A Volkswagen Sagitar sedan, seen on a car market in Beijing in 2013. The Sagitar was wrapped in an interesting matte black wrap with glitter bits inside.
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Category: Volkswagen
Volkswagen GTI Is A Rare 3-Door Hot Hatch In China
A Volkswagen Golf GTI, seen in Beijing in 2017. The good GTI was painted in white with a black grille, black wheels, darkened windows, darkened head lights, and matte gray mirrors.
The 3-door version of the Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTI is very rare in China. It was officially sold here in period but the vast majority of buyers went for the 5-door version. Power came from a 2.0 liter turbocharged four with 200 hp and 280 Nm. Only gearbox option in China was the 6-speed DCT. Top speed was 233 km/h and 0-100 was gone in 6.9 seconds.
The Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTI was imported into China. Price of the 3-door version was 399.000 yuan, and the 5-door was 410.000 yuan (2006). Local production of the Golf GTI in China started in 2010 at FAW-Volkswagen, but only in 5-door form. Interestingly, the 3-door version, while not popular in period, has now reached somewhat of a cult status, with collectors snapping up the few cars that were sold.
Get Your Beetle A6 Die Cast Car Model In Pink Or Red In China
A ‘Beetle A6 Coupé’, seen in a toy store in China in 2015. The toy car depicts the A5 Volkswagen Beetle, made from 2011 until 2019. This kind if die cast models are totally unlicensed and very common in China. To et around probable copyright issues, toy makers often invent new names that are close to the original but not close enough to cause trouble.
The Chinese text says ‘德国大众汽车’, or ‘German Volkswagen Car’. The model was made by toy maker MZ Model (美致模型), based in Shantou, Guangdong province. The shop had two on offer, one in shiny pink and one in dark red. Scale was about 1:32 and it sold for 88 yuan, which was a little steep for this kind of model. But I guess the pink one was worth it.
Taking A Nap In A Volkswagen Jetta Taxi In China
A Volkswagen Jetta taxi, seen in the Sanlitun embassy area in Beijing back in 2013. It was a hot summer day in July so the Beijing taxi driver took a well deserved rest. He was having a sleep with the driver seat down and his yellow shirt hanging down from the ceiling of the vehicle.
These yellow shirts are a thing. They became obligatory by law in 2007 in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Beijing taxi drivers, a notoriously grumpy bunch, didn’t like the shirts at all, but the Beijing government made clear that no shirt was no ride, so in the end early all taxi drivers complied.
Seeing a taxi driver having a nap like this was perfectly normal in times then. On any hot summer’s day you could find exhausted Beijing taxi drivers, riding for 12+ hours a day, taking a rest on any shaded street.
The FAW-Volkswagen Jetta used to be one of the most popular taxi’s in Beijing in the 2000’s and early 2010’s. Nowadays, most have been replaced by taxi’s made by the local Beijing-Hyundai joint venture.
Volkswagen Santana And Passat Police Cars In China
A Volkswagen Santana 2000 police car, seen at a police show in 2011. I always loved to go to police equipment shows in China to check out new police cars. I went there just for fun, but there were also real coppers shopping for new wheels. Naturally, they arrived with their own police cars, like this Volkswagen Santana 2000.
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Vokswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet Is A Rare German Convertible In China
A Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet, painted in a pretty shade of red with a black convertible roof. It was a brand new car, freshly arrived from Germany. I saw it in 2013 on a small parking lot next to the Liangma River in central Beijing, not far from Volkswagen’s China headquarters. The place was often used by Volkswagen for parking press cars and sometimes even test cars.
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Shanghai-Volkswagen Passat Lingyu Has Four Zero’s In China
A black Volkswagen Passat Lingyu 1.8T, seen on the side road of the Second Ring Road in Beijing. It had a very special 京C·H0000 four zero license plate, ultra rare so great to see one on the road.
The Passat Lingyu was made from 2005 until 2011 by the Shanghai-Volkswagen joint venture. It was the successor of the B5 Volkswagen Passat. The 1.8T model was powered by a 1.8 liter turbocharged petrol engine with an output of 163 hp and 220 Nm. Price started at 181.800 yuan.
FAW Volkswagen Jetta CT Is Rare And Modified In China
A very cool Volkswagen Jetta CT sedan, seen at a car shop in north Beijing in 2016. The good Jetta was in a great shape and nicely modified with a purple paint job, black bumpers, racy tires and multispoke wheels painted in black.
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Volkswagen Passat B5 Limited Edition Was A Celebratory Car In China
A pretty Volkswagen Passat Limited Edition, seen in China’s capital Beijing in 2019. The Limited Edition was launched in 2004 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Shanghai-VW joint venture.
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An Early Volkswagen Santana Sedan In China
Here we have a pretty Volkswagen Santana sedan, seen in the far east of the Chinese capital Beijing in 2019. The good Santana was in a fine shape, a bit battered up perhaps, but that is part of the appeal of these great old cars.
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