A superbly cool Yunque-Subaru GHK7071A Sports-4, seen in a Beijing hutong near Dongzhimen in 2011. The good GHK was in a fine shape, with some dents and bruises here and there. It was painted in white with the factory stickers, body kit, and sporty wheels.
The Yunque GHK7071A was manufactured from 1998 until 2003 by Yungque-Subaru, a joint venture between the Guizhou Aviation Industry Corporation (GAIC) and Subaru Motors. The GHK7071A was based on the second generation Subaru Rex. The joint venture also made the Yunqu GHK7070-series, based on the Subaru Vivio.
The Sports-4 was a sporty edition that debuted in 2000. It came with super cool stickers. This one says: 4 EMPI Cylinder, and happily it also says what EMPI means: Electronic Multipoint Injection. You could also get it with an even crazier factory-optional body kit.
Power came from a Subaru ‘EN07’ 0.7 liter 4-cylinder petrol engine that pooped out 40hp and 48.8 Nm. Gearbox was a 4-speed manual, sending horses to the front wheels. Top speed was a decent 120 km/h, partially thanks to the low curb weight of 685 kilo (965 kg gross). It was cheap too! Price in 2003 for the Sports-4 was 44.600 yuan.
The interior was basic when new and in reasonable shape when I saw it. The seat covers and steering wheel cover are after-market accessories.
Yunque (云雀) badge on the steering wheel.
Badge: 云雀GHK7071A. Note the fog light atop the bumper. Fog light were obligatory in China but, at that time, not in Japan. So when these smaller Japanese cars were transplanted to China, they had to add a fog light. Usually, the light was fitted under the bumper, like on the Suzuki Alto. But that didn’t work on the GHK7071A Sports-4, as the body kit was in the way. So they attached the light on top of the bumper instead.
The Sports-4 sticker must be one of the best factory car stickers ever.
When I arrived in China in 2003 and started looking for a car I initially wanted to buy a Zhongxing Admiral. Then I changed my mind and wanted to go for something a bit smaller; handy in Beijing traffic.
The aforementioned Changan-Suzuki Alto and this Yunque were on my list. In the end, I got myself a Beijing-Jeep Cherokee XJ instead. Would my life have been different had I bought the Yunque? Yes, it probably would have. For better or worse? I can’t tell for sure…
