The first Chinese-made model of the reputed
London taxi
"Black Cab" debuted at the 12th Shanghai Automobile and Technology
Exhibition on Saturday.
Li Shufu, chairman of Geely Automobile and K. Russell, CEO of
Manganese Bronze Holdings, unveiled the model car at the auto show,
which formally opens on Sunday.
Geely signed with Manganese Bronze Holdings, manufacturer of the
famous London taxi, an agreement in October last year to jointly
produce the taxi. Geely plans to formally produce models of the cab
from 2008 in a new facility adjacent to its automobile production
base in Shanghai.
A total of 20,000 "Black Cabs" will be produced a year in
Shanghai, according to Geely.
Geely will sell the cars in Asia, while Manganese Bronze, which
invested 19.85 million pounds in the joint venture, will sell the
cars to markets outside Asia.
The cars will cost between 150,000 and 200,000 yuan (about
US$19,400 to 25,900), or about half of the price in Britain,
according to Geely.
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"The design of the cars has inherited features of the 'Black
Cab'. For example, physically-challenged people can get into the
car through a slide board from the back, without getting off their
wheelchairs." said a staff from Geely at the show.
The "Black Cab", which was put into production in 1948 in
Britain, is famous for its spacious design and long endurance. It
has become an iconic vehicle on London streets
After the Chinese model hit market, the cab is expected to be a
commonly-seen landscape in Chinese cities.
"We believe the joint venture can create significant value for
shareholders of both sides and we look forward to a promising
export prospect." said Li Shufu.
Geely Automobile Holdings, which began production in 1996 and is
now the country's largest privately-owned automaker, has sold
175,635 cars in two local subsidiaries last year.
(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2007)
