A Hongqi for the common people.

After their life times efforts to make cars for the leaders, mr. Hua Fulin and two other FAW senior researchers and engineers decided to develop a real “people’s car”. The project was named “Sankoule”(literally “Three Mouths”) the name revers to the then standard Chinese family with two parents and one child.

A prototype was developed in 1991.

Car designer mr. Dong Ruifeng made a much more advanced clay model in the same year, named Cycler SKL160.

Another picture of the clay model of the Cycler.

In 1993 a prototype was shown to the public.

In February 1994 a third model was presented to the press. Three units were made.

This model was named Haishen, translated: Poseidon, but the English name was Handsome.

A company was erected, named Beifan (North) Haishen Limited Corporation in Changchun City, Jilin Province, directed by mr. Li Weidong.

The Haishen HS6250A was announced for 30.000 yuan, at that time 3450.- US dollar.

There was also a convertible prototype.

And then??? In 1997 I tried to visit this company. The address, found in the above brochure, appeared to be a hotel in the Jiefang Dalu in Changchun. Hotel people told me that this company had left the hotel room long ago, no address left behind..

I met mr. Dong Ruifeng more than 10 years later. Here you see him studying the Haishen pages in my Hongqi book.