Young people who grow up with the automotive industry will always have a classic model in their hearts. Maybe it's the Beetles and Mustangs in the Hot Wheels toy car I bought when I was a child; or the AE86 in Fujiwara Takumi's Akinayama in the first text; or the classic car that accompanies me in miami and Los Santo in the Grand Theft Auto...
At a time when the automotive industry is developing rapidly and electrification is advancing, vintage cars with unique charm have returned to people's vision. Many car companies such as loose locomotives and Wei brand have insight into the new needs of car users, using the technical platform of pure electric vehicles to reproduce classic models through the way of "old bottles of new wine", which has been loved by many emotional parties.
01 Where does the retro car complex come from
When it comes to classic models, many people will have the car in their minds. Since the reform and opening up, the mainland has introduced technology into the automobile industry through joint ventures, giving birth to many national sacred cars such as Santana, Audi 100, and Fukang, which have become classic masterpieces that accompany the growth of a generation of young people. In addition to the introduction of the automobile industry, the input of many cultural products about cars, such as Hot Wheel Car Toys and Head Character D Animation, has made the Chinese people understand that the car is not only a means of transportation, but also a synonym for elegant life and "fast and furious".
From the introduction of vehicles to the import of culture, the development of automobile culture, along with the growth of China's automobile industry, those excellent models recognized by the world have also become the "good cars" passed down by word of mouth by the Chinese population. With the continuous progress of the times, the teenagers who chase cars have become the main group of car buyers, and the popular excellent models have also completed their historical mission and become a generation of classic love cars, which has contributed to the continuous spread of the retro car complex among the younger generation.
I believe that some people will wonder, since many people have a certain complex of classic models, why are few car companies in the era of fuel vehicles reproducing classic models, but only in the era of electric vehicles began to engage in retro cars?
It is not difficult to figure this out. In the era of fuel vehicles, car purchases are mainly to meet the needs of individuals, families commuting, and traveling. Therefore, in the same price, large space, good performance, high fuel economy and durable models are often sought after by people, therefore, car companies will put more budget on the chassis, power, retro styling design cost is higher, and at that time the market is not large, is in the initial stage of independent brands of course unwilling to do these thankless things, naturally difficult to see retro models.
In fact, the era of fuel vehicles is not without retro cars, but either like jaguar E-Type replica, is a replica of luxury brands, only a few rich people can appreciate the collection, can not enter thousands of households, or some small car companies imitate the classic model production of low-cost "replica" models, general performance and poor reliability, often wedding companies to charge the façade to use, the general consumer will not consider when buying a car.
However, the continuous production of classic models has created certain conditions for the sentiment party to experience the emotional car. Classic models such as Jetta, Jiangnan Alto, and Beijing 212 have a long life cycle and low price, which provides many choices for the sentiment party, and retro models are naturally difficult to have a large market.
02 Classic models in the era of electrification are "reborn"
When we look at today's automotive market, we will find that new energy models have occupied a place. With excellent performance, relatively economical driving costs and a more fun driving experience, new energy vehicles have become the first choice for many young people to buy a second car in their families. Today's young people are more like choosing a "big toy" and a trendy item when choosing a second car, and models with personalized appearances tend to be more sought after.
The car-buying characteristics of contemporary car buyers in new energy vehicles have made many new energy brands pay more and more attention to the appearance of consumer demand. The replica sentiment model, which can not only conform to the feelings of the car lovers, but also have enough personality in terms of appearance, and naturally become one of the markets that many car companies try to open up.
In the era of electrification, the classic fuel model can be reproduced, which can not only retain the unique appearance and interior design of the classic model, but also be basically the same as ordinary models in terms of power and intelligent cockpit. This design concept of "old bottle of new wine", on the basis of ensuring the stability and comfort of driving and riding, meets the user's subdivision needs for replica classic shapes, and will naturally be recognized by many consumers.
The first brand to smell the retro trend is a niche brand loose locomotive that started by creating American locomotives, which reproduced Corvette's classic Model Colvet C1 and produced it in conjunction with BYD to create the retro sports car SS DOLPHINE. From the perspective of appearance and interior style, this car highly reproduces the shape design of Corvette C1, whether it is the double circular headlights on the exterior, the contrasting body, the metal grille, or the interior color block design, which makes the whole car full of rich American colors. However, in terms of power, it is equipped with BYD hybrid technology and is a pure plug-in hybrid. With a retro appearance and the control of new energy vehicles, SS DOLPHINE is loved by many classic car enthusiasts. At present, the loose locomotive is still planning to reproduce the MPV modeled on the Volkswagen T1, or will be officially unveiled in the near future.
In addition to niche brands such as loose locomotives, the Great Wall has also adapted to the new opportunity of the retro trend and launched two classic replica models of the Eulabunk Cat and the Wei brand Dream. Eulerpunk Cat reproduces the original version of the Volkswagen Beetle that has been discontinued in 2019, probably to avoid infringement problems, punk cat did not completely copy the design of the Beetle, but its appearance and interior use contrast color matching and the addition of a large number of metal components, retaining some of the charm of the original Beetle. Another vintage car under the Great Wall, Wei Brand Dream, integrates the design style of a variety of American classic cars in the design, but like the punk cat, it adds the modern configuration of the triple screen interior and multi-functional steering wheel common to new energy vehicles, so that it can reproduce the classic in appearance and follow the times on the inside.
In addition to the domestic car companies "brain hole" to reproduce, the century-old brand Volkswagen is also aware of this opportunity. In response to a question from netizens about the replica electric Beetle, the CEO of Volkswagen said, "Classic models can always evoke good memories, and we are also actively thinking about how to extend this classic heritage to the electric vehicle sector, and we also want to listen to suggestions from China. Compared with the tribute of other car companies, the original factory reproduction may be more meaningful, and if Volkswagen, which holds a variety of classic "IP", can modernize the interpretation of classic models with the help of the MEB platform, it may lead a new trend.
03 Write at the end
In the era of electrification, the unique atmosphere of retro models has given many car buyers a new choice. It is foreseeable that with the continuous development of the new energy automobile industry and consumers paying more and more attention to the personalization of vehicle appearance, more car companies will join the reproduction of classic models in the future. Imagine if more and more retro models were driving on the road, perhaps only the green card on the car would tell us that we are in the era of electrification.