Hongqi: From State Limousines to EVs — the Story of China's Oldest Passenger Car Brand

Hongqi, whose name translates as "red banner," is the luxury arm of state-owned FAW Group and China's oldest passenger car brand, having launched in 1958 in Changchun, Jilin. Its first model, the CA72, was unveiled on 1 August that year with styling drawn from a 1955 Chrysler and a roughly 197 hp V8 under the hood; the fan-inspired grille from that era still adorns today's cars. Early Hongqis carried party leaders and foreign dignitaries, and Chairman Mao took a personal interest in the program even though he claimed not to have ridden in one until Nixon's 1972 visit. The long-lived CA770, built from 1963 to 1980, totaled about 1,600 units and spawned a three-row long-wheelbase version plus the armored CA772.

The brand stopped production in 1981 but returned in the mid-1990s. For roughly a decade afterward, Hongqis were largely localized foreign cars — the Audi 100 and Lincoln Town Car were built and sold under the name between 1995 and 2006. FAW's third-generation push, the 2006 HQ3 based on the Toyota Crown Majesta, flopped with around 500 first-year sales and was renamed Shengshi with deep discounts in 2007. The H7 followed around 2013 as transport for minister-level officials, and the People's Liberation Army bought at least 1,000 units in 2014.

A January 2018 strategy event at Beijing's Great Hall of the People introduced a new design language and logo, and sales surged: from 33,000 units in 2018 to over 100,000 in 2019, past 200,000 in 2020, and beyond 300,000 in 2021. On 8 January 2023 the marque announced a global new-energy strategy, and that same year it created two sub-lines — Golden Sunflower for ultra-luxury models and Hongqi New Energy for pure electrics — while re-entering the minibus segment with the 23-seat QM7 and setting up a dedicated brand operations committee.

Retail offerings are now organized into three ranges: the Golden Sunflower ultra-luxury line (including the L5 sedan and LS7 SUV), a transitional Energy-Saving range of combustion and hybrid models, and the New Energy electric series. The lineup spans compact to full-size sedans (H5, H6, EH7, H7, H9 plus the E-QM5 and Tiangong 05), an SUV ladder from HS3 up to HS9 alongside the E-HS9 and Tiangong electrics, and the HQ9 MPV. Giles Taylor holds the role of chief design officer.