Author: Tycho de Feijter

Random Geely Spots In Beijing In 2004

Back in 2004 Geely was still a new and tiny Chinese automaker. They basically had one platform and used that to develop a rather amazing series of different cars. On the first photo a pristine Geely Haoqing hatchback.

The Haoqing, also known as HQ, was based on the Tianjin Xiali, which in turn was based on the Daihatsu Charade. The Geely Haoqing debuted in 1998 and was made until 2006. Power came from a 53 hp 0.9 liter three-cylinder petrol engine, made in China but originally developed by Daihatsu.

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Ferrari 812 Superfast Is A Super Fast Italian Super Car In China

A Ferrari 812 Superfast, seen at the Tuning Tribe tuning street in Beijing in 2019. The speedy Italian speedmachine looked fantastic in pearl white with black detailing, black wheels, and a red interior.

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BMW 850i Is A Pretty German Coupe In China

BMW 850i

A BMW 850i coupe, seen at the parking lot of my apartment building in central Beijing in 2011. The pretty Bimmer belonged to one of my neighbors, a somewhat mysterious Chinese gentlemen who owned lots of interesting cars, usually for a short time. Some were recent imports and others were bought in period. The 850i was in a reasonable shape, a bit dusty and the bonnet didn’t fully close, but overall it was fine for its age.

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Volkswagen Gol Was A Fine Small Family Car In China

Volkswagen Gol

A Volkswagen Gol, seen in China’s Hebei Province in December 2019. The good Gol was a tad dusty & dirty but otherwise in a fine shape, painted in silver with the factory wheel covers and black trim on the bumpers and around the windows.

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Beijing Auto BJ40 F40 3-Door Hardtop Convertible Is As Cool As It Gets In China

Beijing Auto BJ40

A sweet Beijing Auto BJ40 F40, seen on a cold winter’s day in January 2020 in Beijing. The Beijing Auto BJ40 F40 launched in 2019 as a sporty and cool variant of the 3-door version of the BJ40 SUV.

The name was a tad confusing so Beijing has since re-launched it as a stand-alone model, simply called the Beijing Auto F40. It received a facelift in late 2020. The car I saw is a rare early model with the original messy name.

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Maserati GranTurismo 4.7L Sport Is Shiny Pink In China

Maserati GranTurismo

A very sweet Maserati GranTurismo 4.7L Sport, seen at a car market in Beijing in 2014. The sexy Italian coupe was made considerably more attractive with a shiny pink wrap and darkened head light visors.

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Saab 9-5 SE Sedan Is White And Dusty In China

A solid Saab 9-5 sedan, seen in China’s capital, Beijing, in 2015. The Swedish sled was in fine shape, albeit very dusty and in need of some love. It was painted white and fitted with the original super cool 3-spoke alloys. The license plate is an oldie and has likely been with the car since it was first registered for the road.

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Porsche 996 911 Carrera 4S Is Pretty In Dark Blue In China

Porsche 996 911 Carrera 4S

A beautiful 996 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, seen in the Sanlitun embassy district in central Beijing in 2014. The good 911 was painted in a very pretty shade of blue with a gray interior. The 996 was never officially exported to China so seeing one is a rare pleasure, even more so with a matching 京H·99961 license plate.

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Alfa Romeo 166 2.5 V6 Is A Pretty Italian Sedan In China

An Alfa Romeo 166 2.5 V6, seen in Beijing back in 2003. The pretty Alfa was in great shape, smooth in paint, with no rust, and still fitted with its original wheels. The Alfa Romeo 166 was manufactured from 1996 until 2007 with a facelift in 2003. The black car I saw in Beijing is a pre-facelift example.

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