Today in China China Concept Cars: three concepts based on the Hongqi HQ3 and Hongqi Shengshi sedan: a bulletproof extended limousine, an extended version, and an open-top inspection car.
Hongqi HQ3
The Hongqi (Red Flag) HQ3 was an executive sedan based on the fourth-generation Toyota Crown Majesta (S180). The Crown Majesta was manufactured in China at the Tianjin FAW Toyota Motor (TFTM) joint venture, commonly known as ‘FAW-Toyota’. FAW, or First Auto Works, is also the owner of the Hongqi brand.
Factory photo of the Hongqi HQ3 (2006-2007).
Production of the Hongqi HQ3 started in 2006. The very early cars had a ‘Winged 1’ FAW logo on the grille but that was later deleted. The HQ3 came in two kinds:
- the HQ300 with a 3.0 liter V6. Output was 231 hp and 300 Nm. Six-speed AMT, rear-wheel drive. It had a top speed of 230 km/h, it did 0-100 in 8.7 seconds and had a fuel consumption of 9.8 liters per 100 kilometers.
- the HQ430 with a 4.3 liter V8. Output was 280 hp and 430 Nm. Six-speed AMT, rear-wheel drive. It had a top speed of 250 km/h, it did 0-100 in 7.3 seconds and had a fuel consumption of 10.9 liters per 100 kilometers.
Both engines were sourced from Toyota.
There were only two trim levels for the HQ3 HQ300 and one for the HQ3 HQ430:
- HQ3 HQ300 Anniversary for 399.800 yuan.
- HQ3 HQ300 Luxury for 566.800 yuan.
- HQ3 HQ430 Elite for 688.800 yuan.
That was very expensive for the time and the HQ3 sold only in very small numbers. Even the government, normally a big Hongqi customer, didn’t purchase the HQ3 in large quantities.
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A Hongqi HQ3 HQ300 is seen in Changchun, the hometown of FAW and Hongqi. Photo by me.
Hongqi Shengshi
So it was time for a change. In 2008, Hongqi changed the name of the HQ3 to Shèngshì (盛世), which means ‘Prosperity’. The type names and engines remained the same. So HQ3 HQ300 became Shengshi HQ300 and the HQ3 HQ430 became Shengshi HQ430.
Prices for the HQ300 models dropped by quite a lot: the Anniversary to 349.800 yuan (minus 50.000) and the Luxury to 399.800 yuan (minus 167.000!). So price-wise, the Luxury had become the Anniversary. The price of the HQ430 Elite model didn’t change.
- Shengshi HQ300 Anniversary for 349.800 yuan.
- Shengshi HQ300 Luxury for 399.800 yuan,
- Shengshi HQ430 Elite still for 688.800 yuan.
The Concept Cars
Besides changing names and prices, Hongqi tried other things to fire up sales of the HQ3 and Shengshi. That is where today’s concept cars come in. Hongqi created three concept cars. One was based on the HQ3 and two were based on the Shengshi.
- A long-wheelbase armored limousine with an extension in the middle of 55 centimeters. Based on the HQ3 HQ430.
- A long-wheelbase version with an extension in the middle of about 15 centimeters. Based on the Shengshi HQ430.
- An open-top inspection car version with an extension in the middle of about 25 centimeters. Based on the Shengshi HQ300.
Only the second car was displayed at an auto show. The other two are sometimes on display in the Hongqi Museum in Changchun. Let’s take a good look at these Chinese concept cars:
The Hongqi HQ3 long-wheelbase armored limousine
At the 2006 Beijing Auto Show, Hongqi unveiled an armored long-wheelbase stretched limousine. It was called the Xin Qijian, which means New Flagship. This name referred to earlier Hongqi cars with the Qijian name, most notably the Hongqi CA7460 Qijian series. On the license plate: 红旗新旗舰, Hóngqí Xīn Qíjiàn, Hongqi New Flagship.
The Xin Qijian was based on the HQ3 HQ430. The wheelbase was extended by 550 millimeters, for a total length of 4965 millimeters. The extension was at the B-pillar. Hongqi added a light gray panel in the middle. Somewhat strangely, the chromed window frames of the side windows were extended over this panel. It had a shiny red flag ornament on the D-pillar.
