Before the electric car trend swept by, the two-door models of domestic car brands were like a rare treasure, and there were only a handful. Geely's "Beauty Leopard", with its unique charm, was the first to emerge, followed by the Chinese Cool Treasure, which continued to write the legend of the two doors in a unique manner, and the BYD F8 is like a hidden treasure, little known but shining with innovative light. Despite this, our fate always seems to pass by the "Coupe", and the joint venture brand follows suit, with reservations about the introduction of two-door small cars, so the domestic car world has a little less streamlined style.
However, in the long river of time, there is always a forgotten brilliance. As early as more than 30 years ago, the domestic brand quietly wrote a glorious chapter of "double steel cannon", these models are not only scarce in number, but their design also contains a hint of JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) style charm, making people feel as if they have traveled through time and space, and feel the avant-garde and passion unique to the early domestic sports cars. They are not only witnesses of history, but also spiritual symbols of China's automobile industry, which has the courage to explore and is unwilling to be ordinary.
Jiangbei Motor
The precious images were frozen in time and space in 1988, when the Beijing Agricultural Exhibition Center was dressed up for a national passenger car exhibition. On that historic occasion, the most striking position in the stage spotlight, the so-called C-position, was proudly occupied by a pair of brightly coloured and uniquely designed coupes. These two models wearing red and white suits not only captured the curiosity and appreciation of every pair of eyes present, but also left their unique mark in the history of automobiles, their names are Jiangbei JJ720, as if they are the messengers of innovation and fashion in that era, quietly telling the glory and dreams of the past.
I don't know how many people know Jiangbei Automobile, this automobile factory is located in Jilin City, Jilin Province, the full name is called the state-owned Jiangbei Machinery Manufacturing Factory, and it is a subordinate unit of North Industries Group.
Fiat 126P replica car
In 1986, Jiangbei Automobile Factory was exploring two projects, the first was to use the Polish Fiat 126P as the prototype to imitate a small vehicle with similar functions, and the second project was to use the Subaru Rex as the prototype car, which was also imitated and produced, and the focus of the discussion was which car was more in line with the current production capacity.
Fiat 126P real car
Let's take a look at the appearance of these two cars, first of all, the Fiat 126P, a model that only the middle and upper class "10,000 households" dared to consider in the early 80s, when this car was imported to China duty-free and sold a lot.
Another Subaru Rex, Guizhou Aerospace Company introduced this car at the end of 1980, but it was already the second generation when it was relaunched, and it was called Guizhou Skylark in China.
After a rigorous trial production stage, both models developed their own prototypes, and after a meticulous comparison and selection, Jiangbei Automobile Factory finally focused on the Subaru Rex as an ideal imitation blueprint and took a key step towards large-scale production.
The JJ720, a model of innovation and dreams, with its well-designed wheelbase of 2,295 mm, achieves a sophisticated layout of 3,195 x 1,395 x 1,420 mm in size, showing the perfect balance between space use and dynamic aesthetics. Its identity is particularly diverse and mysterious in that era, not only imprinted with the regional glory of Jiangbei, but also given the nickname of "Magic Arrow" and "Meilu", although the names are different, but they all point to the same core - code name JJ720, which is not only the naming of a car, but also the engraved memory of an era.
The actual production of this model was even less than that of the limited edition, with 30 units produced in 1988 and 128 units in 1991.
JJ720
Subaru Rex real car
We can see that although the JJ720 and Subaru have basically the same shape, there are some subtle differences. That's because the body of JJ720 is not sheet metal stamping, but made of fiberglass, and its shaping effect is not as good as the current plastic, so the gaps, edges and corners are relatively rough, and of course, the durability is not high.
The first engine comes from the Liuzhou Internal Combustion Engine Factory's LZ276QA,644cc displacement, 21kW maximum power, and maximum speed of 95km/h.
The second engine is Daihatsu's ED10, which has a displacement of 846cc, a maximum power of 30kw, and a top speed of 125km/h.
Qinchuan SX720
Another fierce man in the temple of two-door performance cars comes from Hebei Qinchuan Automotive Electric Co., Ltd., which first emerged as the SX720 and then underwent a significant name change to stand proudly in the market with a QCJ7050 new look. This change not only gives it a new codename, but also a reshaping of its identity and positioning.
The two series of names "North" and "Qinchuan" are not only a tribute to the geographical roots, but also contain a deep friendship for the vast land and a firm commitment to quality. These names are not just a combination of cold words, they are like a brand, marking the story and feelings behind each model, so that the driver can feel the strength and pride from the land of China in every acceleration and every turn.
QCJ7050, as the latest masterpiece under Qin Chuan, it not only carries the glory and dream of the brand, but also continues to write the legendary chapter of the "Steel Cannon" model with its unique design language and surging power performance. It is not just a means of transportation, it is the embodiment of speed and passion, and the physical manifestation of the endless pursuit of the ultimate driving experience. On the road in the future, Qinchuan QCJ7050 will undoubtedly become a rare ideal partner in the hearts of drivers who pursue dynamic driving and love free galloping.
The SX720 was produced in a "very large number" from 1987 to the end of production of about 500 units, and these cars are relatively large in Xi'an, and most of them are used as taxis.
Don't look at it looks like a toy car in the park, but its price is very high, in 1990, the SX720 was sold for 25,000 yuan, and ordinary 10,000 yuan households are not qualified at all. This money, when buying a house and buying stocks, may now increase in value by more than one million, and buying SX720 can leave a "good reputation" of an old-school car owner.
Like most domestic cars at the time, the SX720 was not made of stamped metal, and its body was produced by a fiberglass mill in Qinyang District, Henan Province, which may be the only time period for such companies to enter the automotive industry.
When tracing the origin of the Geely SX720, we have to mention a history of changes in the automobile industry that transcends time and space. The story begins in 1992, when China's auto industry was poised to take off, and Qinchuan took the first major step to launch the local production of Suzuki Alto models. This small and economical model, like a fresh wind, blew through the fashionable and immature Chinese auto market, laying the groundwork for subsequent industry changes.
Fast forward to 2003, and the picture of China's automobile industry has added a strong stroke. This year, BYD, a name that later became famous in the global new energy field, completed the strategic acquisition of Qinchuan Automobile Factory. This move not only marks BYD's official entry into the field of automobile manufacturing, but also indicates that China's auto industry is about to usher in earth-shaking changes and rapid development.
When we focus on today's protagonist - Geely SX720, it is not difficult to find that it carries not only the brand's technical accumulation, but also the epitome of the extraordinary journey of the entire Chinese automobile manufacturing industry from imitation to innovation, from following to leading. Compared with its predecessors in the historical background, the SX720 has shown a significant generational leap in terms of design concept, power performance, and intelligent configuration. Through the comparison with the previous models, each upgrade of the SX720 is a direct reflection of the accurate insight into market demand and technological innovation strength, demonstrating the self-confidence and rise of Chinese brands on the global automotive stage.
To sum up, from the initial cry of Qinchuan Alto, to BYD's mergers and acquisitions, to Geely SX720's gorgeous debut, this is not only a change of several models, but also a vivid portrayal of China's automobile industry from youth to maturity, and even leading the world. Behind each model, there is the mark of the times and the progress of the industry, which together draw a magnificent industrial development scroll.
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