About the History of Cars in China
The history of the Flyer is long and very typical for the Chinese automotive industry in the 1990’s and 2000’s. It was small four-door hatchback originally made by Xi’an Qinchuan Automobile, based in the great city of Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. Later on, it would become BYD’s first car.
Continue reading “This History Of The Flyer – From Qinchuan Alto To BYD”
Last year I wrote wrote a story (updated with many new pics) about the murky times after Nanjing Auto bought the MG brand. It was unclear what Nanjing bought exactly. This uncertainty was mainly caused by Honda, which owned or co-owned several MG-Rover platforms and designs.
Early after the purchase Nanjing Auto showed several new MG’s. One of these cars was the MG5 sedan, which was unveiled on the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show. But there was another ‘Chinese’ MG5. A hatchback model was discovered by reader Max Xiao in Anting Motor City in Shanghai. Thank you very much for the pictures!
Continue reading “Nanjing Auto Made Another MG5 Concept 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”
Today in China Concept Cars the BYD ET, seen here on the BYD booth on the 2004 Beijing Auto Show. The ET was an electric concept car, imagining a future compact family MPV.
Today in China Concept Cars (CCC) the Changfeng Liebao C1, an extreme SUV concept that debuted on the 2005 Shanghai Auto Show. And amazingly, this concept actually made it into production!
Continue reading “China Concept Cars: The 2005 Changfeng Liebao C1”
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”
Today in Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot (CCBTTF): Yungang Motor, a brand under the Datong Automobile Factory. Yungang Motor made a series of SUVs, several minivans, a bus, and two cars under the CCPDoG.
Continue reading “Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot: Yungang Motor”
On the 2004 Beijing Auto Show, Changan Auto unveiled two concept cars. The first was was the Chinese Dragon roadster, and the second one was this Changan Chinese Sturgeon sports sedan.
Continue reading “China Concept Cars: The 2004 Changan Chinese Sturgeon”
In the great year of 2000 Chinese automaker Hafei Motors decided they needed a new design direction and a bit of much-needed cool. Hafei therefore asked famed Italian design studio Pininfarina to design a small city car and a concept car. The latter would eventually become the Hafei Menghuan.
Continue reading “China Concept Cars: The 2002 Hafei Menghuan Was A Cool Pininfarina Designed Coupe”