Hongqi claimed it used “high-tech new bulletproof materials” to keep the limousine as light as possible. Weight increase was only 260 kilos. Still, the vehicle had a bulletproof level of the European B4 standard and the US 3A standard. This, according to Hongqi, was enough to withstand the impact of continuous shooting by F79 and F64-class firearms with steel-core bullets. The tires had a special bulletproof structure too, enabling the car to continue driving at a speed of 50 km/h even after the tires were shot.
The cabin with red carpers and classy wood trim.
The HQ3 had an English Red Flag name on the door sill.
The rear compartment was finished in beige leather. There was a divider between the rear compartment and the front compartment. In the middle was a small television screen for infotainment, attached to the roof. There were two jump seats attached to the divider too, but it seems space was very limited, so I guess they were only useful for very tiny bodyguards. The VIPs sat on a bench with an armrest in the middle. In the armrest were the controls for the air conditioning and the infotainment system.
At the show, Hongqi said production of the Xin Qijian would start in the second half of 2007. Hongqi’s aim was to “gradually replace domestic imported bulletproof vehicles and meet the special vehicle needs of national government agencies.”
But that never happened. The Xin Qijian didn’t see production and the only one ever made was the 2006 concept car. That is too bad, as it was a good-looking vehicle with a luxurious interior and proper bulletproof credentials.
The Hongqi Shengshi long-wheelbase version
The next concept car was based on the Shengshi. I don’t know the exact date but it has to be after 2008. License plate: 红旗盛世, Hóngqí Shèngshì. I saw this car in 2016 at the Hongqi Museum in Changchun. The caption only provided general information about the Shengqi, not anything specific about this long-wheelbase version. It has never been shown on an auto show or to the media, so seeing this car in Changchun was a great surprise.
The extension was fairly modest compared to the 2006 bulletproof limousine. The extension is at the B-pillar and seems about 15 centimeters long. Hongqi extended the window frame as well, which looks much better than the strange window-frame construction on the 2006 limo.
There was no divider in the car, so the extension mainly added legroom. The windows of the rear compartment were darkened a lot so I couldn’t get a good look inside.
The front was dressed up with a golden frame around the hood ornament and a small Hongqi badge on the grille.
The Hongqi Shengshi open-top inspection car
The Hongqi Shengshi inspection car has been on display in the museum too, but sadly it wasn’t there when I visited. The museum is quite small and they rotate the vehicles on show. Most photos of this car are by the great car writer Celcior, who publishes a blog with interesting cars from China and Taiwan.
On the license plate: 红旗盛世敞篷车, Hóngqí Shèngshì Chǎngpéngchē, Hongqi Shengshi Convertible.
The term inspection car, also known as a parade car, refers to a vehicle used for inspecting things and/or for parading celebrities. There are open-top inspection cars and closed-roof inspection cars. China has a long history of building such vehicles, and Hongqi has always been the main-inspection car maker in the country.
The inspection car was based on the Shengshi HQ300, so it only had a V6 under the hood, which doesn’t seem enough for such a large and heavy car. The roof has been deleted and the extension is about 25 centimeters long.
The extra space was used for an inspection-car divider construction, complete with a handlebar. During an inspection, the inspector holds the bar with one hand while waving with the other. The bar was quite fancy, clad in beige leather with steel pillars on the sides. The divider itself has a wood inlay on top and more beige leather below.
After inspecting, the inspector and his pal could sit on two cushy seats, again in beige leather.
The dashboard design was unchanged. The A-pillar was strengthened with beige plastics.
As far as I know, the Shengshi inspection car was never used for an actual inspection. Celcior says it was used once in Beijing to parade the taikonauts of the Shenzhou 6 manned-space mission, but that was actually an Audi-based Hongqi inspection car (CA7220 A9E3L2 Century Star).
It has flag poles atop the fenders to show the Chinese flag. Like the other concepts, the inspection car never saw production either. The HQ3/Shengshi didn’t live much longer either. In 2010 Hongqi pulled the plug and production ended. The Shengshi was succeeded in 2013 by the Hongqi H7, which was based on the FAW-Toyota thirteenth generation (S200) Toyota Crown. Hongqi hasn’t made any cool H7 concept cars, yet.