The fourth floor of the Taishan Classic Car Museum houses a wide assortment of mainly foreign cars with everything from old Austins to a ZAZ. A rather beautiful Hongqi also makes an appearance but it is the only Chinese car on display.
Hongqi CA771 limousine
One of the most fascinating cars on this floor is this Hongqi Limousine. Stretched Hongqis like this one are few and far between and all the other ones I have seen or have found online are based on the CA770. This particular limousine is based on the CA771 – the shortest of the CA77* series with a very conventional rear-door design. There is often speculation that a lot of these Hongqi limousines are “fake” in that they were not produced by Hongqi themselves. Regardless of its authenticity this particular limousine is absolutely stunning and finished in a fantastic shade of grey. It really is something to behold.
Best of British
Austin 7
The Austin 7 is often credited as being the car that put a lot of Britain on wheels. It sold well both at home and abroad and was built under license by BMW. Nissan also used the Austin 7 as the basis for their early cars. Produced between 1922 and 1939 in the UK, the 7 was available in various body styles but only came with a 747cc 4-cylinder petrol engine. The car on display in the museum appears to be a “New Ruby” Saloon produced from 1936 onwards.
Austin 8
The Austin 8 was one of the successors to the 7. It was a more advanced car than the 7 and got a larger 900cc 4-cylinder petrol engine. Introduced in 1939, production was initially cut short in 1943 due to WW2. Production restarted in 1945 and continued until 1948 with around 48,000 being produced before 1943 and a further 8,000 being produced during the second round of production. The car on display in the museum appears to be one of the 8,000 from the second round of production. Production of the 8 also took place in Australia.
Austin A40 Somerset
The A40 name was used on various different cars produced by Austin between 1947 and 1967. The 40 came from the output of the engine in horsepower. The museum has two examples of the A40 Somerset (many versions of the A40 were named after counties in Britain) that was produced between 1952 and 1954.
The second A40 Somerset.
Austin FX4
The FX4 was produced by Austin from 1958 to 1982 when the intellectual rights to the design were sold off. The FX4 was designed from the outset to be a taxi and once plied the streets of London with the basic design continuing on until 1997 when it was replaced by the TX1. The FX4 was powered by various diesel engines.
Bentley Mark VI
The Mark VI was produced from 1946 to 1952 and was the first post-war luxury car to bear the Bentley name. The Mark VI was built on a shortened Rolls Royce Silver Wraith chassis and was powered by either a 4.3 liter or 4.6 liter straight-six petrol engine. The chassis of the Mark VI was also provided to various coach builders to construct their own bodies.
Bentley Turbo R
The Turbo R was produced by Bentley from 1985 to 1999. The Turbo R was powered exclusively by the 6.75 liter “Bentley” V8 that continues to be produced for the Mulsanne to this day. This particular Turbo R is at least a pre-1992 model as it has a sticker pass from the The Country Club of Louisiana dated 1992. This also indicates that it either spent its early life in the US and was imported into China by a previous owner or that it is a recent import exclusively for display in the museum.
Ford Anglia
The Anglia name was used on a few models between 1939 and 1967. More than 1.5 million Anglias were produced in this time. This particular car 1949-1953 E494A model of which just over 110,000 were built. The E494A was renamed in 1953 as the Ford Poplar and continued until 1959. The E494A and Poplar had the honour of being Britain’s cheapest cars when new.
Ford Consul
The Consul was a family saloon car produced by Ford UK from 1951 to 1962 and later by in the UK and Germany from 1972 to 1975. The museum has a 1951-1956 “EOTA”. This generation of Consul was available as a saloon, estate or convertible and was powered exclusively by a 1.5 liter 4-cylinder petrol engine.
Hillman Minx
The Minx was a mid-sized family car produced by the now defunct car maker Hillman between 1931 and 1970 across a wide range of models. This particular car is a Mark VIII produced some time between 1954 and 1956. This generation of Minx was also produced by Isuzu in Japan.
Humber Hawk
The Hawk was produced by Humber from 1945 to 1967. The museum has two Hawks in its collections. The first is a white Mark V produced some time between 1952 and 1954. The second is a black (likely) Series I produced some time between 1957 and 1959.. The Hawk was only ever available with 4-cylinder petrol engines.
The Hawk Series I.
Rover Mini
The museum has a pair of Classic Minis on display. The Mini is of course a British Icon that was immensely popular and continues to this day. The red Mini on display has rather unusual wheel arches.
Morgan 3-Wheeler
The Morgan 3 Wheeler is one of the most interesting cars on sale today. It has been produced since 2012 though can trace its roots back to the Morgan F-Series produced between 1932 and 1952.
