Big honk for Hongqi turnaround

TIRED of being driven around in Soviet-built sedans in the 1950s, Chinese leader Mao Zedong wanted China, a rising power globally, to have its own state limousine and commissioned a locally produced car.

The brand, Hongqi or Red Flag, became a national champion and ferried high-ranking officials for decades before it fell out of favour as foreign competitors entered the Chinese market and Hongqi’s petrol-guzzling engines became untenable.