Hong-qi in Romania?!

O masina care nu asteptam sa vad in Romania in viata mea...

Aceasta limuzina, fotografiata in Constanta de un user de forumul 4tuning, e un Hong-Qi CA 72, produs intre 1958 si 1963 in China. E o masina rarisima. Impreuna cu modelul ulterior, CA 770, sub 1600 au fost produse. Echivalentul sovietic era ZIL sau Ceaika, iar destinatia - elitei partidului, sefilor de stat, etc - era si ea identica. Hing-Qi in chinezeste inseamna "Steagul Rosu". Motorul era un V8 de productie chinezeasca. Design-ul, se spune, era influentat de Chrysler 1955, desi personal nu vad mare similaritate. Fata arata uluitor ca o Volga, dar Volga cu aceasta masca a fost introdusa abia in 1962. Iar in lateral se vad esente si de ZIL, si de Ceaika. Oricum, in pararea mea fata de ZIL sau Ceaika arata destul de grosolan.

In Romania, printre alte masini din vest au fost folosite si Zil, si Ceaika - exemplare au supravietuit de amandoua (inclusiv de ambele variante de ZIL). Greu de spus care e povestea Hong-Qi-ului. Numarul 1-B-1303 nu e conclusiv - probabil era din doatea statului, dar destule numere din seria 1-B-1xxx erau la oameni particulari (si nu numai mari comunisti: Alexe de Vassal avea 1-B-1913). Parerea me este ca sau a fost masina ambasadei chinezesti din Romaia, ulterior vanduta la licitatie, sau a fost un dar din partea statului chinezesc.

Sper ca aceasta raritate sa ajunga in maini bune!

A car I would never have expected to see in Romania...

This limousine, photographed in Constanta by a user of the 4tuning forum, is a Hong-Qi CA 72, made between 1958 and 1963 in China. It's very rare: together with its successor, the CA 770, fewer than 1600 were made. The Soviet equivalent was the ZIL or Chaika: like them, the Hong-Qi was reserved for senior party leaders or heads of state. The name translates as "Red Flag", and the engine was a locally made V8. It is said that the design borrowed heavily from the 1955 Chrysler, though I can't see much similarity. The front looks very much like a Volga, although that particular type of Volga was only introducied in 1962. The side view shows bits of both ZIL and Chaika. However, in my opinion it is not as stylish as either of them, and the overall effect is rather crude.

In Romania, both the ZIL and the Chaika were used alongside Western models. Examples of both (including the facelifted ZIL) have survived. It's difficult to say what the backstory to the Hong-Qi is. The numberplates - 1-B-1303 - imply state ownership, although plates from that series were also granted to private individuals (not merely nomenklatura either; Alexe de Vassal, the motoring ace, had 1-B-1913). My opinion is that this was either the Chinese embassy car in Romania, which later got auctioned off, or a gift from the Chinese state.

Either way, I hope this rarity ends up in good hands!