Home » A Deep-Dive Into The History Of China’s Bizarre Jeep Cherokee XJ Clones

A Deep-Dive Into The History Of China’s Bizarre Jeep Cherokee XJ Clones

Chinacherokeetop

In the early 1990s many small Chinese carmakers started building weird body-on-frame versions of the legendary unibody SUV, the Jeep Cherokee XJ. These Chinese XJ-like machines featured unique engines and came as pickup trucks and even wagon-like vans. Here’s a look at how these bizarre XJ lookalikes came to be.

It all started in 1984, the XJ’s first model-year and also the birth year of the Beijing Jeep Corporation, abbreviated BJC and commonly  known as Beijing-Jeep. This was a joint venture between the Beijing Auto Industry Corporation  (BAIC) and the American Motors Corporation (AMC), which owned Jeep. Under the terms of the agreement, the Chinese side would bring in land, factories, and people, while the American side would bring in the actual cars and  technology. This was a typical joint venture arrangement, similar to other agreements signed around  the same time, like Shanghai-Volkswagen (1984) and Dongfeng-Peugeot Citroen (1992).

Initially, Beijing-Jeep produced two vehicles: the Jeep Cherokee XJ and the Beijing BJ212L (a body-on-frame off-roader whose chassis, you’ll learn soon, would later be used to build utterly absurd XJ lookalikes). Under Chinese law at the time, joint ventures were necessary to gain access to the Chinese car market; the foreign partner was not allowed to own more than 50% of the shares in a joint venture. 

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

The Beijing-Jeep Corporation

When Chrysler bought AMC in 1987 it became the new partner in Beijing-Jeep. This continued until 1998 when Chrysler merged with Daimler to become DaimlerChrysler. From then on DaimlerChrysler was the new partner. The Beijing-Jeep joint venture remained alive until 2007 when Chrysler was sold to Cerberus. At that time, now-Chrysler-less Daimler-Benz took full control of the joint venture and renamed it Beijing-Benz. This joint venture remains to this day.

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Production of the Cherokee XJ continued almost until the end of Beijing-Jeep, and even afterwards, with BAIC continuing the production of some Cherokee variants for a few years more. Over the intervening years, the joint venture also produced the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler  Sebring JS, Chrysler 300C,  the Mitsubishi Outlander and Pajero Sport (Chrysler had a partnership with Mitsubishi), and the early versions of the BJ2022 Brave Warrior. The latter was a military vehicle for the Chinese army developed by Beijing-Jeep

The Beijing-Jeep Cherokee XJ 

No party goes without red ribbons. First Beijing-Jeep Cherokee rolls of the line. Note the  0001 window sticker.

In China, every production car gets one or more government-assigned designations. The system is extremely complicated and has changed many times over the years. But basically, the designation depends upon the car maker, the sort of vehicle, the vehicle’s size, and the vehicle’s engine. In 1985, the initial Cherokee XJ got “BJ2021” and “BJ2026.” BJ stands for Beijing, short for Beijing Auto Industry Corporation. Every car made by BAIC, including the ones made by its joint ventures, has a designation starting with BJ.

 

The Beijing Jeep Corporation made the Cherokee XJ only as a four-door, never as a two-door offered in other markets including the U.S. Like American-market XJs, the Beijing-Jeep was available with the 2.5 liter four and the legendary 4.0 liter inline-six engine. Over the following years, the range expanded rapidly. In 1999, Beijing-Jeep created a long-wheelbase version (BJ7250EL), various variants with a raised roof,  and a basic variant with rear-wheel drive only. The 2.5-liter versions had a five-speed manual gearbox, and the 4.0-liter version a five-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic; this all aligns with U.S. models.

My own 1998 Beijing Jeep Cherokee City Special with optional bull bar and after-market side bars. Note that by 1998, North American-market XJs had been restyled.

The basic versions were very basic indeed. I was lucky enough to own one for many years. It did without any luxuries; there were no automatic windows, there was no sunroof, and there wasn’t even a rev counter. The big advantage of this, and of similar basic variants of other cars made by other joint ventures, was that any repair shop in the country could fix my Jeep. This came in very handy, as build-quality was not, shall we say, fantastic. During my travels, I regularly had to take my Jeep to small repair shops in faraway places. But the mechanic, cigarette in hand, always managed to fix the car — and on we went. 

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Anyway, these XJs weren’t that weird since they were based on the actual XJ platform and featured the same engines. But don’t worry, things are about to go off the rails.

