We all know the term 'Made In China', but this past weekend I discovered a new variant, 'Made FOR China'. Or more accurately, 'Made IN China FOR China'. This case of MICFC caught my attention parked on in the street, thanks to its mash-up of Citroen and Peugeot models. The front end design and logos suggested it was a Citroen, but the body style was clearly a 5-door hatchback Peugeot 206. It turns out that this special Chinese model was first produced in 2006 in a joint Dongfeng-PSA factory in China (a joint venture between the Chinese auto manufacturer Dongfeng and the parent company of the French brands Peugeot and Citroen). It was developed because of the greater recognition and popularity of Citroen in China compared to the relatively unknown Peugeot brand. With a quick nose and butt job, PSA was able to create a new model based on their popular 206 for China at a low cost. As with the 206, a 3-door version was also offered. While it's not the most beautiful small car out there, it was still interesting to discover a model of car I didn't know existed. A different Citroen C2 was produced and sold in Europe from 2003 until 2009. This was a unique model to Citroen and was only sold in a 3-door hatchback version. Of the two I certainly preferred the Euro C2, which had a more original and distinctive design I have previously mentioned: Now I'm curious to know if there are any other 'Made in China for China' models out there. Does anyone know of any China-specific models that foreign brands don't sell anywhere else in the world?
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AuthorWelcome! My name is Paul, and I am an old-fashioned, low-pressure, low-buck car fan with lots of automotive stories to tell! Archives
February 2020
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