A very cool BAM Beijing BJ2023C, seen in Beijing in 2015. The badass BAM was in a great shape, painted in a dark green shade with a a white convertible top and fitted with black factory wheels. The air vents on the bonnet were a popular after market accessory but they are totally fake.
Although it was designated as a removable-roof car, it did have fixed steel doors at the back, making it not very ‘convertible’ in reality. Most of these SWB cars had two seats up front and another two in the back. BAM also made an LWB version.
The BAM BJ2023C was manufactured by a great company called Beijing Automobile and Motorcycle United Company, abbreviated BAM.
This company was born in 1987 out of a merger between Beijing Automobile Manufacturing Plant (aka Beijing Auto Works, BAW) and Beijing Motorcycle Manufacturing Plant. As the name implies, BAM made cars and motorcycles. In 2001 they were in turn merged into a new company that eventually became the colossus Beijing Auto Industry Corporation (BAIC).
To make matters a bit more complex: the BAM BJ2023C was based on the BAW Beijing BJ212. The BJ212 was a typical platform-car that was used by dozens of smaller Chinese automakers to base their own cars on. Like BAW, BAM used the Beijing brand name and the BJ designation.
Power came from a 2.4 liter ‘Beijing’ 492 QA four-cylinder petrol engine, good for 70-85 hp and 160-180 Nm, depending on model year. Transmission was a four-speed manual, four-wheel drive.
The Beijing BJ2023C was made in various forms from the late 1980’s until the late 1990’s. In the early 2000’s the BAM brand was retired in favor of the BAW name, which continues until today. These days those old BAM cars are a rarity on the road, especially in the big cities, but down country some are still around.
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