A mighty Hongqi CA770 state limousine, seen in a parking garage in a northern suburb of Beijing in 2011. There were two CA770’s at the location. In this story car #1. The CA770 was covered with a thick layer of dust and dirt but otherwise in a savable condition.
The Hongqi ‘Red Flag’ hood ornament. The frame is made of metal, the red inside of hard plastic. The tip of the flag pole was very sharp! Mind your fingers with that one.
I got to the location after a friend sent me a tip. He had his office nearby and had stumbled into the garage one day, finding the Hongqi limousines. He immediately reached out to me and a few days later I was on my way. One cannot let a Hongqi wait!
The car was largely free of rust and the chrome looked all right. It had flagpoles on each side of the font bumper. The white wall tires looked as old as the car. The wheel covers were missing.
This badge depicts the ‘Three Red Banners’ (三面红旗), a Communist ideological theme from the 1950’s and 1960’s. The banners represent: Socialist Construction, Great Leap Forward, and Peoples Commune. The ornament is made of metal with hard plastic red inserts. Later on, some Hongqi cars carried a four-flag badge, depicting: ‘workers, peasants, commerce, and soldiers’.
The mirror is a nice little work of art. A circle supported by a single stalk fitted on the door. The stalk’s end is just as sharp as the flagpole on the hood. This Hongqi was able to defend herself.
The Hongqi CA770 was manufactured exclusively for the Chinese government. The giant state limousine arrived in 1966 and production continued all the way until 1981. Total production stands at 847 cars.
Power came from a 5.65 liter four-stroke water-cooled carbureted V8 engine. Output was 223 hp (164 kW). This power gave the CA770 a top speed of 165 km/h and a fuel consumption of 20 liters per 100 kilometers. The motor was mated to a 2-speed transmission. The CA770 is a giant car: 5980/1990/1640, with a 3720 and wheelbase is 3720. Curb weight is a super heavy 4930 kilo.s.
The interior looked great! The front bench had its original cloth and top-cover, the wood was all good, and the steering wheel was almost like new. The instrument panel and all the switches were still in place. The CA770 has a column-mounted shifter. The lifting isolation glass between the front row and the rear compartment is in downward position.
The rear bench was in great shape too, with a woven piece of cloth covering the top cover. Very comfortable for the head!
On the left side are two jump seats, which were used by body guards or other assistants.
The horn-rimmed steering wheel. The inner rim operates the horn. Pull and it sounds. The center of the wheel has Hongqi’s golden sunflower logo. This logo was used in the 1960’s and 70’s, then it disappeared for a long time, and recently it made a comeback in new Hongqi cars.
A square shaped clock in the middle of the dashboard. Gold colored pointers on a red background.
The CA770 stood there parked between common cars and seemed neglected. But the eye can be deceiving. Think away the dust, add the wheel covers, and it was actually in a pretty good shape.
All Hongqi CA770’s went straight to the government. However, after service for the state some were sold to private buyers. Whether this was legal or not is still a subject of much debate in China.
Many collectors own ex-government CA770 cars without proper paperwork, making their ownership a bit shake, even today. This car, however, has a blue 京A·83264 license plate, indicating it was at least officially sold and registered.
Blue 京A license plates are not the same as black 京A license plates. The blue ones were issued to the very first batches of privately registered cars in Beijing, as opposed to cars registered to companies or the government. Most blue 京A plates were issued in the early 1990’s.
The inspection window-stickers also indicate a privately owned cars. Government cars didn’t need the obligatory yearly inspection. The character is 检 (jiǎn), meaning ‘check up’ or ‘inspection’. The stickers on the window are of 1992, invisible, 1995, 1996 and 1997.
The rear had a complex badge with Hongqi (红旗) in ‘hand written’ Chinese script and below that in Latin scrips. A simple keyhole gives access to the booth.
Rear light design was inspired by classic Chinese lanterns. The license plate area was flanked by chromed horizontal bars. The bumper was vast! The exhaust pipe, on the other hand, was a tiny thing for such a giant automobile.
Yellow fog lights on the bumper. Such a fantastic car.
When we were there we tried to contact the owner. A guard at the parking lot had told us he lived in a villa nearby. We went there but nobody was home. We left a note and went back to inspect the second car. And then the owner actually showed up! More on that in the next story…