Beijing (China) - AllCarIndex

Beijing Automotive Group Co., Ltd., commonly known as Beijing Auto Works, was established in 1958 in Beijing, China. It was one of the first four automobile manufacturing plants in the country, alongside facilities in Changchun, Nanjing, and Shanghai. The company initially operated under the name Beijing Auto Works until 1966, when it was briefly renamed Beijing Dongfanghong Auto Works, before reverting to its original name in 1976.

The company's early production included the JINGGANGSHAN, introduced during the Great Leap Forward, and the Beijing CB4, a V8-engined convertible and limousine. The CB4 was produced in limited numbers, with only five units made, primarily for ceremonial purposes. In 1960, Beijing Auto Works launched the DONGFANGHONG, a smaller vehicle resembling the Russian Volga saloon. The company also developed its first all-wheel drive vehicle, the Beijing BJ210, in 1961, which was later succeeded by the more popular Beijing BJ212, becoming a standard 4x4 vehicle in China for several decades.

Throughout the 1970s, Beijing Auto Works produced the Beijing BJ750, which was not commercially successful, with only 90 units manufactured. The company experimented with various engine types, including a Wankel engine in the BJ751. In the late 1980s, a revival of the BJ750 occurred, utilizing a Jeep Cherokee engine, as Beijing Auto Works had entered a joint venture with American Motors in 1983.

In the late 1990s, Beijing Auto Works expanded its offerings with the Beijing BJ6470 Qishi, a four-door estate car based on an earlier Mazda 929 model, produced at the request of local taxi companies. This vehicle was available with two engine options, 2.0 and 2.2 liters, and was priced at 99,000 yuan.