Makes › FAW › Dongfeng CA71 · Prototype · 1958 Ultra Rare
FAW
Dongfeng CA71
China's first passenger car; about 20 built, two known survivors (Beijing; Hongqi factory museum Changchun)
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: AMS061974 · Public domain
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 20 Built
- Years
- 1958
- Engine
- Four-cylinder (derived from the Mercedes-Benz M121 design) · 1,930 cc / 1.9 LFactory: 1,930 cc
- Power
- 52.2 kW / 71 PSFactory: 70 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 128 km/hFactory: 128 km/h
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Shi Qihe (deputy design director) and Hu Tongxun (chief engineer), FAW
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Dongfeng CA71 was the first passenger car built in the People's Republic of China, produced by First Auto Works (FAW) in 1958 at Mao Zedong's request. Only about 20 were hand-built and just two are known to survive, making it a foundational but extremely scarce piece of Chinese motoring history.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionabout 20 built | 201 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The decision to have FAW build a passenger car was taken in April 1956, and the first CA71 was completed on 12 May 1958. Deputy design director Shi Qihe and chief engineer Hu Tongxun led the work, loosely basing the car on the first-generation Simca Vedette, while its 1,930 cc four-cylinder engine was derived from the 1955 Mercedes-Benz M121 design. FAW had no real production line at the time, so the roughly 20 cars were essentially made by hand. The name Dongfeng means 'East Wind'.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Dongfeng CA71.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Four-cylinder (derived from the Mercedes-Benz M121 design)2 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 1,930 cc / 1.9 LFactory: 1,930 cc2 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 52.2 kW / 71 PSFactory: 70 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource says '70 horses' without stating hp or PS. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 128 km/hFactory: 128 km/h2 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
China Car History – The First Auto Works Dongfeng CA71 was China's first car Level B
- 20 about 20 built
-
2
The First Auto Works Dongfeng CA71 Was China's First Car Level B Tycho de Feijter · ChinaCarHistory · 2018-04-19
- The 2.0 (1930cc) liter four-cylinder engine
- In the CA71 it developed 70 horses
- good for a 128 km/h top speed
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