Renault was established in France in 1899. After the First World War (1914-1918), Renault started car export. Renaults were introduced in China in the 1920s. We show you the activities of Renault in China, over a hundred years, from then till now.
Early Volkswagen Santana Hydrogen Prototypes In China
In the early 2000s, automaker SAIC Motor and several Shanghai-based research institutions and companies developed a series of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) based on the Volkswagen Santana 2000 and Volkswagen Santana 3000.
At the time, the Chinese central and local governments actively supported research into New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), a broad category that included hydrogen-powered vehicles.
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Small mono volumes of the 1990s.
The Suzuki Jimny Was Almost Produced In China
In 2016, the Changhe-Suzuki joint venture had serious plans to produce the third-generation Suzuki Jimny off-road mini SUV in China. Sadly, in the end, it didn’t happen. Here’s why.
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The rise and fall of Guangzhou-Peugeot.
Early Dongfeng FCEV Projects In China
Years before Chinese carmakers focused on EVs and PHEVs, they also experimented with FCEVs, CNG, and even diesel powertrains. One of those carmakers was Dongfeng. In the early 2000s, it created a series of FCEVs, one of which was based on the Citroen C-Elysee. But first, let’s talk about politics.
The cars Yueda made before the Kia Pride
The Jiangsu Yueda Group began producing cars in 1979. The first vehicle was a copy of the Beijing BJ130 light 2-ton truck, the Jiangsu JS130, with a 55 kW engine.
The Dongfeng Little Prince story.
Challenged by the good sales of the Chinese Suzuki Alto license copies, Dongfeng (like FAW) wanted a small car of her own. Development and production started in the city of Baolan, not far from Shiyan in Hubei province.
The 1920s Adventures of Ford in North China.
In earlier stories, I have written about the coach builders of Shanghai.
With the article about the Frazar company in Tianjin, it was clear that there were car-body makers in other Chinese cities in the 1920s as well.
Here about the Fords made in Tianjin.
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Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot: Tianma Auto – Part 2
Tianma in the 2000s
This is the second part of my story about Tianma Auto, part of the Chinese Car Brands That Time Forgot (CCBTTF™) series. Part 1 is right here. China’s car market started to boom in the early 2000s, with zillions of new car makers and models. Tianma’s lineup exploded, with dozens of pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans. Tianma also produced the usual Kia Sorento and Honda CR-V clones.
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