A mighty Yanjing Auto Weishi, seen on a police equipment exhibition in Beijing in 2010. They had svereal cars on display, including this one, painted in ‘United Nations’ white.
Author: Tycho de Feijter
Lada Samara 1.5i Is A Rare Russian Sedan In China
A white Lada Samara 1.5i sedan, seen by my friend Amin K. in Beijing in 2012. The good Samara was in a reasonable shape, albeit dusty and in need of some love. The sporty alloys appear to be an after-market addition but the don’t look bad under the Lada. The blue 京A license plate is ultra old and ultra rare. It indicates that this very car was one of the earliest privately owned cars in Beijing.
The Lada Samara was made, in many forms and variants, from 1984 until 2013 (!). The four-door hatchback was the most common body style, followed by the sedan. The Samara 1.5i model debuted in 1995. It was powered by a 1.5 liter four-cylinder petrol engine with an output of 70 hp and 118 Nm. The engine was mated to a 5-speed manual, sending horses to the front wheels.
The Samara was imported into China in small quantities in period. Not via the normal business-to-business way, but more via government-to-government trade deals that could include all kinds of goods, from grain to construction equipment, from booze to cars. Happily, this Lada Samara 1.5i sedan survived the times for quite a bit, at least until 2012.
Qiantu K50 Is A Rare Chinese Electric Super Car
A Qiantu K50, seen by my good friend Joachim C. in the great city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. The K50 is painted in a pretty smurf blue and further sexed up with darkened windows and black wheels. The Qiantu K50 was made by a company called Qiantu Motors, which in turn was a spinoff of the automotive technology company CH Auto. After a long and complex development period, the Qiantu K50 finally hit the market in 2018.
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Brilliance Junjie Wagon Was A Classy But Unloved Chinese Station Wagon
There are not many Chinese automakers building stations wagons, now and ever. It just isn’t a popular kind of car in China. But some tried, and one of the prettiest Chinese wagons was the Brilliance Junjie Wagon.
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Great Wall Safe CC6460D Is A Classic Chinese SUV
A superbly beautiful Great Wall Safe SUV, seen in the great city of Jinan, capital of China’s Shandong Province, in 2017. The good Safe was in a totally perfect original shape inside and out. Such a pretty car, if Great Wall made it today, I bet it would still sell like hell. CC6460D was the official factory designation.
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Iron Poles Are Lying Loose On A Truck On The Highway In China
Everything goes on the highway in China, like this old and tired truck seen on the mighty 5th Ring Road in Beijing. The truck is loaded with iron poles and other construction waste, and likely on its way to a recycling facility.
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Peugeot 406 Is A Pretty French Sedan In China
A jolie Peugeot 406 sedan, seen in Beijing back in 2015. The French sedan was in a great shape, painted in a deep shade of blue and fitted with the original multispoke alloy wheels.
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Hainan-Mazda 323 CA7130 Is A Pretty Chinese-Japanese Sedan
A pretty seventh generation Mazda 323 sedan, seen in the great city of Guangzhou in China’s Guangdong Province in 2015. The cool Mazda compact was in a fantastic shape, painted in a blue purple shade of blue and fitted with the original factory wheels.
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Shanghai Maple Haiyu Was A Cheap Chinese Sedan With Some Citroen Genes
A beige brown Shanghai Maple Haiyu sedan, seen in central Beijing in 2015. The old Maple was a bit dirty and dusty but otherwise in a reasonable shape, with the original wheels and with old Tianjin license plates.
The Shanghai Maple brand has a somewhat confusing history. It began in 2000 when the Shanghai motorcycle maker JM Star moved into car making.
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Hawtai Terracan Is A Chinese-Korean SUV
A beautiful black Hawtai Terracan, seen in Beijing in 2016. The big SUV was in a fine shape, with smooth paint, the original wheels, the ultra cool fender mirror, and old period license plates.