The real stars of China's first dedicated car museum

The world’s first mass-produced automobile, this was one of the first cars to be imported into China, with Shanghai-based dealers selling them from 1903 onwards.

1965 Beijing BJ212

When changes in the Sini-Soviet relationship meant China stopped importing the GAZ 69 truck in the 1960s, Beijing Automobile Works was tasked with producing its own version. The BJ212 went into production in 1965 and, now known as the BJ2020, is still being built today in military and civilian form.

1974 Hongqi CA770

The successor to the CA72 was, according to the museum, “the pride of a Chinese generation”. With a platform based on a Chrysler Imperial, it spawned variants, including a three-row stretched version and a pick-up. Around 1600 were made in total, from 1963 until 1981. Early on, many parts were taken from a Lincoln Town Car, but by the end, most were from the Peugeot 504 and Audi 100/200.

1988 Polski-Fiat 126P

Produced by Fiat’s Polish partner, this was one of the first family saloons to be imported into China when the country’s economic reform began. A popular choice of taxi drivers, the 126P was dubbed ‘the small one’ in Poland, but in China received the moniker ‘small potato’. 

1962 Volga M21H

Produced by the Soviet Union’s GAZ firm, the M21H was popular among Chinese officials, particularly because the beefed-up chassis and suspension (to survive Russian winters) made it highly reliable

1996 GM EV-1

Remember when GM was ahead of the electrification game? Well, this EV1 is proof that it was, with 32 leadacid batteries giving a 90-mile range and a top speed of 90mph. It seems fitting that, as many US firms struggle to catch up on EV tech, one of these is now in a museum in China – the world’s biggest EV market.

1964 Shanghai SH760

A government official, but not important enough for a Hongqi? This is what you got instead. Shanghai Automobile began producing prototype cars of a vehicle called the Fenghuang (Phoenix) in 1958. It was eventually reworked based on a Mercedes-Benz 220S W180 and named the SH760 when production began in 1964. Initially powered by a 2.2-litre 90bhp straight six, it stayed in production until 1991 and nearly 80,000 were built.

1974 Shanghai SH760A

The SH760 received a major makeover in 1974, with new front and rear ends. But the main chassis was still straight from a 1950s Merc and the 2.2-litre engine remained unchanged.

2012 Chevrolet E-NV 2.0

The second Electric Networked-Vehicle concept produced by GM China. A fleet of 16 was used for a mobility pilot programme on the campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from 2015 to 2017.

1959 Hongqi CA72

Work began on the First Automobile Works (now FAW) factory in Changchun in 1953, and three years later, it began producing Soviet-derived heavy-duty trucks. Two years after that, work started on the Hongqi CA72, a luxury car for the Communist Party elite. The CA72’s design was based on a 1955 Chrysler, but it did feature a number of Chinese touches, including a front grille designed to resemble a folding fan. The museum displays several CA72s, including one of the original 10 prototypes displayed in Tiananmen Square in 1959.

1970 Shanghai Convertible