Audi produced the first generation A8 (D2) from 1994 until 2002 with a facelift in 1999. The car in the photos is a post-facelift car with a beautiful beige interior. It was the first Audi with an all-aluminum body, and the first Audi sedan to compete directly with the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Audi sold the D2 A8 as an import in China. The A8 was not and has never been until today, manufactured locally. BMW and Mercedes-Benz follow the same strategy with their high-end models. “Made in Germany” still has a little magic left, even now, but only for the most expensive stuff.
White plates
Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen only issued white license plates for passenger cars in 2002 and 2003 as part of an experiment where citizens could create their own alphabetical/numerical combinations.
The experiment ended after citizens got too creative, choosing combinations like “sex,” “CIA,” “FBI,” and the infamous “USA-911,” which appeared on a Beijing car shortly after the September 11 attacks. Following the uproar, authorities canceled the experiment but allowed owners to keep the non-offensive plates. The Audi A8 has 京A HMY-168. 京 is short for 北京, Běijīng.
Specifications
Audi offered various gasoline and diesel engines in the A8 sedan. The car in the photos is a 2.8 quattro model, with a twin-exhaust pipe on the left side of the bumper. The engine was a 2.8-liter V6 with an output of 142 kW (193 hp) and 280 Nm. The gearbox was a 5-speed automatic, sending horses to all four wheels. Even in 2015, spotting an Audi A8 in such pristine condition was rare. Hopefully, someone in China is still taking care of it.