Morris Eight
The Morris Eight was a small family car produced between 1935 and 1948. It was a very important car for Morris as it helped them regain their position as Britain’s largest car manufacturer. The museum has a modified Series E car produced between 1938 and 1948. The Eight was powered exclusively by a 918cc 4-cylinder petrol engine.
Morris Oxford
The Oxford name was applied to different Morris models between 1913 and 1935 as well as between 1948 and 1971. The car on display in the museum is a Series VI produced between 1961 and 1971. Power came exclusively from a 1622cc 4-cylinder petrol engine.
Rolls Royce Silver Shadow
The Silver Shadow was produced from 1965 to 1980. Thankfully this particular car is a pre-1977 example as it lacks the hideous alloy/rubber bumpers that turned an otherwise very classy automobile into a… less classy looking automobile. Chrome for life! The museum has two Silver Shadows.
The second Silver Shadow.
Rolls Royce Silver Spur
The Silver Spur and its cousin the Silver Spirit were both large full-size luxury cars produced by Rolls Royce between 1980 and 1999. They were the replacement for the Silver Shadow. The museum has two (what appear to be) Mark III’s.
The second Silver Spur.
Triumph Mayflower
The Mayflower is a rather rare car with only 35,000 ever being produced between 1949 and 1953 (though deliveries did not begin until 1950). Power came exclusively from a 1247cc 4-cylinder petrol engine.
Vauxhall Wyvern
The Wyvern was a medium-size family car produced between 1948 and 1957. The car on display in the museum is a 1955 E-series.
The Americans
Buick Century
Long before the Century was a bloated front-wheel-drive saloon with a V6 engine it was a mighty rear-wheel-drive luxury car with an eight-cylinder engine. Not a V8 mind you, a straight-eight! The first generation Buick Century also became the first Buick to be able to break the 100mph mark thanks to its 165hp. The car on display in the museum is a 1941 model.
Buick Special 4-Door Riviera
The Special was the base-spec Buick, though you wouldn’t think that looking at the exterior which is just beautiful with curves for days. This generation of Special was produced between 1949 and 1958. The museum has two 4-Door Rivieras on display. The first is a red 1955 and the second a baby blue 1956. It’s likely that the Special formed the basis of the Beijing CB4.
The Museum also has this 1957 Estate Wagon
Buick Super
The Super was a full-sized car produced between 1940 and 1958. The car on display in the museum is a 1942-1948 model. Power came from a 4.1 liter straight-eight.
Cadillac Series 62
The Series 62 is often considered the epitome of Cadillac with the huge tailfins of the 1959 model being fondly remembered by many. After 1959 tailfins got smaller and big cars like this began to fall out of favour. The museum is fortunate enough to have one of those 1959 cars as well as a 1950 model and two 1960 models.
The 1950 sedan.
The 59 coupe.
A beautiful red 1960 coupe.
Another 1960, this time a sedan in a beautiful grey.
Cadillac Brougham
Ok, I know I said cars in general got smaller after the 1959 Cadillac but Cadillac themselves was one of the exceptions. Make no mistake their cars did get smaller, but only slightly smaller. The 1959 Series 62 is only 10cm longer than the Brougham sedan produced between 1987 and 1992. The Brougham pictured here is obviously a stretched version though it is only a modest stretch of around a meter.
Chevrolet 210
The 210 was Chevrolet’s midrange model. The 210 only lasted for two generations between 1953 and 1957. This particular car is a 1956 second generation sedan. The 210 was available with straight-six or V8 petrol engines.
Chevrolet Bel Air
The Bel Air is one of the most well known Chevrolet models. As with many American nameplates that ran into the latter half of the 20th century, the most stylish, best remembered and most sought after examples are the older ones. The museum has three Bel Airs – a 1957, 1961 and 1963.
This is the 1957, finished in a beautiful red.
This is the 1961. It has a sticker from the Myanmar Classic Cars Club. In this article a similar Bel Air in the exact same colour can be seen. I have tried contacting the MCCC to find out more but so far have not been able to get a reply from them.
This is the 1963, finished in bright blue.
Chevrolet Deluxe
The 1949-1952 Deluxe was the top of the line Chevrolet Model and was available in a wide variety of body styles. The museum has a sedan finished in black. In 1950 the Deluxe became available with a Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission. Power came exclusively from straight-six petrol engines.
Chevrolet Fleetmaster
The Fleetline was produced by Chevrolet from 1946 to 1948. It was related to the Chevrolet Deluxe. Only a straight-six petrol engine was available. The museum has a 1947 example in its collection.
