China's first limo and Chinese leaders

BEIJING - What sedans did Chairman Mao Zedong choose for parade and daily use? Some of them could be found in a private classic car museum in Beijing, capital of China.

Located 80 kilometers north of the city, the Beijing Classic Car Museum has 200-plus old limousines comprising Chinese and foreign brands like Hongqi (Red Flag), Ford, Dodge, Desoto, Mercedes-Benz and Volga.

Among them are 36 national sedan Hongqi vehicles and they are Luo Wenyou's favorites. He is the owner of the museum.

"Some of them were once used by Chairman Mao Zedong, Premier Zhou Enlai, and Marshal Nie Rongzhen," the 58-year-old Luo said.

In his eyes, "Hongqi represents China and Chinese car manufacturing the best."

In 1956, the Communist Party of China held its central political bureau meeting. Chairman Mao expressed his wish to be driven in a homemade car to the meeting.

At the time, China's auto industry was budding following the country' s First Automobile Works (FAW) poised to break ground in 1953 in Changchun, capital city of northeast Jilin province.

"'Live up to Mao's expectations, make a desirable car dedicated to him' had become a popular cry since then," Luo told.

In 1958, the first Hongqi sedan was produced by the FAW in response to Mao's wish.

Since its debut as parade sedan at Tian'anmen Square in 1959 during China's 10th National Day celebration, Hongqi's role has never been changed.

Chinese people have regarded the brand as the nation's pride for its links with party leaders and historical role in the country.

As told by Luo, Hongqi has been the state guest sedan replacing former Soviet Union's ZIS since 1964.

"In the sixties and seventies, being driven in a Hongqi car ranked alongside visiting Chairman Mao and staying at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse as one of the highest privileges for foreign dignitaries," Luo said.

In 1961, Indonesia's former President Sukarno paid a visit to China. During the welcome ceremony along the Tian'anmen Square, he stood on the Hongqi CA72 Cabriolet to salute people. But due to longtime standing, he felt tired and stepped onto the seat sitting on the back.

Afterwards, Premier Zhou called for making a review car in which leaders and guests could either stand or sit.

One year later, the FAW developed a car that fulfilled Zhou's requirement. In the car, the reviewers could press a button and escalate the seat. Helped by this, they could be seen as if still standing.

Luo did not tell whether this kind of car has been used by other reviews after that.

But he collected a special car which witnessed Zhou's fight with bladder cancer.

"There is only a stretcher behind the driving cab," Luo introduced, "Premier Zhou could lay on the stretcher."

"The window was covered by curtain in order not to be recognized when it was driven among the fleet," Luo disclosed.

Luo Wenyou was born in the countryside in north China's Hebei province and lined his pocket by running a transport company, a karting site and an automobile repair shop since the age of 24.

He took fresh crack at collecting world classic cars from 1978 when private car was still a rarity in China's street, and has poured in tens of millions yuan into his "cause" up to now.

"I can' t exactly count how much money I have put in. The cars are priceless for me," said Luo.

His life was intimately entwined with Hongqi since 1998, when Louis Vuitton Classic, one of the world's largest free classic-car rallies, landed in China.

Luo drove the three rows of seats Hongqi CA770 in the rally from Dalian to Beijing as the only Chinese player.

He had almost 60 classic cars to choose from for the rally, including many high-performance world-level limousines.

"But I chose the Hongqi because a Chinese player should drive his own Chinese car in the game," he said.

As Luo's first Hongqi car, the V8-engined CA770 has a lesser-known legendary history. "The previous owner of it is Nie Rongzhen."

Nie (1899-1992) was a prominent Chinese Communist military leader and one of ten Marshals in the People's Liberation Army of China.