English: Place: Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Chinese name: 哈飞中意 (hāfēi zhòngyì) Year of launch: 1999

Hafei was originally part of the military industry, China Aviation Industry Group and started producing cars in the early 80s. The earliest products were Suzuki Carry-based microvans and microtrucks, marketed under the Songhuajiang (Songhua River) brand. These vans had wide popularity in the 1990s. Together with Wuling, Changan and Changhe, Hafei/Songhuajiang was part of the big four of microvan production, and all four relied on Suzuki Carry technology. Hafei started cooperating with Pininfarina from 1996 and launched its first indigenous product in 1999, the Hafei Zhongyi. Later it launched vans, trucks and passenger cars like the Zhongyi/Ruiyi, Minyi, Lobo (Lubao), Saibao III and Saibao V, all in cooperation with Pininfarina, as well as the spectacular Hafei HF Fantasy Concept (2002). Sadly sales couldn't impress and Hafei, together with its subsidiary Changhe, was bought by Changan and things went only further downhill. Changhe was bought by BAIC in 2013 and is now finally recovering with an expanding product line-up with BAIC-technology, but it seems Hafei is no longer producing cars.

The Pininfarina-styled Zhongyi bread van and chassis cab Ruiyi entered the Chinese market in 1999. I think it is still one of the most stylish cars in its category ever produced.