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In one of the previous articles we talked about copycat cars, which along with other Chinese and non-Chinese fakes have a great impact on producers of genuine goods. It is worth continuing this topic with additional information of counterfeit products, and namely products that refer to auto industry. There are firms that illegally copy cars and car parts (this mainly refers to Chinese manufacturers), and there are individuals who want their car to look like an expensive one.

Some car owners are really into luxury, but probably do not have the opportunity to buy luxury cars. Instead of paying money for the real thing, car owners simply change the emblem, so to "transform" their old vehicles into new ones. In order to emboss the value of their car, they go online, visit eBay and purchase emblems from dealers.

Besides faking the real thing, some car owners decide to go further and disguise their car as made by another brand. According to eBay, it sells around 15,000 car emblems each month. Despite the fact that carmakers are aware of the practice they are not looking forward to stop it. Emblems of other cars and brands are used to make some vehicles cost a few thousands bucks more.

The president of "Dub" magazine outlines that such practice is applied quite often. He says that: "People want to live outside their means."

There has been evidence of eight cylinder Mercedes coupe with the badge of a 12-cylinder version of the same brand. In addition, officials at Kelley Blue Book spotted a sedan re-badged as a coupe and AMG or Brabus faked high-performance cars. As mentioned above some car owners don't end up with changing the emblem, they change the brands. For instance, a Ford was identified with the badge of an Acura.

The prices for the lettering of high-end cars are quite affordable. Thus the lettering for high-end AMG vehicle costs around $65 if purchased at the parts department of the dealer. The owners of a Chrysler 300 try to fake it as a Hemi-powered 300C by simply acquiring the badge for about $12.50. The process of replacing the badge last a few minutes. (Tip: all you need to do is apply a heat gun or hair dryer and then use a dental floss to get rid of the old emblem. Then use a tape to attach the newly purchased badge).

According to Garth Blumenthal, who holds the position of general manager of Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach, California, statistically 1 or 2 customers out of 100 wants to have his or her car re-badged. Despite such practice, auto enthusiasts cannot be fooled, as there are some things that cannot be hidden and thus they are able to reveal the real model. Some of these clues include exhaust pipes and wheels.

There are companies that deny helping people fake official parts, such as wheels. For instance Shelby Automobiles, the company that customizes cars, each day has t turn down customers' requests regarding turning a Ford Mustangs into Shelby Mustang. It is worth mentioning that the latter is made as a promotion for Hertz. Just like Shelby Automobiles, Sallen, the remaker of Mustang, doesn't sell engine compartment plate showing the vehicle is genuine.

Besides individuals who want their car to look fancier there are firms that produce copycat cars and car parts, especially this concerns Chinese manufacturers.

Fake Car Parts are Both: Expensive and Not Safe

The cheap copies coming from Asia continue to flood the world. For instance, confiscated counterfeit products in Germany this year reached a value of 1.2 billion euro, a record high figure. Car replacement parts are highly copied in Asia as well as many other goods. Fake parts have a great impact even on international car suppliers, such as Continental, a company that offers automotive components, tire, brakes, chassis, electronics and more.

There are plenty of drive belts, truck tires and brake discs in Germany that are cheap fakes. If installed, these parts can pose to risk. This is the main reason why the corporation is involved in an endless war with producers of counterfeit car parts.

"We are making every attempt to continue to prevent the manufacturing and sale of counterfeit Continental products," announced Manfred Wennemer, Executive Board chairman of Continental AG in Hanover.

Last year the customs were able to confiscate 19,500 drive belts and packaging labeled ContiTech. These components were later destroyed in a shredder machine. Today tires featuring Conti tread pattern are prohibited in the country if these are manufactured in China. In 2007 a Taiwanese dealer together with a general importer were forced to pay the damage costs to the German company. The reason was 13,000 copied boxes made with the company's design and 4,500 fake V-belts.

Experts warn consumers: "Service life is not predictable in the case of illegally manufactured products or parts of dubious origin. The likelihood of engine damage thus cannot be excluded. And that would cost you a whole lot more than you can ever save by buying cheap parts."