2012 Beijing Auto Show: Capture The Real Red Flag

by Bertel Schmitt

Published: April 24th, 2012

2012 beijing auto show capture the real red flag

So today The Tycho, proprietor of Carnewschina and expert on Mao-era-revival cars, intercepts me at the show and says: “You did it all wrong! You talked about the H7, but showed the L7!”

“I beg your pardon?”

It turns out he was right as usual. In my piece on the Red Flag car, the wrong pictures were added to the wrong text. Corrected. As a make-good, here the ultimate L7/H7 pictorial.

This is the L7. Based on a Landcruiser chassis. And with the full frontal perspective, as demanded by Comrade Karesh.

For people who are more into bootie.

Rims with Mao-era inset.

This is the H7. This one truly based on a Toyota Crown.

From the side.

Even this car will save the planet – if a large enough battery is ever found. And a substation to go with it.

Revolutionary hood ornament.

#2012BeijingAutoShow #BertelSchmitt #RedFlag

Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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Psarhjinian on Apr 24, 2012

I can't read "Hongqi" phonetically and not giggle. Yes, I'm immature.

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Daveainchina on Apr 24, 2012

About the hood ornament. I'm very happy that China doesn't have Ralph Nader removing those design elements from vehicles here. you can still find vehicles with hood ornaments here, although not many as vehicles are basically global in nature now. Making our world soft bland and colorless for the god of safety makes too many things uninteresting, I'm not sure that we are in the end doing ourselves a favor. Time will tell, but I think we are losing something that maybe shouldn't be lost.

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