Chysler New Yorker
The New Yorker was Chrysler’s flagship model for much of its 56 year life in production from 1940 to 1996. In 1949 it was updated and that is what we see here in the museum – a beautiful green sedan. Power came from a big straight-eight.
DeSoto Custom
DeSoto was created by Walter Chrysler as a way to market more affordable versions of Chrysler products. However, this was at a time when even the cheap models seemed to look a million dollars with glorious chrome and extravagant hood ornaments aplenty. The Custom was a relative of the Chrysler New Yorker and as it was a cheaper version did not share its straight-eight engine, having to make do instead with a straight-six.
Dodge Coronet
The Coronet name was applied to both the high end and low end of Dodge’s model lineup. The car in the museum is likely a 1950 model and is an example of when the Coronet name signified the very best of Dodge. Power came exclusively from a straight-six.
Ford Fairlane
The Fairlane was sold by Ford in the US from 1955 to 1970. The car pictured here is a 1956 first generation example. Power came from straight-six or V8 petrol engines.
Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
The Fairlane 500 was the most expensive version of the 1957 Ford. The car on display in the museum is a 1959.
Ford Mustang
In continuous production since 1964, the Ford Mustang really needs no introduction.
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird was produced by Ford from 1955 to 1997 and again from 2002 to 2005 over a whopping 11 generations. The museum has a sixth generation car on display.
Imperial
The first generation Imperial has rather interesting link to China’s own automotive history.
Lincoln Continental
The Continental is remembered for being the last American car to come with a V12 engine. The museum has one of these V12 cars in the from of a 1946 model Continental and also a 1966.
The 1966.
Lincoln Town Car
The Town Car was once a popular car in China, especially in stretched limousine form. This one had an inspection sticker dating all the way back to 1989!
Mercury Eight
The Mercury Eight has the distinction of being the first Mercury ever produced. It was manufactured from 1939 to 1951 and was powered by the Flathead V8. The museum has a (circa) 1946 model.
Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
The Ninety-Eight was the flagship of the Oldsmobile range and was produced from 1940 to 1996. This tenth generation example is an unusual 4-door “convertible”. There never was a convertible offered in this body style so we must assume that the top was cut off.
Packard 180
The 180 was the first car to have power windows. It was produced from 1940 to 1942 when WW2 caused the cessation of all civilian car manufacturing.
Packard 200
The 200 had a very short lifespan of only two years from 1951 to 1952. This particular car has an original dealer badge on its rear end from Kiker’s in Plainview.
Packard Custom 8
The Custom 8 was a vehicle produced by Packard in the 1940’s.
Shanghai SH760 Plymouth Savoy
Yet another Savoy! The car from which the Shanghai SH760’s design was heavily influenced.
REO Model T6
REO was founded by Ransom E. Olds after he left what would become Oldsmobile. The T6 was one of the cars he made.
The Germans
BMW 2002
The 2002 was a compact executive car produced by BMW from 1966 to 1977.
DKW 3=6
The 3=6 was a car produced by DKW between 1953 and 1959. It had a 3-cylinder two-stroke engine and a rather confusing name, whatever its meaning.
“Maybach”
Whilst not badged as a Mayback, the W186 series was considered as the Maybach of its day.
“S-Class”
The S-Class has a long and illustrious history that still continues to this day. The museum has a few examples of previous “S-Class” though at the time they were not badged as such.
W180 220S
W111 230S
W108 250S
W109 300SEL
“E-Class”
The E-Class has a similarly long history to the S-Class and like its bigger brother has only been called the E-Class for a relatively short amount of time. The museum has a few examples of old “E-Class”.
W121 190D
W110 190
W114 250CE
Opel Olympia Rekord
The Olympia Rekord was produced by Opel from 1953 to 1957. The museum has what appears to be a 1954 model.
Volkswagen Beetle
Yet another car that needs no introduction is the Volkswagen Beetle.
The first one.
The second one.
The third one.
The fourth one.
The fifth one.
The sixth one.
Volkswagen Transporter
Again, no introduction needed.
T1.
T2 pickup.
T2 van.
Other notable mentions.
Fiat 1100
The 1100 was a small family car produced from 1953 to 1969 by FIAT.
Nissan Pao
The Pao is a strange retro-themed hatchback produced by Nissan from 1989 to 1991 and comes from a time when the Japanese auto industry was going through some crazy times.
ZAZ-968M
The 968M was a development of the old 968 and was produced from 1979 to 1994. It is famous for having different versions people missing either one or both feet.
This concludes my coverage of the fourth floor of the Taishan Classic Car Museum. There will be an article coming out soon on one car in particular that I haven’t shown you yet so keep an eye out for it!
Other parts of this series
nice collection car, wooww amazing