HONGQI Auto Dubai Experience Showroom is about to be presented magnificently, let’s review the development history of "National Car" - HONGQI UAE

For Chinese people, HONGQI is not only a well-known car brand, but also a deep feeling that represents the memory of a generation.

In 2018, Oneroad Group and HONGQI Automotive reached a strategic cooperation, making HONGQI Automobile debut in Dubai in the Middle East for the first time, and became the first overseas agent of FAW-HONGQI in 2019. Soon, the newly upgraded experience showroom of HONGQI Auto in Dubai will be on stage.

Watch the video for a glimpse of the HONGQI Dubai Experience Showroom

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_ZVDPOewgHJ2X6tKXeHqtQ

The HONGQI Auto Experience Showroom in Dubai is located beside the famous Sheikh Zayed Road, covering a total area of more than 60,000 square feet, providing customers with a more comfortable service experience. At the same time, it has also become a service and maintenance center under the Oneroad Group. In addition to HONGQI cars, it can also serve owners of other brands.

The experience showroom will display several flagship models of HONGQI, including sedans H5, H7 and H9, SUVs HS5 and HS7, and electric vehicles E-HS9 and E-QM5.

HONGQI Automobile symbolizes the starting point of the history of China's automobile industry and shows the challenging work of the Chinese nation. In 1958, the first HONGQI brand car was born. Since then, HONGQI has become a state car for state leaders and major national events. In the 1960s and 1970s, HONGQI sedans became a banner of China's auto industry. Let us review the development history of this legendary "National Car" brand.

At the beginning of the founding of New China, our country did not have the ability to produce automobiles, which hindered the domestic economic development. In 1953, with the construction of the foundation stone of the FAW plant, in 1956, it successfully produced the first automobile in New China, the JIEFANG truck, which ended the history of China's inability to manufacture automobiles.

JIEFANG truck goes offline

In April 1956, Chairman Mao mentioned at the "On the Ten Major Relationships" meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee: "It would be nice if we could come to a meeting in our own car!"

But at that time, China did not have the ability and experience to produce cars at all. To develop small cars, FAW collected various cars from all over the world and used them as prototypes for research. For a time, the few domestic models of the same grade, such as the Soviet Union Victory, the French Renault, the Czech Skoda 440, the German Mercedes Benz 190, the American Ford Zepher, the French Simca Vedette, and the Japanese Toyota, were assembled in the factory of FAW. Since then, FAW has conducted research and development with reference to the French Simca Vedette as the main object.

Prototype of China's first sedan – Simka Vedette

Finally, on May 12, 1958, the "DONGFENG" brand car, the predecessor of the HONGQI car, was successfully trial-produced, and the first domestic car officially appeared on the stage of history.

Chairman Mao takes a test ride on the first domestic car

As soon as "DONGFENG" was released, FAW received a new task. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1959, but China did not have a luxury car that could be used in the review celebration at that time, so FAW began to manufacture domestic luxury cars non-stop.

"Ride the east wind, show the HONGQI, take out the limousine to meet Chairman Mao on August 1st!" The banner was hung in the FAW plant, people's enthusiasm was rekindled, and the new limousine was named "HONGQI".

The FAW plant at the start of the HONGQI project

In view of the all-round changes in vehicle grade and size, HONGQI can no longer learn from the previous small and medium models. A 1955 Chrysler Empire purchased before has become a new reference model.

However, due to the limited technology at that time, FAW designers found Cadillac's Fleetwood and a Lincoln Continental as reference.

Only a few months later, the first HONGQI sedan to overcome all difficulties was born, and the model was entirely handcrafted. The first HONGQI sedan was named CA72. It is still an extremely valuable vehicle.

In 1958, the first HONGQI car was born

Since September 1959, FAW has completed 36 HONGQI cars and sent them to Beijing as a gift to the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. For a time, "Beijing is full of HONGQI cars".

On National Day in 1959, the HONGQI was presented in Tiananmen Square

In 1965, due to the development of the times, HONGQI CA72 could no longer meet the needs of the time. Immediately, the body, engine, etc. were completely redesigned. This is HONGQI's classic three-row car, the CA770.

HONGQI CA770

The appearance of the CA770 really made the HONGQI car imprinted in the memory of a generation of Chinese people. Starting from the HONGQI CA770, HONGQI officially got rid of the imitation design route, and the whole vehicle has a more refined shape and more Chinese characteristics.

After the reform and opening, HONGQI continued to assume the heavy responsibility of "national car". Due to the special development process, HONGQI brand models seem to have always kept a distance from the common people.

In 1981, the HONGQI sedan faced a shutdown due to high fuel consumption, excessive cost and low output. So far, from 1958 to 1981, a total of 1,540 HONGQI sedans were produced in 23 years. However, in the face of the dilemma at that time, HONGQI 's research and development work has never stopped.

In 1996, the HONGQI sedan resumed production. It was modified based on the Audi 100 and launched the HONGQI CA7220, commonly known as "Little HONGQI ". This caused quite a stir at the time, and soon the government began to purchase them in enormous quantities as official vehicles.

HONGQI CA7220

In 2004, HONGQI got rid of its dependence on imported models and began to independently develop flagship models. On the National Day of 2009, HONGQI 's flagship sedan L9 drove slowly through Tiananmen Square as a review car. After that, FAW officially launched the product development and production of the HONGQI L platform and prepared to build an E-class sedan with 100% independent intellectual property rights. Then, the HONGQI L5 was born. The design of the L5 inherited the style of the HONGQI CA770 and was full of feelings.

HONGQI L5

In 2013, as the first model of the "HONGQI Revival" plan, the HONGQI H7 was officially launched. It has rich configurations and a more affordable price. It is no longer a noble aristocrat, but more acceptable to the common people. Since then, the concept and positioning of HONGQI cars have begun to change.

HONGQI H7

In the past two years, the HONGQI brand has been committed to creating a new concept of "Chinese-style new noble refinement". Integrate Chinese Asian traditions into international advanced culture, modern fashion design, cutting-edge science, and technology, and create excellent products and services.

The models of HONGQI have become more abundant, and the price is more affordable to the people, and they have entered the range that ordinary people can buy. The development of HONGQI cars has also entered a fast lane.

What flagship models are currently on display at the HONGQI Experience Store in Dubai? Let us look at them one by one.