Hongqi Qijian CA7460 Chinese Luxury Sedan (Lincoln Town Car Conversion)

A rare Hongqi Qijian CA7460 leaving Winter Drive 2025, organized by Purist Group, at Industry Hills Expo Center. Founded in 1958 under First Automotive Works (FAW Group), Hongqi (红旗), which means “red flag” in Chinese, is a luxury automobile brand that originally produced cars exclusively for high-ranking government officials. The CA7460 was a rebodied third-generation Lincoln Town Car (FN145) built in partnership with Ford Motor Company and is powered by the Town Car’s 4.6-liter SOHC V8 engine. This example is based on a U.S.-market 2001 Lincoln Town Car purchased in 2022 by a student of ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA originally from China who also purchased a 2000 Hongqi CA7460 in China. The original exterior components of the Hongqi were removed, shipped to the U.S., and installed on the Town Car. Finished in Black Clearcoat with Deep Charcoal leather interior, this car wears the front registration plate of the original Chinese donor car and carries that car’s registration paperwork for display purposes.

For those of us who now live in a different country from where we grew up, our culture of origin will always be a part of our identity and we may at times long for things, be it a meal, a song, or a car, that bring us back to our homeland. This is a car that does exactly that. The Hongqi name is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and history and undoubtedly evokes a sense of national pride. Some may dismiss this car as a mere replica, but the CA7460 has always been essentially a rebodied Town Car and production was not specifically numbered. Plus, it actually uses parts stripped from an actual CA7460 in China which was sacrificed for this build. I don't know why the owner didn't just wait a few years to import the original car under the 25-year rule, but given the complexity of the import process perhaps his method proved to be more efficient. Yes, it probably took a heck of a lot of effort, time, money, and work to acquire both cars in different countries, disassemble them, ship the parts of one car to the other's country, and install those parts on the other car. Plus, given the CA7460's rather conservative design and its profile which is very familiar to Americans, most people here probably wouldn't give this car a second glance. But that only shows why this is such a special project. To its owner, it's a true labor of love for his country and his culture that can connect him with his homeland each time he gets behind the wheel.

Would you go through as much effort as this owner did to recreate a significant car from your homeland or your childhood? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!