The BAW Beijing BJ212 and the Beijing-Jeep Beijing BJ212L 

BAW Beijing BJ212.

The other car made by the “Beijing-Jeep” joint venture between Jeep and BAIC was the Beijing BJ212L. The brand is Beijing, the designation BJ212L, so the full name was Beijing-Jeep Beijing BJ212L. This was a rudimentary body-on-frame off road vehicle based on the iconic Beijing BJ212 (without the L) that acted as a 4×4 utility vehicle for the Chinese armed forces. 

Production of this Beijing BJ212 started in 1965 at Beijing Auto Works (BAW), which eventually became a part of BAIC. The names BJ212 and BJ212L led to some confusion, so later on the Beijing-Jeep version was renamed BJ2020. 

The BAW Chassis Business 

BJ212 chassis and powertrain, as it was sold to other car makers.

Besides producing the BJ212 under its own brand name, BAW also sold the chassis and powertrain to many other Chinese automakers. These automakers then fitted their own bodies on. In almost any province one could find a locally-made variant of the BAW Beijing BJ212, with many different brand names. However, there was no technological development to speak of, and in 1985 the BJ212 was basically the same car as the 1965 version. 

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A typical local variant of the Beijing BJ212: the 1988 Hebei HB512C, made by the Hebei  Auto Industry Corporation of Hebei Province (company no longer exists). There were dozens of similar  companies making similar cars.

The Beijing-Jeep joint venture was tasked with updating the BJ212. From then on, there would be two lines: The Beijing-Jeep BJ212L and the BAW BJ212.

Beijing-Jeep was to modernize the original design, and to develop new variants. At the same time, chassis maker BAW would use technology provided by Beijing-Jeep to update its BAW BJ212. This may sound rather complicated but this sort of arrangement was common for the early joint-ventures, when the main aim of the Chinese side was updating their own cars.  

A 1990 Beijing-Jeep Beijing BJ212L.

Over the next decade, Beijing-Jeep created dozens and dozens of upgraded and new versions of the  BJ212L; with four doors, five doors, pickup trucks, wagons, military variants, and many more.  Some of these upgraded cars got the 2.5-liter Cherokee engine, though none ever used the 4.0. And BAW did indeed improve the original as well, creating new versions, even including an amphibious car. 

From BJ212 to Cherokee Clone 

During this time, the Beijing-Jeep Cherokee XJ gained popularity and sales exploded. Many cars went to various government agencies, but private sales were gaining momentum too. BAW continued to sell the original BJ212 platform to other automakers, and this is where something typical Chinese started to happen. 

These other automakers noticed the success and popularity of the Cherokee XJ. However, they couldn’t get their hands on it, as the joint venture didn’t license the XJ to others. But the carmakers did have the BJ212 body-on-frame vehicle. The obvious solution: build a Cherokee body and drop it on the BJ212 chassis. And that is precisely what they did.

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From the mid until late 1990s, a dozen or so smaller Chinese outfits created their own Cherokee clones. But they didn’t stop at the basic four-door version. They also came up with entire new Cherokee variants: four-door pickup trucks and wagon-like vans. They were all powered by the BJ212 engine: a  “492Q” 2.4 liter four-cylinder gasoline unit with 75 hp.  

They were based on a platform provided by BAW, a subsidiary of BAIC, the partner of AMC/Chrysler in the Beijing-Jeep joint venture, which made the real Cherokee XJ. 

Naturally, the dimensions were a little off. The Cherokee XJ was 360 millimeters longer than the BJ212, 340 higher, 40 wider, and with a 276 millimeter longer wheelbase. 

BAW Beijing 212 pickup truck.

Besides the 4×4 utility chassis, BAW also sold a pickup truck chassis to these other automakers. This chassis was basically a stretched variant of the BJ212, but mostly rear-wheel drive instead of four wheel drive. This chassis was used for some Cherokee clones as well.

Nushen JB6500, a Chinese Chevrolet Lumina clone. And it was powered by a Chrysler engine. More on this and  other clone cars in a later story.

These smaller companies did not only clone the Cherokee XJ, although it was by far the most popular car-to-clone. There were also clones of the Dacia Pick-Up, the Nissan Patrol, the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Toyota Previa, the Chevrolet Lumina (see above), and much more. 

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A Closer Look At The Bizarre Body-On-Frame Cherokee Lookalikes 

Beijing Changping Shahe Specialty Vehicle Factory 

Shahe BCS1021S.

