Hongqi CA72 History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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The CA72 was the first Hongqi, unveiled on 1 August 1958 during the Great Leap Forward as a symbol of China's industrial ambition. Designed with a V8 engine producing around 200 PS and a long, formal body, it was produced exclusively for senior Communist Party officials and heads of state — private purchase was never permitted.
Production ran from 1958 to 1965 in extremely limited numbers, with the car doubling as a diplomatic showpiece on the international stage. It was succeeded by the longer and heavier CA770, which carried Chinese leaders through the Cultural Revolution era.
Body styles
- Sedan
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