After my article about the Whale JZK1010S last week, we received a lot of comments. (Super! Continue sending!) Some were about the different versions of the Changjian sedan made in Meng county, Henan province.
So I decided to show you all about Changjian made in Jiaozuo.
Let us start with the version here above.
It is the first known version of the Changjian.
Changjian was the initiative of Yao Shujun, a farmer from Jiaozhuo, Henan province. Car production started in 1986, in 1990 300 units were made.
I met the first models in Xi’an city, where they were used as taxis in 1991. Mr. Yao wanted to produce a car with a low price: from 41.000-49.000 yuan. The 1991 taxis were all of the same model.
Two years later the first series were replaced by ‘Santana-style’ models.
Production was rising: in 1992 2.000 units, in 1993 6.000 units.
In 1994, production declined to 2.726 units.
Changjian 1994. ‘Santana-style’. Photo Guilin city, Guangxi 1994, license Guangxi 04 03551.
After the ‘Santana-style’ models some new models appeared in 1995.
We have the details of the JZK1010S pickup: wheelbase 2400mm, LxWxH 4160x1650x1420mm, curb weight 930kg, engine TJ376QB (Xiali) 993cc, 36kW. Max. speed 85 km/h. Platform Jilin JL1010H.
And then the production ended the same year, 1995. The reason was mismanagement and quality problems. In 1996 the production was completely ceased and the company disappeared.
The last one I saw was in Guangdong, 2000.
p.s.: here another one. From the internet.
Changjian, from the internet. License Wan B 21180 (Anhui province).
Identification of the vehicles made by these small factories in the 1990s is mostly difficult, as they often didn’t wear any logos or text, as they used often the same parts (like rear lights) and as they were not centrally registered like the joint venture products.
Small detail maybe Erik caught over the years, but i will just point out to other readers who might have missed it. The “Guangxi 04 03551” unit has actually a different rear door, the C-pillar seemingly being totally vertical – as a result the rear vent window is rectangular instead of being a triangle…
This is incredible, one must wonder if the amount of variants was almost equal to the cars produced heh…. By the way, did the company produce any actual buses?
yes，they do.their main product is microcars, but they have indeed manufactured buses.
This is a photo of Changjian JZK6550，It can accommodate 17 people.
Many thanks for the comments and the bus photo. Erik.
Thanks alot for your reply!
I feel that there is no unified standard for the products of Changjian. Looking at this JZK1010S, there are many differences again.
It does look remarkably close to the Xiali+Santana designs. One has to wonder how much money the company spent on making all the moulds for all the different bodies. The truckbed railing looks pretty nice!
yeah，that railing looks like it was dismantled from a residential building，lol.
I agree with you, in fact I was reasearching on Chinese cars from the 80s, when I stumbled across a mpv that had the mixes of a 90′ previa but also had the similar headlights from the changjian cars. If anyone finds pictures, please tell me. thank you everyone!
The company was based in Mengxian County, Henan Province and Automobile production began in 1991. Around 4,000 vehicles were built every year, (not bad for a car!) but after 1994 the trace of the company was lost.The JZK 6420 was a four-door sedan with a notchback. The body was made of plastic, like most small car brands at the time. This made it easy to offer different versions. Seven variants are known, some of which had a third side window. two-cylinder engines powered the vehicles, many of which were used as taxis. The JZK 1010 S and JZK 5011 XGA… Read more »
Not a twin cylinder engine.JZK6420 uses a DA462 four cylinder engine, 797cc.
Like many companies they probably used several engines, as the 797cc Suzuki copy and the 993cc Daihatsu copy.
i got this on german wikipedia.
I know, Derek. They stole my book and used it without my knowledge, even referred to it. You can see that in the article. The text is based on the text in my book. Never any reference to me or to my website.
the jzk620 has been in a movie before.
https://www.imcdb.org/movie_105197-Qiu-Ju-da-guan-si.html
Yes, I have found this one a while back, listed as unknown.
there is jzk6420 in this movie alongside beifang sanfeng and hangtian.
https://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_1141369-Qinxing-QX-6401.html
is this a changjian? It looks like the red one from the brochure but more the headlights are vw santana.