinese - let's face it, we're broke!). In addition to the Chrysler money that's as good as gone, they are also getting billions to support their GMAC investment. That keeps GM afloat (to finance cars) so we don't have millions of unemployed wandering the streets. But still... not a bad couple of weeks for Cerberus.

[schmenke]

It's hard to beat Toyota's "Mustang Celica". Look at a 1970 Mustang fast back and a 1976 Toyota Celica hatchback.

Nah, that's a stretch. The two don't look anything alike.

[ShiftingGears]

Nah, that's a stretch. The two don't look anything alike.

Agreed.

[Azumanga Davo]

Nah, that's a stretch. The two don't look anything alike.

In relation to size, most definitely not. In terms of style, you would be very surprised at how many things nearly match up on them...

[Rollo]

This oddball tale continues a little further. I found on today's newsstand the following:
http://www.geocities.com/rollo75/holinsignia.jpg

Now I don't know about you, but given my "mad" MS Paint skills, I came up with this:
http://www.geocities.com/rollo75/holinsignia2.jpg

How's that for quality journalism? Whilst the people at Wheels magazine are probably trying to guess what Holden are doing, why don't they just look at the rest of the world and slap a new badge on stuff? That's what I did.

[Jag_Warrior]

^^^ Not a bad looking car at all!

[edv]

For ultimate rip offs, do a Google of china copy cars. You will be amazed

[Azumanga Davo]

For ultimate rip offs, do a Google of china copy cars. You will be amazed

Very true, some absolute corkers there... :D

[leopard]

china product is alternative I think fine, they give more value of worthiness on money. :)

[Azumanga Davo]

china product is alternative I think fine, they give more value of worthiness on money. :)

I do hope you didn't type that with a straight face. They have some of the shonkiest crash ratings on the planet...

[555-04Q2]

I do hope you didn't type that with a straight face. They have some of the shonkiest crash ratings on the planet...

100% agree. Some Chinese models over here have been banned as the brakes are defective on virtually every car sold. Not a good situation when the rest of the car is cr@p as well. I'd rather walk, thank you.

[steve_spackman]

100% agree. Some Chinese models over here have been banned as the brakes are defective on virtually every car sold. Not a good situation when the rest of the car is cr@p as well. I'd rather walk, thank you.

everything is made in china these days. the fact they make cars comes as no suprise

[leopard]

I do hope you didn't type that with a straight face. They have some of the shonkiest crash ratings on the planet...
They bought it must know that. :)