page_title: Hongqi (marque)
section_title: First generation
hierarchical_section_title: Hongqi (marque) / History / First generation
caption_attribution_description: English: 1959 Hongqi CA72 photographed at the Shanghai Automobile Museum, Anting, China.
context_page_description: Hongqi is a Chinese luxury car marque owned by the automaker FAW Car Company, itself a subsidiary of FAW Group. Hongqi was launched in 1958, making it the oldest Chinese passenger car marque. In Chinese, hongqi means "red flag", a Communist Chinese cultural symbol.
  Originally, Hongqi models were only for high-ranking government officials and remained in production until 1981. The brand was revived in the mid-1990s.
context_section_description: The original Hongqi cars were a luxury item used for the transport of foreign dignitaries and the party elite. Although Chairman Mao claimed not to have been driven in a Hongqi until Nixon's 1972 visit, he did take a personal interest in the cars from the beginning.
  Introduced on August 1, 1958, the first Hongqi was the CA72. By September, a convertible version intended to be used by dignitaries in National Day parades had appeared. The CA72's design was based on a 1955 Chrysler. From the beginning, the full-size Hongqi was equipped with a 147 kW (200 PS; 197 hp) V8 engine. The grille was based on a traditional design of a Chinese fan, and remains in use on Hongqis today. 
  First introduced in 1963, the CA770 model remained in production until 1980 albeit in limited numbers. Around 1,600 of these V8-engined Hongqis were built in total, and over the years various versions were released including a 1965 long-wheelbase model with three rows of seats and a 1969 armored version (CA772).
caption: Hongqi CA72
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