One of strangest cars is the Jiefang CA6410, strange because it doesn’t fit in in the standard FAW Changchun and FAW Jilin program.
We thought it was a product of FAW Jilin, Tycho has written about it in 2012.
But the Jiefang CA6410 is not a product of the Jilin Small Auto Works.
The Shandong Rongcheng Auto Refit Works was established in 1991. This factory agreed in 1996 with Hyundai to produce the Hyundai Galloper, Chinese name Aoben. But…no license to produce cars. Here FAW helped becoming an affiliated partner, and the Galloper was sold as the Jiefang CA6470W. FAW withdraw in 2000. Then the Rongcheng company became the Hawtai company.
During these four FAW years, the Rongcheng factory had the (over) capacity to produce another car. Together with the Changchun Automotive Research Institute Rongcheng designed a small fiberglass mpv with a Dong’an engine, delivering 70 hp. The frame of the car was made by the Rongcheng Refit Factory, the frp body by the Rongcheng FRP Car and Ship Factory. The car was named Jiefang (ILiberation) CA6410.
The car was for sale for 70.000 yuan.
The Rongcheng factory recommended the advantages of the CA6410 as follows: durable, economical, reliable, safe, easy maintenance, low noise, flexible operation, stable driving, small wind resistance, shockproof, sound insulation, long life, good sealing and high stiffness and strength.
Note that the designation CA6410 was used more often by FAW, there was the Lubao CA6410 and the Senya CA6410 based on the Diahatsu Xenia.
More vehicles made in Rongcheng had a fiber glass body: the Dongfeng Little Prince and the Dongfeng Xinxing.
Links:
https://www.sohu.com/a/412148480_119208
https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/174818810
https://chejiahao.m.autohome.com.cn/partner/yidian/article/6658445?pvareaid=6832061
Thank you Erik for this wonderful article. This is one of my favourite chinese designs of the era, it looks pretty futuristic.
I do have a theory, the black and white picture could be of a prototype. Note that the licence plate cutout fits more to the pre 1994 plate size, while all units you photographed snugly fit the 94+ design….