At a local autoshow in Beijing I found this beautiful Hongqi CA770, it was made in 1978 and has a V8 engine. The owner told me it was undergoing restauration and worked all fine. He took the car to the show to “educate” youngsters about China’s rich automotive history. Hongqi is a brand from First Auto Works (FAW) from the city of Changchun in northern Jilin province.
The massive machine is almost 6 meters long and 1.80 wide. Hongqi’s were made for the government but many are now in private hands. Prices have gone sky high, a good example cost at least 100.000 dollar.
V8 looked a bit dusty but the owner told me it ran like a “baby rabbit”, those run well indeed.
Dash a mix of wood and cheap looking plastics, chrome is fake. Clock in the middle of the dash is missing.
Gearlever at the wheel.
96071 kilometers, it can do many a more. Below Tiananmen gate at Tiananmen square.
Very comfortable sofa in the back.
Owner promised to contact me when the restauration was finished, later more…
I love these cars. The earlier model is even more dramatic.
Beautiful car, I’m fond of huge limousines with V8 engines apparently Chinese leaders new how good car should look like.
“Restauration”?
Are they installing a kitchen?