The Morris Ital Made in China.

The history of the factory with the proud name “Chengdu Auto Works” goes back to September 1970, when there is a small reel in Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily): “Chengdu 120 lorries are being made in Chengdu”. The Cultural Revolution is there, what that means for the automobile industry we have decribed before.

Local industries raise everywhere and these industries had a choice between four automobiles: making a local Jiefang CA10, Yuejin NJ130, Beijing BJ130 and Beijing 212. Chengdu choose the BJ130.

Production is low, it is a small factory. At the end of the 1970s, production is around 600 trucks a year, in the early eighties it goes up to about 1500. In 1981 the factory is even advertising  in the national newspaper Renmin Ribao! Two models: the  1.5 ton CD121A (double cab) and the 2 ton CD130B (single cab, diesel engine). The front is now much more alike the original BJ130.

In 1983 the factory does a big step forward by updating the cab of the truck. This cab was inspired on the one of the Toyota Toyoace.

The new truck is selling better and production figures go up over 3500 in the second halve of the 80s.

There are many different versions: CD122 double cab, CD122A double cab long wheel base, CD131 single cab, CD131A single cab long wheel base, CD330 dumper, funeral vehicles, surgical operation vehicles, ambulances.

All cars use the same 492Q engine, well known from the Beijing BJ212 and Beijing BJ130.

The name of the trucks changes into Huandu.

In 1988 Chengdu trial-produces a nice pickup, the Huandu CD123.

With the address from the brochure (Shimaqiao, North Gate, Chengdu) I decided to visit this factory in 1989. It is the dirtiest and darkest factory  I have ever seen in China.

A year later, the Dutch journalist Bea Versteeg wrote the article ‘Car manufacturing is manual work’  (Reformatorisch Dagblad, 23 october 1990) about a visit to this factory. “No efficiency, no quality control says the management itself. Workers carry the parts from one place to another. Steel plates are already covered with rust before they are processed. Ready parts are stored outside in all weathers. Production is about 7000/year, the factory employs 1500 people. There is a strong need for Western technology and management“.

In 1991, the factory starts assembling, besides the  CD122/CD131 production (now named CD1041), under license the Isuzu NKR55. This truck is very popular and many Chinese factories assemble it.

The production of the Isuzu is low: 200 in 1991, 570 in 1992 and 2008 in 1997.

These are difficult times for this small factory and so the enormous step to produce some hybrid foreign-Chinese vehicle is taken.  Help of a foreign multi-national, the use of a foreign product. It is the Rover Group in Longbridge, England, they choose, the successor of British Leyland and the predecessor of MG-Rover.

The Rover Group develops three cars as an example, using the bodywork of the Morris Ital (1980-1984) and the engine of a Freight Rover Sherpa 02, mated to a 5-speed LT77 gearbox. One of the cars was sent to China.

Morris Ital Estate developed for China with the Rover Group team, in Longbridge, 1993.

It is still difficult for the company to continue and it is FAW which saves Chengdu: Chengdu Auto Works becomes a subsidiary of the FAW Group in July 1994.  2000 people are then working in the factory. The new name of the factory is FAW-Chengdu Auto Works.
The production of the Huandu CD1041 continues, now together with some FAW products, like the Jiefang CA1020 and CA1040.

It takes five years before the debute of the Chinese Ital takes place.

CAC6430 is the designation; CA for First Auto Works, the last C for Chengdu. 6000 is for buses, often used for station wagons, 43 is length 4.30m. The engine and gear box are are not English, but  Chinese from the Jiefang pickup.

Rover has updated the car: the Chinese version has a full depth front bumper featuring integral fog lamps and a jacked up ride height.

According the only brochure I have, the car was available in 4 versions and with a choice between two engines, the CA488 engine, also in use in the Jiefang minibuses and the HY483Q engine.

The versions are: CAC6430: station wagon, CAC1020: single cab pickup, CAC5026XGH: closed van with side window, and CA5020XGH: closed van without window. K-versions with the HY483Q engine. Sizes: wheelbase 2445mm, length*width*height 4325x1640x1540mm. Curb weight 1675- 1790kg. Max.speed 120km/h (CA488 engine), 100km/h (HY483Q engine). There is only a two wheeldrive version.

During my travels through China I never met a CAC6430, but happy enough my friend Paul Blokland did, he photographed a car outside the Chengdu Auto Show in 2003.

The small logo in the middle of the grille reads CAC in red.

In 1998 Chengdu Auto Works made 148 Chinese Ital’s. There are no figures for 1999, I suppose 148: that was all.

It is not enough to save the Chengdu Auto Works. In 1999 there is a decifit (since 1992) of 268 million yuan, the assets are 242 million yuan and the liabilities 450 million yuan. FAW makes Chengdu bankrupt  and closes the factory in May 1999.  The enterprise has no ability to pay the due debt.

In December 1999 1500 Chengdu Auto Factory workers blocked during 4 hours streets in Chengdu. The reason is that a 23 US dollar monthly subsistence stipend has not been paid for two months. The workers complain that factory leaders squandered company’s money on expensive private housing.

Thanks to Associated Press we know this. It is the last thing I have ever heard of the Chengdu Auto Works.

Please help us with more info about this special project. Probably there are people from Longbridge who have more photos.
And you know, whenever you have questions, just ask!

Any car left: one of the three Longbridge made Itals for China, the one on the photo (A644 WUK) is still alive, in the hands of the former secretary of the Morris Marina Owners Club and Morris Ital register, Andy Morris.