The Beijing Changping Shahe Specialty Vehicle Plant was a small automaker based in Beijing’s Changping District. Officially, it was a so-called “specialty vehicle maker.” In China, that meant a company that made vehicles based on existing chassis from other companies — mostly flatbed and box trucks, but also more exotic machinery like refrigerator trucks, garbage trucks, and street-cleaning vehicles. In a way, one might say a pickup truck based one another’s chassis — like a Cherokee clone, for example — fit within the description, though most specialty vehicles were more like work trucks and commercial vehicles.

The BCS1021S was a typical Cherokee clone, based on the BJ212 with a clean design. It even had the badge on the same spot on the grille as the real Chinese-market Beijing-Jeep Cherokee! Sadly, the Beijing Changping Shahe Specialty Vehicle Plant is no longer with us today. It was taken over by Foton, a large truck maker now majority-owned by BAIC. 

(Incidentally, in China, companies are very often named after the province, city, or even district where they are  based. This practice started in the state-controlled economy of the 1950’s but survives until today. Mostly, the full company name includes the city and district, like with Beijing Changping. When researching Chinese companies, one can easily know its base, or historic base, just by looking at the  full name).  

Beijing Kaite Specialty Vehicle

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Kaite BKC6460.

Beijing Kaite Specialty Vehicle Cooperation was based in Changping as well. The operation made over a dozen different Cherokee clones, both wagons and pickup trucks. Their brand name was Kaite, and their company designation was BKC. The BKC6460 was a cool Cherokee clone with an extended rear compartment with benches in the back. It was rated as a nine-seat car. 

BKC1030 SFQ

The BKC1030 SFQ was a double-cab pickup truck with an interesting “flowing” C-pillar/sail pillar design.

BKC2030S

The BKC2030S was a more basic truck, with a low flat bed and high-mounted mirrors. The grille perfectly resembles the grille of the early Beijing-Jeep Cherokees. 

At Beijing Kaite, you could have your Cherokee clone in any color you wanted.

Beijing Automobile and Motorcycle Joint Manufacturing Company 

BAM BJ6400

The history of the Beijing Automobile and Motorcycle (BAM) Joint Manufacturing Company is almost as complex as its name. It was established in 1953 and merged and un-merged many times. Eventually, like so many smaller Beijing-based automakers, it morphed into the BAIC conglomerate. The BAM BJ6400 was a rather compact Cherokee clone, and, as always, was based on the BJ212.  

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BAM BJ6451.

The BAM BJ6451 was less of a Cherokee clone. It had an entirely different body and wasn’t based on a BAW BJ212 chassis. But it does have a Cherokee front, so I include it just to show how popular the Cherokee was in those days. Even non-Cherokee-style cars had Cherokee looks!

Beijing Xinhai Automobile Factory 

Xinhai XHQ6440Y.

The Beijing Xinhai Automobile Factory made some very pretty Cherokee clones, resembling the  original a lot. The brand name was Xinhai. The company is no longer around today. 

Xinhai XHQ1020S.

 Their double-cab pickup truck is so good looking that one wonders why AMC never developed a similar vehicle by itself. Strangely, it also gives me some Lamborghini LM002 vibes…

State-owned North China Traffic Machinery Factory 

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HBJ6440.

The State-owned North China Traffic Machinery Factory was a company from Hebei, the province surrounding Beijing. In the 1990’s they made several buses and SUVs. They produced one Cherokee clone, the HBJ6440. Red was a popular color! Note the oddly small mirrors and the cool 4×4 badge on the front fender. The company is no longer alive today. 

Hebei Renqiu Bus Factory 

RK1020S.
RK6490.

The Hebei Renqiu Bus Factory was a bus maker based in Renqui City in Hebei Province. It made a mix of small buses, SUVs and pickup trucks. There were two Cherokee clones: the RK1020S pickup truck and the RK6490 wagon.

Interestingly, the Cherokee clones had small reflector lights in the front bumper, a design feature unique to this company. 

Hebei Xingtai Automobile Factory 

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Hebei Xingtai XT1030.
Hebei Xingtai XT6470A.

Like so many of these carmakers, the Hebei Xingtai Automobile Factory started life as a bus maker, later on they moved into small trucks and vans. In the late 1980’s they started with passenger cars. The company made at least two Jeep Cherokee clones: the XT1030 double cab pickup truck, fitted with very classy wheels, and the CT6470A five-door wagon.

Sadly, the XT6470A didn’t have the same shiny wheels as the XT1030. Instead, it had to do with simple plastic covers. 

