About the History of Cars in China
At least four projects were undertaken by FAW (First Auto Works) to develop a small family car. Well, to be exactly it was either FAW itself or the Changchun Research Institute, which functioned as the research and development department of FAW.
Continue reading “Four attempts to make a Hongqi family car.”
When travelling in Xi’an in 1984 I noticed, in front of the fire station in the centre of the city, a strange car, registered 24-05900. Or truck? The front looked like a Hongqi, the wheels were as big as truck wheels. And the wheelbase was very short in regard to the length.
Many versions (like parade cars, smaller versions, lwb etc.) are based on the ‘da Hongqi’, the basic CA770 Red Flag limousine. They were made by the FAW factory itself or by local car refit shops.
I will show you here four different ‘station wagons’. Well, in fact they are a so-called ‘engineering vehicle’, an ambulance, station wagon and a hearse.
Continue reading “The Hongqi CA770 Station Wagons From China”
In the early years of the twentieth century there were a lot of factories that made car chassis and engines. These chassis and engines were exported to other countries where local bodybuilders assembled and finished these automobiles.
The International Concession in Shanghai city was an important place where several body builders were settled.
Continue reading “The Shanghai Horse Bazaar and Motor Company Limited”
In June 1958 Beijing First Automobile Accessory Works surprised with the introduction of the quite modern Jinggangshan, a Volkswagen Beetle-based rear-engined car.
Deng Xiaoping meets the first Jinggangshan, June 1958. Chinese press photo.
The oldest automobile show in China I know is the exhibition organised by the National Good Road Association of China in Shanghai, September 1931.
Continue reading “Early Exhibitions with Chinese automobiles.”
This is the strange story of the assembly of Mercedes-Benz trucks in China, stimulated by the German Nazi regime when China was already at war with Japan.
Continue reading “Mercedes-Benz Trucks Made In China In The 1930s”
We know the Tianjin Auto Repair Works from the Heping saloons made in 1958. People name this factory as developing the first Chinese car. For two reasons, the 1946 Feiying closed three wheel vehicle and the 1951 station wagon.
Continue reading “The first products of the Tianjin Auto Repair Works.”
During long years, I am on my quest for finding more details of the Minsheng truck. Strangely the trucks is also well known under the name Zhongshan.
Dear friends,
I have a very good reason to write this item today.
Continue reading “Unique chance to drive your veteran car in China!”