Forward control vehicles based on the BJ212.

With the development of the Beijing BJ212, the possibility to produce a forward control 4×4 minibus arose. The Russian had the UAZ452, so why not.

Beijing BJ421 1974. Registration ‘Beijing 01-64515’. 

We know about 5 initiatives.

In 1965 Beijing Auto Works designed a 4×4 f.c. minibus named Beijing BJ213. The annotation is confusing as the latter Cherokee was called BJ/XJ 213.

During a factory visit which I paid in 1997 workers showed me a book with photos of a lot of unknown prototypes. This BJ213 was one of them.

In January 1975, more than 20 years earlier than my visit, Oliver Barnham visited the same Beijing Auto Works. He noticed a BJ212 based 4×4 forward control. People told him the vehicle was called Changzheng (Long March). And that it was under powered and unstable.

Really in production was the Beijing BJ421.

The BJ421 was made by the Beijing Dongcheng Auto Refit Works from 1974. This was probably a military factory.

Details: 70hp petrol engine (BJ492Q), possibility to transport 10 people, LxWxH 4300x 1950x 2100mm, wheelbase 2300mm. Curb weight 1950kg, Tyre size 6.50×16.

Number four in this list is Beijing-made, but that is all I know. The car is exhibited at mr. Luo Wenyou‘s collection in Huairou.

I checked the car for a data plate, which was missing. But I found an old license plate ‘Jing A LSD-001’ (!!)

The fifth 4×4 forward control showed up at the internet in 2013. The photos are made in 1979 in Yunnan, during the Sino-Viet Nam War. The 4×4 was based on  minibuses made by the Beilv Automobile Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Comments: always very welcome.

And here to end I show you a nice Qinghai landscape: