Hongqi is a Chinese luxury car marque owned by the automaker FAW Car Company, itself a subsidiary of FAW Group. Hongqi was launched in 1958, making it the oldest Chinese passenger car marque. In Chinese, hongqi means "red flag", a Communist Chinese cultural symbol.

Originally, Hongqi models were only for high-ranking government officials and remained in production until 1981. The brand was revived in the mid-1990s.

The original Hongqi cars were a luxury item used for the transport of foreign dignitaries and the party elite. Although Chairman Mao claimed not to have been driven in a Hongqi until Nixon's 1972 visit, he did take a personal interest in the cars from the beginning.

FAW Group Corporation ("First Automobile Works") is a Chinese state-owned automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Changchun, Jilin, China. Its principal products are automobiles, buses, light, medium and heavy-duty trucks, and auto parts. FAW became China's first automobile manufacturer when it unveiled the nation's first domestically produced passenger car, the Hongqi, in 1958.

FAW is one of the "Big Four" Chinese automakers alongside Changan Automobile, Dongfeng Motor Corporation, and SAIC Motor. In 2014, the company ranked third in terms of output, producing 2.7 million vehicles. The company produces vehicle under several own brands, and also has joint ventures with General Motors, Toyota and Volkswagen.

The company has three publicly traded subsidiaries: FAW Car Co., Ltd., Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co., Ltd. and Changchun FAWAY Automobile Components Co., Ltd. 

ca71 1958

The Dongfeng CA71 is a medium-sized limousine made by the Chinese automobile manufacturer First Automotive Works (FAW) and produced in small numbers in 1958. It was the first passenger car to be produced entirely in China.

The Dongfeng CA71 was developed by FAW in Changchun (Manchuria). FAW was founded in 1953 with technical and financial support from the Soviet Union. It primarily produced commercial vehicles, especially heavy trucks based on the Soviet model. In 1958 China launched the Great Leap Forward Campaign, which was aimed at catching up with the Western industrialized countries.

From 1958, several Chinese plants, including FAW began to design passenger cars for civilian use.

The Dongfeng CA71 was used for a number of propaganda campaigns and some included Mao Zedong. About 30 Dongfeng CA71s were produced. Because the CA71 was small, the Hongqi CA72 was the preferred state limousines. Middle officials tended to use the smaller Fenghuang (Shanghai SH760).

The Dongfeng CA71 was modeled on two foreign vehicles. The chassis is stylistically similar to the Mercedes-Benz W120 as was its 1.9 litre four-cylinder in-line engine. The body was based on the French Simca Vedette, although its actual shape is closer to the similar sized Ford Zephyr Mk2 of the same era. This was possibly due to Ford's relationship with Simca at the time.

Chinese detailing included a golden dragon motif on the bonnet grill, and elements of a Chinese lantern design on the taillights, like the Hongqi CA72. The engine is stated to have produced 70 hp while the top speed was 130 km/h.

ca72

Introduced on August 1, 1958, the first Hongqi was the CA72. By September, a convertible version intended to be used by dignitaries in National Day parades had appeared. The CA72's design was based on a 1955 Chrysler. From the beginning, the full-size Hongqi was equipped with a 200 PS V8 engine. The grille was based on a traditional design of a Chinese fan, and remains in use on Hongqis today.

First introduced in 1963, the CA770 model remained in production until 1980 albeit in limited numbers. Around 1,600 of these V8-engined Hongqis were built in total, and over the years various versions were released including a 1965 long-wheelbase model with three rows of seats and a 1969 armored version (CA772).

The Hongqi CA72 was developed by First Automotive Works (FAW) based in Changchun, which was founded in 1953 with technical and financial support from the Soviet Union. FAW originally primarily produced commercial vehicles, in particular heavy trucks based on Soviet models under the Jiefang brand. 

The car is a reskinned Chrysler Imperial, having gotten access to an imported 1955 example.

ca774-4

The ca774-4 is the fourth prototype of the Hongqi CA774, once intended as the successor of the famous Hongqi CA770 state limousine. Six prototypes were made from 1972 until 1979 but the CA774 sadly never saw production.

At least four prototypes are still around. One stands in the Hongqi Museum in Changchun, another one in the museum’s warehouse, one used to be at the Dalian Classic Car Museum and now stands in the Beijing Classic Car Museum, and the fourth car stands abandoned on a parking lot on the Tsinghua University in Beijing, where I found it in a sad and sorry shape. The fourth prototype had the designation CA774-4E.

The CA774-4E has square-shaped headlights, a very tiny mirror, and windows with curved glass to improve aerodynamics. It was designed by the 26-year old Jia Yanliang, who also penned 1/2/3. It was powered by the same 5.6 liter V8 as the CA770, mated to a four-speed automatic, sending horses to the rear wheels. The body was made of “high-strength thin steel plate” to reduce weight. It had independent front and rear suspension, radial tires, disc brakes, and power steering.

ca7200

Originally at SAIC-VW, the Chinese licensed edition of the Audi 100 (C3) was transferred to FAW-Hongqi, forming the basis of a massive variety of models, from regular sedans to stretched wagons, even a stretched convertible for official use. All up, six different lengths of C3 were offered. Most were locally made, though some came via CKD kits during this period. Considered the “small” Hongqi at the time, in contrast to the traditional state limousine. Chrysler 2213 cm³ OHC four one of the engine options, as FAW had the licence to it from an earlier venture. Efforts to replace the C3 with the C4 in 1993 were brief—that model was eventually transferred to FAW-VW, and the C3 saw out the 20th century. Nissan 2·0 V6 added in 2001.

The CA7200 was available with two engines: an Audi 2.0 four-cylinder and a (originally) Chrysler 2.2 four-cylinder. FAW had to buy each Audi engine from the Germans, the Chrysler KL4 engine however was made in China, FAW bought the production line and IP from the Americans back in 1987.

The Hongqi CA770 went out of production 1981. It was a government call, because the CA770 was too old-fashioned and inefficient. In 1982 Hongqi officials talk to Nissan, Ford, Chrysler and Audi about a collaboration or joint venture, but nothing comes from it then.

Meanwhile Volkswagen has set up shop in Shanghai and gets invited by the Chinese in the early 1980s. VW talks with several Chinese manufacturers, including FAW, but finally Shanghai Automotive gets the deal. Production starts with the Santana in 1985. Part of the deal is localisation of the production process and SAIC and Volkswagen need a little help with that. FAW offers to build the Audi car, for which there’s no capacity in Shanghai, and make parts for the Santana locally. From 1988 onwards FAW produces the Audi 100 C3 model. The arranged marriage is quite a success. The production number is less than a thousand in its first year of business, but grows to 30.000 in 1996. In addition to the mentioned Audi 100 C3, Hongqi also starts making six-cylinder 200 C3, the 100 C4 and for some time even the V8.

FAW en Volkswagen sign a joint venture contract in November 1990 for the Jetta model. The SAIC-VW joint venture concentrates on Santana/Passat based products, while FAW-VW focuses on the Golf/Jetta line.

The Chinese market is now of eminent importance to Volkswagen. Together FAW-VW and SAIC-VW account for 40% of VAG’s worldwide sales.

ca7460

The CA7460 Qijian series was made from 1998 until 2005. It was based on the third generation Lincoln Town Car.

Under a deal between FAW and Ford, Lincoln would provide near-finished Town Cars to Hongqi.  The Chinese would add a new grille, new badges, and of course the hood ornament. They didn’t even bother to change the Ford-branded windows! Hongqi also developed three limousine versions of the CA7460 Qijian.

The ‘handwritten’ characters write Hongqi. V8 badge on the right. That is the same engine that powered the Town Car: a 4.6 liter V8 with 210hp and 392nm. Top speed was 185km/h. When new in 1998 the CA7460 was priced at 690.000 yuan. That was a lot of money in those days, and sales to the private market were very slow. Most of the CA7460’s were sold to the government.

hq3

FAW began production of the third generation of Hongqi vehicles in 2006. Named the HQ3 and based on the Toyota Crown Majesta, it saw little market success. First year sales totaled near 500, and while the target for the second year was 1,400 units, the HQ3 would not be profitable until annual sales of 5,000 were reached—something that may never have happened. By October 2008, the price was reduced considerably and the name changed to Shengshi ("Days of Prosperity") in order to better appeal to private buyers.  Sales during the first half of 2008 were all from inventory and totaled 788.  The HQ3 was available as HQ300 with a 3.0 V6 and as HQ430 with a 4.3 liter V8.

h7

2013-2022

The Hongqi H7 is a luxury car that is manufactured by the Chinese manufacturer FAW under the Hongqi marque. It is the successor to the Hongqi HQ3 built between 2006 and 2010. The H7 was first presented to the public at the Beijing Motor Show in April 2012, since the end of May 2013, the vehicle is officially on sale. The first 500 Hongqi vehicles had been sold yet before launch to the Chinese government.

At the Beijing Motor Show 2016, Hongqi presented a revised version of the H7. In addition, a plug-in hybrid version was presented.

l5

The Hongqi L5 is a large retro styled luxury car whose design was inspired by the discontinued Hongqi CA770, serving as Hongqi's flagship vehicle for the Chinese automotive market.

Released in 2013 at the Shanghai Auto Show, the L5 is renowned for currently being the most expensive Chinese-made car ever available for purchase, at CN¥5 million Renminbi (US$800,000 UK£580,000). It is the official state car of China, as it is used by the General Secretary of the Communist Party (Paramount leader) Xi Jinping. The sedan is currently offered only in China.

The L5 has been exported to Belarus via donations, where it is used by the Belarusian military as a parade car, first being debuted at the 2015 Minsk Victory Day Parade.

In 2016 Hongqi announced a V8 version of the L5, powered by a 4.0 liter twin-turbo V8 producing 381 horsepower with an eight-speed automatic. The V12 model is designated as CA7600 and the V8 version as CA7400. The CA7400 was released in 2017.

hs7

The Hongqi HS7 is a 7-seater luxury mid-size crossover SUV produced by the Chinese luxury car manufacturer Hongqi from 2019.

The Hongqi HS7 is powered by a 3.0 liter supercharged engine producing 337 horsepower and 445 N.m, mated to a Aisin 8-speed automatic gearbox. The 0 to 100 km/h  acceleration time is 7.8 seconds. For the 2021 model year, a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine producing 252 horsepower and 380 N.m, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox is added to the product line.

All 3.0 liter models coming standard with full-time four-wheel drive system while all 2.0 liter models coming standard with rear-wheel drive system.

The interior of the base model includes a 12.3 inch full LCD instrument and a 10.1 inch large central control screen. 

concept cars

Hongqi will sometimes put in an appearance at autoshows held on Chinese soil showing off a concept car that attracts attention.

e hs9

The Hongqi E-HS9  is an electric full-size luxury SUV made by Hongqi.

The E-HS9 is available in two different performance variants. The lower-spec model features one electric motor for each axle rated at 215 horsepower  each, with 430 hp  combined. The top-trim model features a 329-hp  motor for the rear axle, with a combined power of 544 hp . The acceleration of the seven-passenger SUV from 0 to 100 km/h is within 5 seconds. According to Hongqi, the E-HS9 can travel approximately 300 miles on a charge.

The E-HS9 has a 92.5-kilowatt-hour battery unit and supports wireless charging technology or non-contact charging, which can fully charge the vehicle in 8.4 hours. The E-HS9 vehicle battery is specially designed with the fully-covered side battery protection structure. In terms of endurance, the NEDC range of Hongqi E-HS9 can reach up to 510 km. The vehicle can autonomously park itself and adjust air suspension height for the best wireless charging alignment with charging efficiency up to 91%.

h9

The Hongqi H9 is a full-size luxury car produced by the FAW Group under the Hongqi marque.

The H9 was presented in April 2020. It has been on the Chinese market since August 2020. A long version of the vehicle is to follow in 2020. The H9 is powered either by a two-liter turbocharged gasoline engine plus a 48V mild hybrid system with 252 hp or a three-liter supercharged gasoline engine with 283 hp. Both variants have a rear-wheel drive and a 7-speed dual clutch transmission.

n501

 The N501 hasn’t been officially launched, it wasn’t on the Beijing Auto Show, and it isn’t on Hongqi’s website. The new model will be powered by a 4.0T V8 engine. Positioned as a large-size luxury sedan, the model will measure 5,500 mm in length. The model adopts an ordinary design language, which strongly resembles the Hongqi L5, looking very dignified and graceful. It offers Hongqi's iconic waterfall-styled intake grille and Hongqi's vertically-positioned badge on its front end. The new model also features rectangular-shaped LED headlights on both sides, integrated with round LED light bulbs inside the headlights, making the overall styling in harmony. Looking from the rear side, the model's carriage takes large proportion of the whole body. With lower waistlines on the doors, the model boasts larger windows. Additionally, it features tough C-pillars and also rectangular-designed tail lights. According to the previously-released spy shots of the model, it also features a stably-designed interior with abundant high-tech amenities, such as two LCD screens.

h7

This is the all-new Hongqi H7, a high-end luxury sedan that looks leaps and bounds better than the outgoing model. The H7 is considered a mid-size premium competitor targeting the likes of the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class, even though it’s bigger than both at around 5.1 meters long.

Chinese media outlets report that the Hongqi H7 will be powered by either the company’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a more powerful V6 powertrain. Whatever the case may be, both these engines are said to have been updated to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions.

Other mechanical upgrades will include a new suspension system to give the sedan a plush ride to rival those of its German counterparts.

The new H7 is expected to make its official debut within the next couple of months, before entering production and going on sale in China in spring of 2021.

http://www.faw.com/fawen/ppycp7968/passenger_cars/468365/index.html