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Shanghaied! Rolls-Royce knockoff wows Chinese showgoers
JULIAN RENDELL
Published Date: 5/2/05
Proving nothing is sacred, Hongki—longtime official supplier of cars for Communist Party officials in China—showed a design concept at the Shanghai motor show that most observers doubted they would ever see: a Chinese interpretation of the magisterial Rolls-Royce Phantom II.
At 20.75 feet long, six and a half feet wide, and sitting on a 12.8-foot-long wheelbase, the Red Flag HQD is even more imposing than the Roller thanks to its slabbier styling, squared-off front wings and immense (dare we say “International”?) grille.
The unveiling took Rolls’ Goodwood team by surprise: “We knew nothing about it,” said a Rolls-Royce official.
Chris Bangle, design chief for Rolls-Royce parent company BMW, seemed amused as he soaked-up the HQD’s lines: “I’d just like to find out some more.”
Rival designer Olivier Boulay, who runs Mercedes’ Tokyo design office, was more charitable: “I think this is great. Honest to the Chinese and the Red Flag’s heritage with that big, wide grille.”
Hongki is better known as Red Flag because the company traditionally supplied the official cars for China’s ruling Communist Party. HQD is intended to show how a Chinese luxury sedan could fit into today’s more capitalistic China.
Hongki says power for the Red Flag Roller will come from a 6.0-liter V12 or maybe a W12. As shown, the HQD was strictly a non-running design study, but we’re told the car is slated to go into production before 2008.
JULIAN RENDELL
Published Date: 5/2/05
Proving nothing is sacred, Hongki—longtime official supplier of cars for Communist Party officials in China—showed a design concept at the Shanghai motor show that most observers doubted they would ever see: a Chinese interpretation of the magisterial Rolls-Royce Phantom II.
At 20.75 feet long, six and a half feet wide, and sitting on a 12.8-foot-long wheelbase, the Red Flag HQD is even more imposing than the Roller thanks to its slabbier styling, squared-off front wings and immense (dare we say “International”?) grille.
The unveiling took Rolls’ Goodwood team by surprise: “We knew nothing about it,” said a Rolls-Royce official.
Chris Bangle, design chief for Rolls-Royce parent company BMW, seemed amused as he soaked-up the HQD’s lines: “I’d just like to find out some more.”
Rival designer Olivier Boulay, who runs Mercedes’ Tokyo design office, was more charitable: “I think this is great. Honest to the Chinese and the Red Flag’s heritage with that big, wide grille.”
Hongki is better known as Red Flag because the company traditionally supplied the official cars for China’s ruling Communist Party. HQD is intended to show how a Chinese luxury sedan could fit into today’s more capitalistic China.
Hongki says power for the Red Flag Roller will come from a 6.0-liter V12 or maybe a W12. As shown, the HQD was strictly a non-running design study, but we’re told the car is slated to go into production before 2008.
Nice story goddardzilla thanks.
