About China's Coolest Cars
Back into July 2003 I went to the great Goldenport circuit in northeast Beijing to see some speedy racing. In those days, the track wasn’t in a very good shape but the atmosphere was fantastic. Lots of on and off track action below, with fast cars, cool cars, and some babes.
Continue reading “Going To The Races At Goldenport In Beijing In 2003”
A fantastic dark blue Wuling LZ 100 mini truck, seen in the great city of Dali in Yunnan Province in 2006 during a long trip through southern China. The car was likely made in the late 1990’s. It was in a very good shape, with the original decals, and wheels. The rear freight container was a factory option. Note the Changan-Suzuki Alto City Baby on the left side of the road.
Continue reading “Three Fantastic Wuling Mini-cars In Southern China”
A Hafei Songhuajiang police van parked behind an intriguing partially-home made dual-axle 5-wheel flat-bed motorbike. I saw these two cars in a small village on the far west of Beijing back in the summer of 2006.
The Hafei has the word ‘police’ in English above the windshield, which is rather unusual. Normally there would be a Chinese term in that place. Songhhuajiang police minivans usually seat four officers + a bunch of criminals in a cage in the back. It didn’t seem on active duty anymore.
The motorbike was clearly in use and available for rent. The owner likely got his inspiration from these monsters. Note the extensions on the handlebars to protect the driver’s hands from sunshine. In winter, these will be replaced with thick gloves against the cold.
In the old villages around the capital you can still find all sorts of fascinating old vehicles, even today, but it is getting less and less. With the electrification of everything the old petrol cars are slowly disappearing. Go there before it is too late!
A white Jaguar XJ6 sedan, seen on a very cold winter’s day in the far north of the Chinese capital Beijing. The single-wiper Jag’ was covered with the typical Beijing dust but otherwise in a fine shape.
Here we have a very pretty Volkswagen Individual Touareg W12, seen on a second-hand car market in the great city of Chengdu in China in 2016. The massively impressive SUV was on sale for a steep 520.500 yuan. Good deal! When new in 2006, price was a far steeper 1.58 million yuan. Not many were sold in China, so seeing one in the wild is very special.
Continue reading “Volkswagen Individual Touareg W12 Is Dark Blue In China”
An extremely beautiful Volvo 121 S Amazon four-door sedan, seen in the great city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province in 2016. I met this great Swedish motor in a Volvo dealer owned by the Sanhe Group. This company operates dozens of car dealers in the Chengdu area, and they also have a museum with a PV544 and a large classic-car restoration shop.
Continue reading “A Most Beautiful Volvo 121 S Amazon In China”
This purple beauty is a Qinchuan Flyer QJC7081, commonly called ‘the Flyer’. It was a bit dusty and a bit dirty but in a very good general shape. I met it in the great city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province.
Continue reading “The Qinchuan Flyer QJC7081 Was A Cool Alto-based Hatchback”
A fiery red Heico Sportiv Volvo C30, seen on a local auto show in Beijing in 2010. It looked absolutely brilliant and there was another one nearby.
The show was in a small sports stadium. Just previously, there had been a travel exhibition at the same venue, and the backdrops were still there! The red C30 stood in front of Greece.
Continue reading “Heico Sportiv Volvo C30 Times Two In China”
A horse-drawn carriage in Beijing. Until about 2010 it was quite normal to see these in the capital in summer, bringing in fruit and vegetables from the nearby countryside and selling it straight from the cart. On warm these in the weekends you could see them on many a street corner.
And they came all they way to within the Second Ring Road! This picture was taken near Dongsi Shitiao in 2009. Sadly, today horse carts are no longer allowed inside the capital. Note the Changan-Ford Fiesta sedan in the background!
A green Citroen Elysee VIP taxi, seen in the great city of Nanjing in Jiangsu province in China. The Elysee VIP was a long-wheelbase variant of the Citroen Elysee series, which was an updated Citroen Fukang, which was based on the Citroen ZX.
The Elysee VIP was made from 2005 until 2010 by Dongfeng-PSA. It was extended by 16 centimeters and powered by a 105 hp 1.6 liter four-cylinder petrol engine. The VIP version was a popular taxi due to the extra space in the back. When I visited Nanjing way back in 2012 these long Citroen limousines were all over the place!