Author: Erik Van Ingen Schenau

The lost Beijing and Tianjin limousines of China.

This picture shows four Hongqi CA72, three Beijing CB4 and two Tianjin Heping 2-type, together on Tian’anmen square in Beijing in 1959 or 1960. It is a very interesting gathering of the three candidates for manufacturing state-limousines for the People’s Republic of China. The chances are already clear taking into account the number of cars present: 4 Hongqi, 3 Beijing and 2 Tianjin.
Yes, it was Hongqi that won. And Beijing and Tianjin were the losers. Recently new photos have been found of the limousines from Beijing , which we will present here.
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The engine of China’s officially-first car.

Under the bonnet of the Dongfeng CA71 owned by FAW, the Mercedes-copy engine

According several sources the engine of China’s first car, the Dongfeng CA71, is based on a Mercedes engine. A 1930cc engine, square: bore and stroke 85x85mm, 4 cylinder in line, delivering 52 kw at 4400 rpm.

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The first (North) Vietnamese car, the Chien Thang.

Chien Thang, made in North Vietnam, 1958. (source: several Vietnamese websites)

At the Paris Auto Show which is going on these days a Vietnamese manufacturer shows two new models named Vinfast.
Time to remind us that already in 1958 in Hanoi Vietnams first car saw its light.

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The Chinese Austin-Healey Sebring

In October 1994 a strange company showed its plans. It was the Beijing Golden-Thunder Classic Motors Co. Ltd. They were planning to produce an Austin-Healey 3000 replica, 100% of the production was meant for export to the USA. They didn’t apply for a license to sell the cars in China. A factory was planned in Liqiao, Shunyi, not far from Beijing. They opened a post box at the Jianguomen International Posts Office in Beijing.

Jinlei, a Chinese Austin Healy.

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The amazing story of Paul Berliet and China.

Paul Berliet (1918-2012)

Paul Berliet was the first Western automotive entrepreneur who was involved in the Communist China automotive industry, already in 1965. He developed a great love for China and he was much appreciated by Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. His ‘Licence Chine’ had a very strong influence on the heavy truck industry in China. It helped China to develop her own truck industry, independently of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

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The mystery of the missing CA70

One of the intriguing mysteries of China’s car history is the missing CA70.

Dongfeng clay model, ‘1*04954’

In the mid-1950s First Auto Works (FAW) started truck production and the development of a complete automobile production program. The first products were the CA10 truck, a CA30 cross-country truck, a CA40 dumper truck, a CA50 truck tractor, a CA80 agricultural truck.
And a CA71 car. The CA71 car is the Dongfeng which is beautifully described by my colleague Tycho in a recent article. Soon followed by the bigger Hongqi CA72.
That gives a mystery, as which car was the CA70?

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Fake Veteran Cars in Chinese Car Museums

Fake Dongfeng CA71, Beijing Auto Museum.

Car museums and veteran car exhibitions are getting more and more popular in China. These museums like to exhibit those cars which stood at the dawn of the Chinese automotive industry. And here they are confronted with a problem: due to intensive scrap regulations most of these cars have disappeared. China would not be China if there was a creative solution. The exhibitors simply make replicas of these cars. Now we meet two problems; one, the replicas are often crudely made, mostly due to ignorance; two, some museums don’t tell the visitor that he is looking at a replica. Here some examples.

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The Hongqis abroad.

York Wong’s CA770 in Hong Kong.

The list of exported Hongqis is growing. Today I counted 16 cars. Five of them in the USA, two in Japan. The other countries with each one are: France, Germany, Switzerland, San Marino, Rumania, Hong Kong and South Korea. There is (maybe) an unknown number in North Korea, but that is not confirmed.
I will show them to you, each with some words from their own story, in the order of their age.

Continue reading “The Hongqis abroad.”