About China's Coolest Cars
This is one of my first real automotive spots in China: a beautiful blue Jiefang CA1o water-spraying truck. I saw it at the old Worker’s Stadium in Beijing in the summer of 2003. I arrived in China in the spring, found myself an apartment, and from then on, I was outside for 90% of my time, discovering cool stuff.
Continue reading “A Jiefang CA10 Water Spraying Truck In Beijing In The Summer Of 2003”
Here we have an Audi A8L Horch, as seen in an Audi dealer in China. The enormous German limousine looked mightily impressive. The Horch comes with loads of extra bling in the grille and bumper, shiny forged pothole rims, and darkened windows. The Horch was displayed right below an equally enormous light unit, taking center stage in the dealer’s building.
Continue reading “Audi A8L 60 TFSI Horch Is A China-only Luxury Limousine”
A massive Norinco VP11 mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, as seen on a police equipment show in Beijing in 2012. The huge machine was parked in a tiny booth in the exhibition hall, there was barely enough space to walk around it.
Continue reading “Norinco VP11 MRAP On The Police Equipment Exposition In China”
A BYD D1, seen in Beijing in the summer of 2023, parked alongside the road and fitted with the Beijing city’s green NEV license plates. The BYD D1 is quite a special car. It is a purpose-built model for ride-hailing services, developed by BYDÂ in cooperation with Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi.
Continue reading “BYD D1 MPV Is A Special Ride Hailing Car For China”
A very dusty Chevrolet Celebrity MPFI V6 sedan, seen in the Tongzhou District in east Beijing. The celebrated Celebrity was sadly in a sorry shape and abandoned. It was dirty and full of bruises and dents, and the roof was under a heavy rust attack. Most parts however seemed original, except for the odd logo on the grille.
Continue reading “Chevrolet Celebrity MPFI V6 Is Dusty And Abandoned In China”
An ORA Ballet Cat in west Beijing in the summer of 2024. The car had a massive presence in a quiet residential area. It looked great in a soft-tone color combination called ‘Golden Wind and Jade Dew’.
Check out this Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI in central Beijing in 2014. The big SUV has a wild body kit and green headlight lenses. It also has darkened windows, side steps, and strangely wide wheels.
Continue reading “A Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI With A Body Kit In China”
The Chinese EV market is booming, with new brands launching every day. But not all survive, competition is fierce, prices are down, and consumers can choose between trillions of cars and brands. One brand that didn’t make it was SiTech. I met a white SiTech DEV1 in Beijing.
Continue reading “FAW SiTech DEV1 Is A Rare Chinese EV From A Brand That Is Now Dead”
A dark black Toyota Prius (XW20), seen in the beautiful summer of 2024 in the Chinese capital Beijing. The good Prius was in fine shape, painted in metallic black, and fitted with the original six-spoke alloy wheels.
Continue reading “The China-made Toyota Prius Is A Hybrid That Came At The Wrong Time”
Back in the spring of 2010, I went to the great Chinese megacity of Chongqing for work. When I had time off, I went out to check cars. Not far from the banks of the Yangtze River, I bumped into a flock of Chinese police cars. The vehicles were unattended, just how I liked it, so I had a good look around.
Continue reading “Cool Chinese Police Cars In Chongqing, China, In 2010”
