About China's Coolest Cars
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”
A beautiful black Buick Skylark GS, seen on a sunny day in the great summer of 2011 in central Beijing. The Skylark was in a very good shape and clearly a daily driver.
Before I bought my Beijing-Jeep Cherokee BJ7250 in 2004 I checked out several other vehicles, most of which were other Cherokees. It was my favorite. Most second-hand cars were sold in giant open-air markets.
It was there that I found this great Beijing-Jeep Cherokee, painted in factory purple and powered by the 4.0 liter six and with four-wheel drive. It had very old blue 京A license plates and it was modified with a slightly raised suspension, big wheels, and shiny alloys.
Continue reading “One Beijing-Jeep Cherokee I Almost Bought”
In December last year I posted a long post on my 1998 Beijing-Jeep Cherokee BJ7250 City Special. I took those photos in 2013. After some digging I found a set of photos of my Jeep in November 2004, nine years earlier, taken on the very first day she was mine. I proudly stand behind the door.
Continue reading “My Beijing-Jeep Cherokee XJ When I Just Bought It”
A very stealthy FAW Besturn B70 sedan, seen in 2013 on a bicycle lane in my very own street in Beijing. The fine vehicle is wrapped in a very interesting carbon-fiber matte black, as if the whole body is made of carbon-fiber. The area under the bumper is made black but the alloys are standard.
Continue reading “FAW Besturn B70 is Carbon Fiber And Matte Black In China”
An ultra rare C126 Mercedes-Benz AMG 560SEC, Spotted in China on a rainy day on a parking lot near an apartment building in central Beijing. The German monster was in very good shape, a bit dirty and dusty, but what do you expect in the capital..? Otherwise completely original, with a smooth body and paint, all parts in their places, and no bad or bruises.
Continue reading “Ultra Rare C126 Mercedes-Benz AMG 560SEC Is Black In The Rain In China”
A Mitsubishi Montero SUV, seen on a compound parking lot in north east Beijing in 2013. The Montero was totally dressed up for heavy all-terrain work, with a winch, heightened suspension, fog lights, bonnet air ducts, and a snorkel.
Continue reading “Mitsubishi Montero Is An Endurance-Rally Car In China”
A beautiful black Hongqi HQ300 sedan, seen in the Dongzhimen area in Beijing in 2013. The good old Red Flag was is superb shape, with smooth paint and shiny chrome, completely original, nothing missing or broken, and not a spat of rust in sight. Note the factory standard red-flag hood ornament.
Continue reading “Hongqi HQ300 Is A Prettier Toyota In China”
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.
A wondrous white Beijing Auto Senova D320 sedan, seen on the streets in Beijing in 2013. The Shenbao D-Series was based on the first-generation Saab 9-5. Beijing Auto bought the rights to the first generation Saab 9-3 and 9-5 in 2009 from General Motors, then the owner of Saab. The deal included the Saab-developed 2.0 turbo and 2.3 turbo engines.
Continue reading “Beijing Auto Senova D320 Is A Sort Of Saab In China”