About China's Coolest Cars
A blue green Saturn S-Series SL sedan, seen inside a compound in Shunyi District in north Beijing in 2016. The good old Saturn was sadly in a pretty poor shape and was apparently abandoned a very long time ago. The paint was heavily damaged in places and the side mirror had almost broken off.
Continue reading “First generation Saturn S-Series SL sedan Is Abandoned In China”
A Chevrolet Traverse LT, seen on a car market in south Beijing. The gigantic American SUV was in a fine overall shape but a bit dirty and dusty and clearly in need of a little work and some love.
Continue reading “First Generation Chevrolet Traverse LT Is A Rare American SUV In China”
A Toyota Yaris hatchback, seen on a parking lot in Beijing. The Yaris was in a reasonable shape, a bit dirty and dusty, with its paint a little faded, but yet on its original wheel and with a very cool 京P·68989 license plate. All of these numbers have a lucky connotation in Chinese culture, so this must be one lucky Yaris indeed.
Continue reading “Guangzhou-Toyota Yaris Is A Small Chinese-Japanese Hatchback”
A Guangzhou Auto Trumpchi GA5, seen in Beijing in early 2011, on a cold winter’s day. At the time, the Trumpchi GA5 was brand new and yet ultra rare, much rarer indeed than the two Nissan Bluebird sedans in the background. The GA5 was the first car of the Trumpchi line under the Guangzhou Auto brand. Later on, Trumpchi became a standalone brand.
Continue reading “Guangzhou Auto Trumpchi GA5 Was Once A Very Special Sedan In China”
A pretty Ferrari California, seen in China’s capital Beijing in 2011. The good Ferrari was painted in red, and that is the only proper color for a sporty car in Red China. The California was further sexed up with darkened windows, gray alloys wheels, and red brake calipers.
Continue reading “Ferrari California Is A Pretty Italian Sports Car In China”
An arty farty Volvo C30, seen in front of Volvo shop in Sanlitun embassy district in 2011. The good, or perhaps poor, Volvo was wrapped in a very bright and colorful wrap, looking like a real art car. The bonnet is very busy with a sea and a sun and a sky.
Continue reading “Volvo C30 Art Car With A Matching License Plate In China”
A Beijing Auto Beijing BJ20 Off-Road Edition, seen in Beijing in 2018. The vehicle looked brand new and was perfectly clean inside and out. The Beijing Auto BJ20 was conceived in a night of madness and debuted in standard form in 2016, featuring a polarizing design that didn’t look like anything else in the Beijing Auto lineup.
A tank thing, seen in Hebei Province to the east of Beijing in the winter of 2019. Contraptions like these are sometimes used by restaurants to ‘fire’ fireworks during wedding ceremonies and other miserable celebrations.
Continue reading “This Tank Thing Is actually A Jeep Cherokee XJ Underneath”
An almost too pretty Porsche 991 911 Carrera Cabriolet, seen in 2015 in the Lido area in Beijing. This area is, for reasons not entirely clear, loaded with Porsches. On that very same day I also met a 997 911 Targa and a 997 Carrera 4. The Cabriolet was painted in blue with a dark blue convertible top and light gray allow wheels. The entire interior was beige.
Continue reading “Porsche 991 911 Carrera Cabriolet Is A Speedy Blue Convertible In China”
An Ariel Atom 3 racy road car, seen in the Tuning Tribe tuning street in Beijing in 2015. It is a very special China-assembled Ariel Atom.
In 2007, Ariel Motor UK signed a deal with Chinese company Qingdao Ariel Auto Parts for the production of the Atom in China. At the time, the Chinese side claimed to have 200 orders for the Atom. The company was based in Jimo District in the city of Qingdao, Shandong Province.
Continue reading “The Ultra Rare China-Assembled Ariel Atom”
