About the History of Cars in China
Today in Crazy Car Production Days of Guangdong (CCPDoG™): Qingyuan Bende. This company made the Chrysler Neon LS under the infamous Guangdong scheme in the 1990’s.
Continue reading “Crazy Car Production Days of Guangdong: Qingyuan Bende Chrysler Neon LS”
Back in 2008 Roewe wanted to add a full-size sedan to their lineup, to be positioned above the Roewe 750. Happily, Roewe didn’t have to go far to find a suitable donor car.
Continue reading “The Story Of The Roewe R95, A Mercedes-powered Korean-Chinese Limousine”
Changzheng Auto Works (Changzheng means Long March) was founded in 1958 and in its early years was producing cars and car parts. As was the case with Hongxing, Changzheng was initially called something entirely different and began operations first in Beijing, before moving to Xingtai in 1970. Changzheng was initially called Beijing Xindu Auto Works. A likely reason for this mass exodus of car makers from Beijing as the deterioration of Sino-Soviet relationships in the late 1960’s, Beijing was likely wary of a possible invasion by the USSR and so, using the lessons learnt from the earlier invasions by Japan, moved whole industries to secondary cities further inland as a way of securing manufacturing capacity.
Continue reading “The story of China National Heavy Truck Group (Sinotruk): Changzheng Auto”
This article will be a first in a series of articles documenting the automotive history of the city of Xingtai in Hebei province. I recently travelled to Xingtai for a second time. I spent the day with a media friend I had met through Weibo after my last visit in 2017. He was kind enough to offer to take me around Xingtai to see some of the car factories that were once part of Xingtai’s industrial output. Upon arrival in Xingtai he told me we were off to a car factory that was very much still alive and well. That car factory is operated by Hongxing – aka Red Star.
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.
Continue reading “The amazing story of Paul Berliet and China.”
This may look like a London Taxis International TXII, but is isn’t. This instead is a Brilliance Austin, and only one was ever built.
Continue reading “The 2002 Brilliance London Taxi Deal That Almost Happened”
Today in Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot (CCBTTF™): Tianye Auto, a brand owned by the Baoding Automobile Factory. They were based in the great city of Baoding in Hebei Province. In the 1980’s and 1990’s they made a series of great looking pickup trucks and SUVs. Continue reading “Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot: Tianye Auto”
Today in Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot (CCBTTF™): Wuhan Light Automobile Factory, based in the great city of Wuhan in Hubei Province. The company that made a series of pickup trucks and SUVs in in 1980’s and early 1990’s.
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Today in Crazy Car Production Days of Guangdong (CCPDoG™):Sanjiu Auto. This company made at least five cars under the infamous Guangdong scheme in the 1990’s. Read all the details about it here.
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This beautiful red sedan is First Auto Works Dongfeng CA71, officially known as ‘China’s first car’. It was born in 1958 on the special request of Mao Zedong, who demanded a Chinese state limousine. I met it at the Beijing Classic Car Museum to the far north of the capital.
Continue reading “The First Auto Works Dongfeng CA71 Was China’s First Car”