Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot: People’s Liberation Army No. 5408 Factory – Ling Kong

Today in Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot (CCBTTF™): Ling Kong, a brand under the People’s Liberation Army No. 5408 Factory. The company was based in the great city of Luoyang in Henan Province. In the late 1980’s and 1990’s they made a series of wagons, pickup trucks, and mini cars, using the designation KJ.

People’s Liberation Army No. 5408 Factory was founded in 1965 as an army-owned car-repair company. Over the years it changed names and owners, merged and separated, died and was reborn; fairly typical for automakers of those times. The Ling Kong brand was born in 1987 and sales started in 1988. In 1992 the company sold 1200 cars, which was not bad for the day.

In 1995 the company merged with Sanjiu Enterprise Group, another army owned car maker that we will discus later on this website. In 1999 this merged company merged again, into an even larger company called Luoyang Yutong Automobile. In 2006 that outfit merged with the China International Marine Container Group to form Luoyang Zhongji Lingyu Automobile, and that company  still exists today. They make all sorts of specialty vehicles under the Lingyu brand name, using the English brand name Linyu.

Now back to the beginning:

KJ5021

The KJ5021 was the first known Ling Kong branded car. It was based on the platform of the BAW BJ2032C, a pickup truck, and powered by the BAW 492 engine. Output was rated at 74 hp, and gearbox was a five-speed manual.

KJ1020

The KJ1020 was a modernized variant of the KJ5021. It came in many variants that all looked exactly the same on Ling Kong’s media photos, and real-world differences appear to be minimal as well.

KJ2020

The KJ2020 was powered by the BAW 492QA engine, rated at 84 horses, sending power to all four wheels via a five-speed manual. The engine was good for a top speed of 110 km/h. It was large and had seven seats. Size: 4850/1830/1920, and wheelbase was 2750.

KJ5020

The KJ5020 was the rear-wheel drive variant of the KJ2020. Only difference was the curb weight. Because it lost the front-wheel drive system the KJ5020 was lighter; 1680 kilo versus 1750 for the KJ2020. Interestingly, Ling Kong claimed the same top speed of 100 km/h.

KJ6480

The KJ6480 was a slightly more upmarket variant. It was a little bit shorter and quite a bit lower: 4830/1760/1700, wheelbase was the same. The KJ6480 was available with rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, with five seats and with seven seats, all with the same designation, which is rather special. Engine was the BAW 492QA for all.

This is the five-seat version. It could carry five plus a 300 kilo load.

Car makers rarely showed the car’s interior in their brochures in the time, but happily Ling Kong did. The image shows a very basic dashboard with an interesting steering wheel.

Police versions

Ling Kong also made a series of vehicles for the government. The ultra cool police version was designated KJ5021XQC.

A KJ6480 at the factory gate, with the Long Kong name in red Latin script over the doors.

KJ1020S

Ling Kong made two pickup trucks: the KJ1020S and the KJ2020S. They were based on the same platform as the KJ2020. The KJ2020S seated five and was available with a high roof. It had four square shaped headlights.

KJ2020S

The KJ2020S was a bit more luxurious, with two-tone paint and a factory bull bar. Engine was once again the 492QA.

KJ6380 sedan

Ling Kong also made a series of mini cars, in sedan, hatchback, and notchback forms, all designated KJ6830.

There were three four-cylinder petrol engines available: JL462 sourced from Changan, DA462 sourced from Dong’an, and a 377Q-L unit of unknown origin. Oddly, or most likely lazily, Ling Kong claimed exactly the same 35 hp output for all three engines. Only ‘box was a four-speed manual.

Size of the sedan: 3800/1510/1480, and wheelbase was 2460.

The dashboard of the sedan. Pretty nice actually, and it even has a radio. Steering wheel is interesting again, with a single spoke and painted in beige.

KJ6380 hatchback

The hatchback looks somewhat similar to the Xiali, especially around the front fenders. Ling Kong likely tried to cash in on the Xiali’s popularity!

A hatchback taxi, painted in red, with a taxi driver in matching clothes.

There even was a police version of the hatchback, designated KJ5010.

The notchback has similar Xiali-fenders as the hatchback. Quality wise it doesn’t look very solid, as if the entire front end can detach at any moment.

A notchback taxi. Note the rear door, it opens all the way to the top, like on a hatchback!

An updated variant of the sedan, now with the same Xiali-inspired front as the hatch and notch.

Rear lights look very Xiali too, they probably bough them at the same supplier.

And those were all the cars of Ling Kong. Sources: period brochures and books.

Do you want to know more about Chinese mini cars in the 1990’s? Please buy this great book by my colleague Erik van Ingen-Schenau.

More CCBTTF soon!