About China's Coolest Cars
A very clean FAW Jiabao CA6350JE2P80A microvan, seen on a muddy road on a rainy day in Beijing. The old van was in a pretty good shape, standing on cool steel wheels and with the original factory stickers still on.
Continue reading “FAW Jiabao CA6350JE2P80A Microvan Is White In China”
A silver Kia Pride sedan with some slight damage on the door, seen on the parking lot of the Poly Theatre in central Beijing in 2011. The Kia Pride was made in China by the Dongfeng-Yueda-Kia joint venture. Continue reading “Dongfeng Yueda Kia Pride Sedan In China”
A very cool FAW Jiefang army tanker truck, seen on a highway to the north of Beijing in 2011, carrying a load of fuel. The characters on the side say: fire and smoke forbidden. In case there would be a fire anyway, the truck is equipped with a tiny red fire extinguisher.
Interestingly, part of the exhaust pipe sits under the front bumper, likely to keep heat away from the cargo. The right mirror is truly gigantic so the driver can keep a good eye on the tanker area. Army tucks like this are a common sight on China’s endless highways, always neatly washed and painted in a dark shade of army green.
First Auto Works (FAW) is one of the oldest and largest car making conglomerates of China. Jiefang, or Liberation, is a brand making a wide range of trucks and vans. They made their first truck, the Jiefang CA10, way back in 1956.
A very different Volkswagen New Beetle. It is wrapped in a classy orange-yellow-brown leopard wrap. The wrap extends all over the car, including mirrors, bumpers, and the door handles. Continue reading “Volkswagen New Beetle Is A Leopard In China”
Here we have a cool Toyota Prius police car, seen in Beijing in 2011 with nice white 京·A1777 police license plates. The second generation Toyota Prius was quite popular as a police car in China, especially in the north.
A pretty red Shanghai Maple JmStar Meilu SXE7130, seen near the Marco Polo Bridge in Beijing in 2011. The Shanghai Maple brand has a somewhat confusing history. It began in 2000 when the Shanghai motorcycle maker JM Star moved into car making.
Continue reading “A Rare And Red Shanghai Maple JM Star Meilu SXE7130 In China”
Saturday night is always a good time for tanks. Back in 2011 I went to the Marco Polo Bridge and the adjacent museum in the faraway suburbs of Beijing. The museum had lots of cool stuff including a T-34 tank and a T-34 recovery vehicle.
Continue reading “Time for Tanks! A T-34 Tank & T-34 Recovery Vehicle”
We all love a good Bentley, even more so when the numbers add up. That day, back in the great year of 2013, I met this fine Bentley Continental GT in central Beijing, not far from the east section of the Second Ring Road.
There are a lot of Bentley’s in Beijing but this fine example was especially notable because of its triple 7 license plate. That is a very rare sight. In Chinese numerology, seven is a good number for relationships, but it also sounds like “to deceive”, and as a slang word for penis in Cantonese. Take your pick! The Q indicates this Bentley is registered as a company-car.
Back in the 2010’s Bentley was everywhere in China. It is a bit less obvious now, de to the changing political winds. In 2013, price of the Continental GT started just above 4 million yuan, which translated to some $660.000.
Check this red beauty out! Here’s another Skoda Forman LX station wagon, seen on a car market in the far east of Beijing in 2007. The Skoo’d was in pretty good shape, but the body panels had lost some color.
