Additional information
by Michael J. Dunne (Author)
How could one company--General Motors--meet disaster on one continent and achieve explosive growth on another at the very same time?
While General Motors was hurtling towards bankruptcy in 2009, GM's subsidiary in China was setting new sales and profit records. This book reveals how extraordinary people, remarkable decisions and surprising breaks made triumph in China possible for General Motors. It also shows just how vulnerable that winning track record remains.
No small part of GM's success in China springs from its management of shifting business and political relationships. In China, the government makes the rules for--and competes in--the auto industry. GM's business partner, the City of Shanghai, is both an ally and a competitor. How does such an unnatural relationship work on a day-to-day basis? Where will it go on the future?
General Motors also engages in constant battles with other global and Chinese car makers for the hearts of demanding Chinese consumers. Dunne gives us rare glimpses into the mindsets and behavior of this new moneyed set, the worlds newest class of wealthy consumers.
China is already the number one car market in the world. During the next ten years, China will export millions of cars and trucks globally, including to the United States. American Wheels, Chinese Roads presents readers with fascinating illustrations of what to expect when Chinese cars, companies, and business people arrive on our shores.
Front Jacket
How could one company--General Motors--meet disaster on one continent and achieve explosive growth on another at the very same time?
While General Motors was hurtling towards bankruptcy in 2009, GM's subsidiary in China was setting new sales and profit records. This book reveals how extraordinary people, remarkable decisions and surprising breaks made triumph in China possible for General Motors. It also shows just how vulnerable that winning track record remains.
In no small part does GM's success in China spring from its management of shifting business and political relationships. In China, the government makes the rules for--and competes in--the auto industry. GM's business partner, the City of Shanghai, is both an ally and a competitor. How does such an unnatural relationship work on a day-to-day basis? Where will it go in the future?
General Motors also engages in constant battles with other global and Chinese car makers for the hearts of demanding Chinese consumers. Dunne gives us rare glimpses into the mindsets and behavior of this new moneyed set, the world's newest class of wealthy consumers.
China is already the number one car market in the world. During the next ten years, China will export millions of cars and trucks globally, including to the United States. American Wheels, Chinese Roads gives readers fascinating illustrations of what to expect when Chinese cars, companies, and business people arrive on our shores.
Back Jacket
AMERICAN WHEELS CHINESE ROADS The Story of General Motors in China
"Who knew that the infighting among fiefdoms within General Motors was topped only by the economic tug-of-war between China's central and regional governments? Well, Michael Dunne knew. China and GM created mutual automotive prosperity almost despite themselves and here is the story, rich with hilarious anecdotes and surprising insights. This book is essential reading, and fun reading, for anyone interested in modern China or international business."
--Paul Ingrassia, Pulitzer Prize winning author and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Reuters News
"GM and its Chinese partner, Shanghai Auto, have made billions in profits building Buicks and Chevrolets. But the road to success has never been smooth. Michael Dunne puts readers into the scene to witness both GM's soaring triumphs and bitter setbacks. This book reveals Michael's remarkable sense of how China works and how business there really gets done."
--Jing Ulrich, Managing Director and Chairman of Global Markets, China, J.P. Morgan
"Michael Dunne - raised in Detroit, educated in Chongqing, sometime resident of Shanghai, Bangkok, and Jakarta - has one of the most unusual profiles in the automotive world. He also has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. As an analyst he witnessed the great Chinese car boom of the past decade, and here he tells the fascinating story of how General Motors, despite its troubles at home, gained a foothold in the People's Republic."
--Peter Hessler, Author of Country Driving and Staff Writer at the New Yorker magazine
"If you have any intention of doing business in China, then this is a book that you must read. You don't have to be General Motors to understand the complexities of their society. You don't have to be General Motors to figure out how to do business and succeed in the toughest market in the world. Dunne lets you learn all that General Motors has learned without any of the pain and suffering and bleeding."
--Keith Crain, Editor in Chief, Automotive News
Author Biography
Michael J. Dunne is President of Dunne & Company Ltd., a Hong Kong-based investment advisory firm specializing in Asia's car markets.
Three weeks after earning an MBA from the University of Michigan in the summer of 1990, Michael boarded a flight to Asia. He soon founded Automotive Resources Asia (ARA), a car consultancy. ARA expanded operations in China and Southeast Asia over the next decade and, in 2006, was acquired by J.D. Power and Associates.
Michael's opinions have been published in the Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune and Automotive News. He was also featured in an acclaimed National Geographic documentary on China's car culture.
A native of Detroit, Michael speaks Chinese and Thai. He worked in Beijing and Shanghai during the 1990s and 2000s and currently divides his time between China and Jakarta, Indonesia, where he lives with his wife, Merlien, and their three children.
