Hongqi CA7220 History

After lying dormant since 1981, Hongqi re-entered production in 1996 with the CA7220 — a modified version of the Audi 100 body (manufactured by FAW-Volkswagen) fitted with a Chinese-made CA488 gasoline engine. By 1997 it had sold nearly 28,000 units, the most profitable year in the brand's history to that point.

The CA7220 spawned an extraordinary range of derivatives: stretched limousines, parade cars, and station vehicles — at least 24 distinct variants — most based on the Audi 100/200 platform. The model line ran until 2005, when FAW began developing an entirely new Hongqi direction.