Long before the popularity of mpv’s, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation made prototypes of mpv’s.
The most famous is the mpv based on the Shanghai-Volkswagen Santana, made in 1989.
Tycho has written already nine years ago about this car, and I have written in China Car Forum some words about the same vehicle.
The wooden mock up was called SS610, the prototype SVW7181, after protest of Volkswagen renamed SH7181. I am sure Volkswagen would have objected the VW badge, when the project had gone ahead.
Mr. Zhong Boguang worked for the Shanghai Automotive & Tractor Research Institute.
The prototype ‘Shanghai 01 test 0582’ was sent to the celebrations of the 40 year existence of the People’s Republic in 1989.
This unique mpv, much in common with the Renault Espace, saw its light 9 years (!) before Volkswagen made its own mpv, the Sharan. There were discussions if the Santana platform of the car was strong enough to hold the nine-seat mpv.
When I visited the Institute in the 1990s they told me that the car was sent back to the manufacturer, the Kunshan Auto Refit Works in Jiangsu province, due to electrical problems.
The second mpv was caught by a reader of the Autofan magazine at the Hainan Auto Test Track, late 2001 or early 2002. It is the Shanghai SH6460. The car wears the badge with the letters SAIC, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, in a circle.
The idea was to produce the car in the Liming factory in Yizheng city, Jiangsu province. It never happened, in stead the Saibao (Opel Combo) was built here and later the Roewe 750.
Engine (1.8-litre) and platform were from the Shanghai-Volkswagen Santana, like the SH7181 above. The sizes of the SH6460 are: LxWxH 4546x 1710x 1650 mm, max.speed 160 km/h.
And then the Chaoyue No.3.
The MPV Chaoyue no. 3 (超越3号) is an experimental fuel cell vehicle made in 2005 by the Tongji University and the SAIC group, based on the old Santana 3000. The English name is ‘Start Three’.
The vehicle is exhibited at the Shanghai Auto Museum.
Details: fuel cell powered developed by Shanghai Shenli High Tech, output 44 kW, range 230 km, 120 km/h.
No serial production for these three SAIC products.
MPV’s were made in these and the following years by the companies with which SAIC had a joint-venture. To start with the Shanghai-GM Buick GL8, already in 1999.
Why did VW object to the MPV?
Also, more info on Liming? Their cars are pretty interesting.
Somil, VW is -logic- not in favor of cars they haven’t designed or made wearing the VW name and badge. And more about the Liming you can find in my book ‘Made in China. Lost small cars of the 1990s’.
Thank you for the response!
Indeed, the shaghainese invented the wheel.
The Chaoyue says Mazda/Haima at the front, and Toyota from the rear.
[…] was in 1974 that mr. Zhong Boguang joined the Shanghai Automobile & Tractor Research Institute. His first design project was the […]
[…] It was Mr. Zhong Buguang who developed earlier the Shanghai SH750 and the Shanghai SH7181 MPV. […]