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Classic cars at Auto China 2014 - many admirers, few cars

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Created on May 10, 2014

Reading time 3min

Written by:

Stefan Fritschi (Automobil Revue)

Photos:

Stefan Fritschi (Automobil Revue)

Auto China 2014 in Peking - Citroën DS 23

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - Peugeot 302 Darl'mat

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - Bugatti T18 Black Bess

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - Lincoln Continental Mark II

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - Geely Englon TX4 London Taxi

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - HongQi Rote Fahne

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - PGO Speedster

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Auto China 2014 in Peking - PGO Cévennes

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Summary

In April 2014, car manufacturers showed what they had to offer at Auto China 2014 in Beijing. Restricted by legislation, the classic car hobby is still a marginal phenomenon in the world's most populous country, but at the motor show some manufacturers used the brand tradition to draw attention to themselves. And the Chinese certainly appreciated it. This report shows the few classic cars exhibited at Auto China 2014 and provides information about their background.

This article contains the following chapters

No free import to China
Bugatti early plant as namesake
The goddess in China
Tradition as a marketing jump-start at Ford
Magical moments at Peugeot
The resurrection of the London cab
Pseudo vintage car as a replacement?

Estimated reading time: 3min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Classic cars were (still) hardly a topic at "Auto China 2014", the Beijing Motor Show. But those with tradition showed them in April 2014, albeit often in a subdued manner and in the background. One man's sorrow is another man's joy: the Chinese government has passed a very clever law banning the import of second-hand cars. This prevents the country from being flooded with cheap imported cars, as is happening in Africa, for example, where our worn-out cars destined only for export are landing and destroying the car market there. On the other hand, no classic cars come into the country except for a rally or an exhibition. However, Chinese investors could quickly acquire a taste for them if the stock market hype and real estate bubble burst. What happens when thousands of Chinese millionaires pounce on classic car auctions has already been seen with the Japanese, who have suddenly been able to sell their treasures to the East at mega prices. The effect will only be somewhat stronger with the Chinese: They are more.

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