Welcome to a brand new series on ChinaCarHistory.com: Chinese Concept Cars (CCC). We start with the red hot Haima S1 coupe; it debuted on the April 2006 Beijing Auto Show, painted in fiery red and looking perfectly sporty.
Haima handed out this Photoshop, showing the S1 attacking an empty mountain road under a cloudy sky.
The S1 was a compact two-door coupe. An eventual production version would have competed with cars like the Geely Meirenbao, the Brilliance Coupe, and the BYD S8.
Sadly, the S1 never saw production so we will never know if it stood a chance against the mighty Meirenbao. Other Chinese automakers tried to get into the coupe-game too, with the Chery M14, Dongfeng EQ7420BP and the JAC S11, but those cars didn’t see the light of life either.
The S1 was not just an empty shell on wheels. It was a functional vehicle based on the Haima H1 platform, which in time would also underpin the first generation Haima 3 hatchback and sedan.
The sporty lines of the S1 were drawn in China, by the Haima Shanghai Research and Development Center, founded in 2003 and still active today.
Haima never said anything officially about the engine. There were reports about the 120 hp 1.8 liter from the Haima 3, but others claimed a 2.0. As far as I know they never opened the hood, so we just can’t be sure. The 1.8 seems most likely, as the S1 stood on the same platform as the 3.
The S1 had very distinctive lights with the indicator inside the unit.
It had shiny five-spoke gold 19 inch wheels with blue Brembo brakes.
In these mid-2000’s days many car makers expected China’s young middle class to crave for affordable sportscars. The car makers were wrong. The young wanted sedans and later SUVs, to carry their kids and families. And if they really wanted something sporty next to their daily driver they would save enough money to buy European, instead of Chinese.
This is the one and only photo I have of the interior, seen through the window. Haima never opened the doors and they also didn’t release any press photos of the interior. This photo shows a racy interior with a thick steering wheel, four round dials in the binnacle, round air vents, and with what seems to be a small screen.
The fuel cap stood out, painted in silver surrounded by red.
The S1 appeared on a few other shows in China in 2006, then it disappeared from view. Until…
… the December 2007 Guangzhou Auto Show, when an updated S1 concept debuted. That was a full 19 months after the debut of the original S1. The ‘new’ car looked more realistic, and ready for production.
The giant gold wheels were gone, the orange indicators in the headlights had been deleted, and the fog lights in the bumper were replaced by simple 8-light LED units.
There was again a crappy Photoshop, but it was better than the first one. The image showed the S1 in close up racing the road under a red sky.
Simpler lights.
The wheels were now 5-double spoke in shiny silver, with a red unbranded brake and a red Haima logo on the center.
The wheels were smaller too, 15 inch it seems. The larger 19 inch examples of the original concept looked much better, but they were likely too large for the real world.
No obvious changes at the rear. Tiny shiny pipe in each side.
With a very visible keyhole under the Haima logo.
In the end Haima decided against production of the S1, figuring there wasn’t enough of market for it, and they were probably right about that. Still, the S1 could have been something of a halo car for the bland Haima brand.
For more about the history of Haima see this brilliant article of my colleague Sam.
This would have been the best of the group, looking at the competitors you listed. The JAC looks like a Ferrari mated with the final-facelift Mitsubishi 3000 GT. Once you get past that it isn’t too bad either.