Most Chinese car brands have a history of less than a decade with one very notable exception, Hongqi (Red Flag). Founded in 1958 as China’s first car brand, its roots are in building cars for the top echelons of the political leadership. When First Automobile Works (FAW), the owners of Hongqi, got hold of the designs for the third generation Audi 100 as part of the joint venture agreement, they thought the sky was the limit. Armed with a Chrysler engine, they set about sullying the Hongqi name with cars being used as taxis and producing even a pickup truck version.

The H7 is about claiming the heritage back. Launched in March, sales were initially only to government departments and of the three engines available, the 2.5 litre V6 is exclusively for official procurement. In May, the 2.0T and 3.0l V6 versions went on sale to the public.

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