A wonderful Audi 100 sedan, seen in the Sanlitun area in Beijing in 2011. The vehicle was parked on the pavement but in those days that was fine. The great Audi was a bit dusty and dirty but in a very good shape, and with the factory standard wheel covers still on the car.
Time has been kind on the 100’s design, so much indeed that is almost seems timeless. Simple basic lines and a long trunk make for a perfect classic sedan shape. Audi’s current designers better have a good look at this beauty.
The third generation C3 Audi 100 was manufactured in China from 1988 until 1999 by the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture in Changchun in northeastern Jilin Province.
In the early years production numbers were low and almost all cars went straight to the government. From the mid 1990’s private buyers started to buy the big old Audi as well. In 1999 the 100 was finally replaced by the first generation Audi A6.
The Audi 100 also served as the base for various Hongqi-branded sedans and limousines. Hongqi, meaning Red Flag, is a brand under First Auto Works (FAW).
The China-made Audi 100 was available with a 2.0 four-cylinder or a 2.2 five-cylinder. The 2.2 engine was made in Germany and shipped to China. The 2.0 four-cylinder was manufactured locally in China, and thus a lot cheaper. Still, most Audi 100’s that I have seen have the 2.2 under the bonnet.
Until 2015 or so there were still quite a few of these Audi 100 and 200 sedans around. Sadly nowadays they are very rare. Most simply got too old and died a natural death, others were forcibly scrapped due to China’s ever stricter emissions regulations. Hopefully some remain alive!
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