Mercedes-Benz ForTwo taking legal action
Mercedes considering legal action over ForTwo look-alike
Posted by: Leftlanenews
Mercedes-Benz is considering taking legal action against Chinese automaker China Automobile Deutschland for making a car very similar to its ForTwo. China Automobile Deutschland plans on launching its microcar, called the Shuanghuan Noble, shortly after it debuts at next month's Frankfurt Auto Show. Unlike Smart's For-Two, the Noble has four seats.
According to Automotive News, China Automobile Deutschland will sell the car in Germany with a list price of 7,000 euros, making it the cheapest car in that market. Mercedes officials called the Noble "a blatant attempt to copy a product of ours that has achieved cult status worldwide."
Klaus Schlössl, Managing Director of China Automobile Deutschland, responded by saying the car only bears a resemblance to the Smart For-Two from certain angles. He went on to say, "If I were the auto manufacturer I would not make such a big deal out of it. The cars are priced differently and are in a different class in terms of quality. There are many cars on the road today that look similar to each other."
Images of the Noble and ForTwo to follow.
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Print | posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2007 3:09 PM