Shanghai Auto Show: Waving The Red Flag

by Bertel Schmitt

April 21st, 2013 12:08 PM

em shanghai auto show em waving the red flag

FAW evokes the bad old times when China’s leaders, tired of the Long March, ordered hand-made parade limousines. The originals had been chronicled by Tycho de Feyter. Now they are re-lived as the Red Flag L5, L7, and L9.

This is the Red Flag L7, an especially baroque version. The cars have been crowd magnets at Chinese auto shows for years, but remain a rarity on the street. The modern Chinese leader prefers an Audi.

#BertelSchmitt #China #RedFag #ShanghaiAutoShow

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Sector 5 on Apr 21, 2013

There's a kind of Farina styling influence which may have arrived subconsciously from the time of Chinese exchange students 'Versailled,' into working free in French auto plants. I believe young Chou En-lai (and others) engaged in compulsory non-paying labor in French plants between the two wars. This was binding with the foreign student program of the era.

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- Cargogh on Apr 21, 2013
  
  Hence the Frenched headlamps.
  
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Sector 5 on Apr 21, 2013

Yes I see bloated Peugeot 404. One was given as a gift to premier Chou.

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