China Car Times

Earlier this week, Erik let us know this piece of sad new:

From Beijing I got the message that one of the three still living Hongqi
(the old state model) designers passed away in Changchun the day before yesterday. This man, Mr. Cheng Zheng, was a very aimable and intelligent person who spoke fluently English, a language he had learned himself when he was locked up in his own house during the cultural revolution and the red guards hadn’t noticed his linguaphone course. Mr. Cheng Zheng, who was in his early eighties, was even nowadays active in drawing cars, FAW had a special desk for him at the FAW Car office, he walked daily (even in the hard winter time) to this office to work there. The Chinese car designer I liked him very much, an independent spirit, with a strong believe in the development of the independent Chinese car industry. We will miss him.

Mr. Cheng Zheng will be missed by many people, his designs for the first range of Hong Qi cars were amazing for the time, and many of them have lasted well into 2008 since their handmade production decades ago. Perhaps the most saddest thing of all is the fact that Mr. Cheng Zheng only saw the begining of the independent Chinese car industry, he was born in a time of great upheavel, then lived through some very turbulent times which lead to the delay of Chinas assent to the top of the motoring world. We hope his work is continued to be honoured by those who knew him best.