What was the earliest car in China?
2 Answers
China's earliest car was the Minsheng brand truck, which was a cargo vehicle. Below is relevant information: 1. Introduction: The first domestically produced car—the Minsheng Model 75 truck. 2. Background: To celebrate the debut of the first domestically produced car, the Liaoning Mortar Factory held a grand celebration. The truck had a load capacity of 1.82 tons, featured a long front end and brown color, and was equipped with a six-cylinder water-cooled gasoline engine producing 65 horsepower. It had a wheelbase of 4.7 meters, single tires on all four wheels, and a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour. 3. Features: The self-designed cushioned rear axle had its own unique characteristics. The radiator was divided into four sections, allowing the car to continue running normally even if one section was damaged. Apart from the engine, rear axle, electrical components, and tires, which used original parts, the factory redesigned and manufactured all other components.
I remember hearing from elders when I was a child that the earliest car in China wasn’t actually a domestically made vehicle, but rather an imported one. It’s said that back in 1902, Empress Dowager Cixi acquired a French-made Daimler car, which was specially transported into the palace—considered the first gasoline-powered car to run on Chinese soil. However, it never gained popularity and remained merely a royal toy. The real milestone for China’s own automotive brand came in 1956 with the production of the Jiefang (Liberation) truck by the First Automobile Works in Changchun—that was the first domestically manufactured vehicle. I often find it quite fascinating how history took such a turn: from a palace novelty to mass transportation. The Jiefang truck immediately contributed to national construction and freight transport, gradually laying the foundation for China’s automotive industry. Later, I visited some automobile museums, where photos of those simple, bulky trucks stood as milestones, proving that Chinese people could also manufacture big things—step by step, leading to today’s era of cars filling the streets.
