After Mao died in 1976, Deng Xiaoping in 1978 announced the ‘opening up’ of China. The Western automobile industry quickly responded: all the big companies were trying to negotiate with China to get a part of the pie.
Peugeot-Citroën was one of these companies. It started for them with a surprise visit from the Vice Minister of the State Planning Commission, Mr. Ku Ming, to Europe. Together with a group of provincial administrators, he came to the Citroën factory in Aulnay-sous-Bois in May 1978.
In addition to this visit, PSA (Citroën-Peugeot) decided to organize a Citroën exhibition in Guangzhou (Canton) in June 1980. Not only with their own products, but also with all kind of their supplying companies; parts, body buillding and design etc.
Including the cars outside the building, there were about 30 cars. There was a lot of civilian interest in the CX, which was a good seller, especially to Dongfang Hotels in Guangzhou and Beijing.
Military interest was in several vehicles. For the Citroën A44 4×4 cross country vehicle, the Lohr FL500, for a mockup of the Citroën M7 4×4 (by Heuliez) and the Mehari 4×4.
Even more important than the cars were the contracts. I summarize those here:
1. a protocol to start a car assembly factory in Yanbu (near Huizhou, Guangdong province), 2000-3000 cars per year, taxis for the tourist industry.
First thinking was the Citroën DS (!), later CX and GS(A).
It is unknown why these plans were not executed.
2. assembly and later production in a factory in Guangzhou itself, belonging to the Guangzhou Bus Works.
This was more successful: Peugeot produced at this facility the 504 and 505 series, from 1985-1997.
It is possible that initially the idea was to produce here Namco Pony’s from Greece, Namco signed a protocol with the Guangdong Motor Industries Corporation, but Pony’s were never made there.
3. There was a third project to produce Peugeot 504 sedans, but there is nothing more known of it.
4. Modernizing the engine and gearbox of the Beijing BJ212. Citroën was interested. This project developed into the Beijing Jeep joint venture with American Motors (later Chrysler). A missed chance.
5. What remained was the third big national project, after FAW (Changchun) and Shanghai Auto, both for Volkswagen: Second Auto Works (later Dongfeng) in Shiyan, production possibility 300.000 cars per year. That was THE big opportunity for Citroën= it became the Dongfeng-Citroën Auto Corporation.
Besides of the assembly and production contracts, there were also the sales, especially the CX was selling well. In total about 1800 were sold at the show and after. Even today there are still CXs alive.
