Author: Harry Helmsman

Citroen Elysee With White ZZX-001 License Plates In China

A black Citroen Elysee sedan, seen in 2015 on the Fifth Ring Road in Beijing. The Citroen had a very cool and very rare white license plate. That alone is worth a story, but this one was even more special because of its ZZX-001 sequence.

The Citroen Elysee was made by the Dongfeng-PSA joint venture. It was an updated and restyled variant of the Dongfeng-PSA Citroen ZX Fukang, which in turn was based on the France-made Citroen ZX. Production of the Elysee started in 2002 and ended in 2008.

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Beijing Weiwang 306 Is A Cool Police Van In China

This is a Beijing Weiwang 306 police van, seen in the Sanlitun embassy area in Beijing in December 2011. The van was brand new and looked very nice in police livery. It had a police light-siren unit on the roof but I didn’t see any additional lights on the bumpers.

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Ferrari F430 Spider Is A Spice Spirit In Beijing

A spicy-red Ferrari F430 Spider seen at a parking lot of a mall in the Dongzhimen area in Beijing in 2011. Customers of the nearby Spice Spirit restaurant could win a ride in the Ferrari if they won a lottery. The owner of the restaurant owned the car as well.

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Mitsubishi Outlander With A Body Kit In China

A heavily modified Mitsubishi Outlander, seen in the Lido area in Beijing in 2011. The Outlander is normally a somewhat boring SUV but this one was not. It looked like real racer with a hefty body kit, lower suspension, air inlets in the bonnet and bumper, darkened windows, and black five-spoke alloy wheels with blue brake calipers.

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Venucia T70 Is A China-only Compact Crossover SUV

A Venucia T70 compact crossover SUV, seen back in 2016 in China’s capital Beijing. The T70 looked brand new and was therefore in a great shape, fitted with a license plate with a double 8 on it. Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture, mainly associated with prosperity.

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Wuling Xingwang LZW6358E3 Is A Cool Chinese Minivan With A Weird Bumper

A Wuling Xingwang LZW6358E3, seen in the Chinese city of Changchun in 2016. The little old van was in a great shape albeit in need of a cleanup and some car. The front bumper may look very aftermarket but it was in fact factory standard at the time, and so were the shiny wheel arch extenders.

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Toyota Carina E Is A Rare Japanese Sedan In China

Here we have a Toyota Carina E sedan, seen on a car market in Beijing in 2014. The good Toyota was in a fine shape, albeit a bit dusty. It was painted in dark green with tinted windows, and on old black license plates. The Carina E was a compact sedan, positioned above the Toyota Corolla.

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BMW 850 CSI Is A Beautiful Black Coupe In China

A beautiful BMW 850 CSi, seen in June 2015 in Lido area in Beijing. I first met her in 2012. At that time, it looked like a totally new car. And even in 2015, she looked factory fresh. The owner clearly put in a lot of time and money to keep this car alive.

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Chrysler Intrepid Is Not A Dodge Intrepid In China

A streamlined Chrysler Intrepid sedan, seen in the summer of 2015 in Beijing, capital of China. The good Chrysler was is a great shape, painted in silver with tinted windows and fitted with sporty five-spoke alloy wheels. The Chrysler Intrepid was only sold in Canada. Elsewhere, it was known as the Dodge Intrepid.

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