Welcome to Black License Plate Mania In Beijing Part 6 (Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5), where we look at cars with black license plates in the Chinese capital. On the first picture a Chevrolet Corsica with 京A·08917.
A Beijing-Jeep Cherokee XJ with 京A·13202.
The famous black license plates were issued to foreign owned companies from the 1980’s to the mid 00’s. These companies could buy a car locally, or import one. There were no limits on the number of cars, or on price, or engine type. The numbering started at 京A·00001, and then up. So the lower the number the older the car. Any black plate beginning with 京A·0 or 京A·1 is considered ultra rare. I know, I had one too!
In the old days black-plated cars had some privileges comparable to diplomatic cars; no police officer would dare to stop them and they could basically park wherever they wanted without fear of a fine. Nowadays, a black-plated car is counted just like all the others. The government does not issue new black plates anymore but those who have one can keep it until eternity. Other Chinese cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, had similar black plate license plate programs.
A Mercedes-Benz E320 with 京A·20245.
A Mercedes-Benz C200 with 京A·35062.
An imported Honda Civic sedan with 京A·39511.
A Lexus LS400 with 京A·03016.
A Mercedes-Benz C230 kompressor with 京A·20280.
A Honda Accord with 京A·04621.
Seen in Beijing but from Sichuan Province: a Mercedes-Benz 280E with 川A·00933.
A BMW 325i with 京A·22006.
A Mercedes-Benz CLS with 京A·38489.
A FAW-Toyota Land Cruiser Prado with 京A·39300.
And finally a Beijing-Hyundai Elantra with 京A·27792.
That was Part 6, see you soon at Part 7!