In my last article I promised you to write more about the Dutch Globe B.V. initiative.
It was a brave Dutchman, Peter de Koster, who bought about 6 BJ212s when making a sales trip to Beijing in 1987. He started a company named Globe B.V., established in Loon op Zand in the south of the Netherlands, where he was a local Chrysler, Jeep and Mercedes dealer. Later De Koster imported more BJ212s.
When De Koster wanted to have the cars licensed in the Netherlands, he encountered huge problems. The cars had to be adjust to European rules: a separate braking system, new headlights (further apart from each other), missing windshield washers, new brake linings, missing the catalytic converter, bigger side mirrors..
Each car got a ‘single type approval’, that means that each car had to be controlled by the type approval authorities (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer).
For the introduction De Koster organized a big press party: even the Chinese ambassador, Madame Wang Xingui, was present. The Dutch television (news on canal 1) was there too. A Dutch off road specialist, Frank de Jong, introduced the 4×4 capabilities of the BJ212 in a nearby nature reserve.
Your writer had the privilege to explain the audience the upcoming Chinese automotive industry and the importance of Beijing Jeep.
De Koster had not only updated the car according the European requirements, the car had turned into a good looking all terrain vehicle. Especially the lower (15 inch) and wider tires, and the roll bars and bull bar changed the car.
The factory in Beijing was happy:
I have tried to find all the cars imported by Globe, that got a Dutch registration. Here a list of 15 cars, I suppose there have been some more. The date mentioned is the officially approval date.
The reason to show you all is that nearly each owner has tried to personalize the BJ212 a lot. It is clearly a car that is suitable for personalizing.
So there were three reasons to change the BJ212: 1. to get the vehicle approved for the European road; 2. to replace badly made parts (sometimes even the complete engine); and 3. to personalize the car.
BZ-28-XD, 27-5-1988, commercial license plate (only front seats allowed).
This was my first Beijing. Globe delivered the car in the original green color, with the 16 inch diagonal tires. No bull bars, no roll bars…Quite basic .
I changed a lot: built in a gas (liquid petrol) installation, made a rear entrance with zippers and a bigger rear window in the hood, painted the car in a nicer color, bought radial tires, changed the position of the spare wheel, arranged a tow bar. And some minor things.
SZ-71-KB, 24-3-1988, equipped with a Mercedes diesel engine. I saw in December 1988 at Globe a lot of cars, all waiting for consumers or approval.
TG-86-FN, 2-5-1988. Also seen in 1988.
TK-18-DH, 2-8-1988, with winch.
TK-48-DG, 17-6-1988, later exported to France (561 TR 66). This was my second Beijing. I bought it second hand in 2003, I don’t know anything about its history before that date. I took it to France in 2005, where it got a French license.
TK-49-DG, 20-6-1988. Later the owner changed the top, and put the spare wheel outside the car on the rear. The car was made in 1987.
TK-88-NL, 28-7-1988. With roll bar, bull bar and side bar, Ford 2.3 V6 engine.
TK-95-TR, no date. No information available.
TN-09-VR, 27-01-1989, with side bars and roll bar, Chevrolet 350 engine.
VB-98-XR, 14-10-1988, commercial license plate. BJ212LA with winch.
No license, 21-10-1988. I bought this car when it was in a sad state. It was never licensed by Globe and had only driven 2000km , on a private camping site. The owner started a renovation but never finished it. I took it after the purchase with me to France.
On the road to France.
VD-28-TH, 7-3-1989, commercial license plate. Type BJ212A.
No information available.
VF-70-XB, 7-6-1990, commercial license plate.
No information available.
VF-92-ZY, about 1990, no date, commercial license plate.
VH-40-ZV, 22-4-1991, commercial license plate. BJ212LA made in 1989.
Export to Germany.
Globe found a German importer: Allrad & Anhänger Centrum (AAC) in Sprockhövel, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Imported in Germany and with a temporarily license, PAF-06001. Tested by the Off-Road magazine. The test appeared in Off-Road, November (1988?).
The owner of AAC, Herr Kleine-Herzbruch bought the cars for 3.400 US dollar from Globe. He showed them at the Offroad Messe in München. The vehicle Off-Road magazine tested was equipped with a 2498cc Peugeot XD3TP diesel engine and a UMM gearbox.
Miranda Cars in Zwijndrecht near Antwerpen, Belgium, was Globe’s Belgium partner.
They started a low profile campaign with photocopied information.
The 2068cc turbo diesel was a ‘Douvrin diesel’ also named Renault J8S and used in Renault and AMC-Jeep models.
The most interesting Eagle was the model with a new front.
Globe vanished in the mid-1990s. The whole project didn’t look very successful. The BJ212s often broke and the owners complained a lot. Globe’s opinion was that the Western car owners were spoiled and didn’t take good attention to their cars. (And yes, the BJ212 needed a lot of attention!).
The last cars were sold, according rumors to Egypt, but it could also have been Portugal. At least, thanks to Dorus Aerts who worked for Globe at that time, we have some photos of the car transport to Portugal.
A last interesting fact is that on the Portugal transport, you can clearly see a Beijing BJ121 long wheelbase pickup with a cab. They were never offered to the European public.
Interesting how on the AAC BJ212 another set of indicators was put up on top of the fenders and the regular ones ended up being black… did both sets work, or were the original indicators not functioning?
Also i belive on the last picture one of the cars is a Mazda RX-7 from 1980s, not a Porsche 🙂
The indicators, of course I can’t remember how they function, it is 35 years ago!
About the Mazda, you are right, thank you! I changed it in the text.
Thanks very much for this article. I specially liked the information about the Eagle RV.
The most unusual picture was Erik in his suit. Did he wear it ever after that 🙂
Haha, Jaco, at least it was not me…I bought it especially for the event. And you’r right, can’t remember I ever you used it after that.
Anyone who wants to read this article in Chinese: https://www.dongchedi.com/article/7343261594899776038
It is illegally stolen by the most important Chinese auto website Dongchedi.
Don’t know if I must see this as a compliment or that I must be angry.
At least they could have mentioned where they got it from, a link or so.
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