A bit surprised, not knowing this vehicle, my dear friend Chang Bing took some photos, in front of the building of the FAW Automobile Research Institute in Changchun. The car had no front logo, but after sweeping a bit the snow away the factory name and the vehicle code became visible at the rear site.
When the Jiangbei Machinery Works in Jilin City, Jilin Province, stopped in 2003, 80% of Jiangbei came into private hands.
The new company was called Tongtian Auto Co.
Tongtian developed the Geluo (Glow), a successor of the Jiangbei JJ7080 (this JJ7080 was just a license-produced Suzuki Alto).
The Glow was sometimes sneeringly called Golo, as the front end was ‘inspired’ by the Volkswagen Polo Mk. 4. The Glow used the platform and engine of the Alto.
Shanghai-Volkswagen Polo Mark 4. Photo Wikipedia.
After the Glow, Tongtian showed a prototype of the 1.8-litre Tiger (Taihu) at the 2004 Beijing Show.
In 2005 Tongtian stopped with the Glow and Tiger production, and sold the line to Jiangnan in Hunan province.
Jiangnan continued to produce the Glow, as Jiangnan City Spirit.
And the Tiger as Jiangnan Scenery (Fengguang).
Jiangnan ceased in 2006 and was bought by Zotye. Only the original Alto second generation-license was used by Zotye. After the petrol version of the old Alto, Zotye made an electric version.
The ‘New Glow’ reminded to another car, named Lesuccess, which was exhibited by the design company TJ Innova at the Shanghai Show 2007.
The Lesuccess or Leijie as the car was called in Chinese, is more or less of the same sizes as the ‘New Glow’. Details: 3600x 1650x 1580mm, wheelbase 2335mm. Weight 900kg, tyresize 165/65R13.
TJ Innova Engineering & Technology Co. Ltd. (Tongji) in Shanghai was founded in 1999. It is a well known design company which worked at that time for Lifan, Dongfeng, Shanghai Maple, Changhe, Jinbei, Baolong, Chang’an, Shanghai Huizhong, Soueast, Great Wall and Daewoo.
TJ Innova also designed cars of her own, without commission. The Leijie is a good example.
After the sales of the Glow and Tiger production to Jiangnan, Tongtian was bought by the Zhejiang Xinhu Real Estate. In July 2010 the building of a new factory started. The idea was to built the ‘New Glow’ there.
Before Chang Bing making pictures in March 2010, others had signalized the cars in the snow already in December 2009 and January 2010. Cars in black, white and grey. Here three prototypes, this was serious business.
The steering wheel betrays the logo. But it is unknown…
More about the car became known. Details: sizes 3548x1653x1465mm, wheelbase 2340mm, weight 870kg, tyre size 165/60R14. And the engine: a BYD 371QA (3-cylinder) 998cc engine, good for 50kW/6000rpm, 151 km/h and 5.9L/100km. The platform was copied from the Toyota Aygo.
The design was, as we already suspected, from TJ Innova.
And then it became clear that TJ Innova had earlier offered the car to another automobile factory.
Half a year before, in July 2009 a reverse printed photo had showed up, with the ‘New Glow’.
So what is HAC? Then I found this:
When you look well, you see right in the middle of this large vehicle program the small car a00. And look, that is the silhouette of the ‘New Glow’.
Hawtai (or Huatai) showed over the years ideas about new production programs. In practice it was not always realistic. Besides of the Hyundai 4×4’s Hawtai aimed at developing a car program. The connection with Hawtai explains the abbreviation HAC: Hawtai (Huatai) Automobile Corporation. A11 was an early try to fit the car in the Hawtai program, besides of B11 and the other codes ; later A11 was mend to be a bigger (a0) car.
Well, Hawtai didn’t make the HAC A11. Neither did Tongtian the JTT7100. A pity, as it was a good looking sturdy design.
The end? No, in the Autumn of 2011 the “New Glow’ design showed up again. Not in China, but in Australia. A local company called Eday showed an electric car, named Eday E15 Hero.
The Eday E15 had an electric engine of 40kW, sizes 3460x1618x1465, wheelbase 2340mm. Weight 970kg, range 150km, speed 110km/h.
It has never been clear which Chinese company was going to make this car for the Australians. But unexpectedly, plans changed and the E15 was replaced by a bigger, other car called E25.
So yes, the end.
About Jiangbei and Jiangnan I have written in my book
Made in China. Lost small cars of the 1990s.
Tycho wrote earlier about Tongtian.
And there was a discussion on China Car Forums.
Thanks Erik for writing about these forgotten cars.
Obviously , Tongtian new glow is a facelift of BYD F0
but l wonder what is the base of Tongtian Tiger?
[…] the “New Glow” design , the T3 disappeared. And […]
It looks like the BYD F0 actually. By the way what’s the purple truck beside? Looks like a Japanese truck.
Not Japanese, but a Chinese FAW Jiefang (Liberation) truck.
[…] would end up in the hands of the shortlived Jilin Tongtian Automobile company, which made the Tongtian Glow. Car reviewers back then praised the engine (which was still a Toyota 8A-FE one, but built by geely […]