Hebei Xingtai 114th Automobile Factory 

XTC6460

Although similarly named, the Hebei Xingtai 114th Automobile Factory was not directly related to the Hebei Xingtai Automobile Factory. They were both based in the same city but the 114th made far crazier cars, including a somewhat famous Dacia clone. The company made only one Cherokee clone, the short-wheelbase XTC6460 4×4. The headlights appear to be smaller than on most other “Cherokees.”

Hebei Yanxing Machinery Factory 

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XYC6480.

The Hebei Yanxing Machinery Factory was, or is, originally a manufacturer of guns and missile launchers. In the late 1980’s it ventured into the auto industry, producing small trucks, minibuses, and a single Cherokee clone — the cool XYC6480, which was fitted with steel wheels and strangely small door handles. The company is still around, nowadays as part of the Norinco Group, China’s largest weapon maker.

Shijiazhuang Automobile Manufacturing Plant 

SQQ1020S.

Shijiazhuang is the capital of Hebei Province, and in the 1990’s home to many small automakers. Among those, the Shijiazhuang Automobile Factory was the biggest. They made three Cherokee clones: a four-door pickup truck, a wagon, and an extended wagon. 

SQQ6440.

The wagons had cool striping over the sides and mud flaps behind all wheels. The one above is the shorter SQQ6440.

SQQ6482.

The SQQ6482 was much longer car, with a larger wheelbase and rear overhang. It was rated as a nine-seat vehicle!

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Songliao Automobile Factory

SLQ1030T2.

The Songliao Automobile Factory was based in Shenyang, capital of northeast Liaoning Province. It was founded in 1949 as a repair shop for the army. In 1958, it started to make vehicles, and became one of the earliest automakers in China. The company made minibuses and small trucks at first, and in the late 1980’s went into more mainstream carmaking. They made a Cherokee pickup truck and various wagons. Interestingly, the latter were a mix of Cherokee and Toyota Land Cruiser design.


The SLQ6450 had a Cherokee front but the rest of the vehicle looks much more like a Toyota Land Cruiser. Note the bench in the rear cabin. It seated two, and there was another one on the other side. That made it a nine-seat vehicle again. The company also made a variant with a Nissan Patrol-style front.

Yizheng Huaxing Automobile Factory

HXQ6451

The Yizheng Huaxing Automobile Factory was based in the city of Yizheng in Jiangsu Province. The company made two Cherokee clones: a wagon and a double-cab pickup truck. Every Cherokee and Cherokee clone has a rather square shape, but Yizheng Huaxing took it to the extreme: Its Cherokee clones are the squarest of all.

HXQ1030.

Behold the HQX1030, painted in a trendy light green shape with yellow fog lights on the bumper. Sadly, the company existed only for a short time and is no longer with us. As far as I can see, it didn’t make any other vehicles than the Cherokee clones.

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Weifang Dongyue Automobile Manufacturing Plant

WFD5020XQC.

The Weifang Dongyue Automobile Manufacturing Plant was based in Weifang city in Shandong Province. I know the city well; they have lots of great cars down there, and nowadays the city is home to several low-speed electric vehicle (LSEV) companies. Weifang Dongyue made a wagon and a pickup truck, but unlike many of its competitors, theyits really tried to design something. The wagon especially looks great, with added panels below the doors and bumpers. The vehicle on the photo is a prisoner’ van, complete with blue decals and a police light bar on the roof

WFD1021S

The WFD1021S double cab pickup truck. The wheel arch extensions at the front run all the way down the bumper.

Xinxiang Firefighting Machinery Factory 

XFJ6460.

The Xinxiang Firefighting Machinery Factory was based in Xinxiang city, Henan Province. As the name implies, the company made firefighting vehicles and related equipment. The company also made other specialty vehicles like refrigerated trucks. It only made one passenger car and that was the XFJ6460 five-door Cherokee clone, fitted with big off-road tires and orange fog lights. The same lights, probably, as they used on its firefighting trucks.

Zhengzhou Automobile Refitting Factory

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ZZG5020XBG.


The Zhengzhou Specialty Vehicle Factory was based in the city of Zhengzhou in Henan Province. The company mainly made minibuses. The ZZG5020XBG was its only passenger vehicle, a clone Cherokee wagon with old-school door handles and black steel wheels.

Sichuan Nanchong Automobile Refitting Factory

NQG6480.

Sichuan Nanchong Automobile Refitting Factory made various kinds of police vehicles based on minivans. In the 1990’s its started to develop its own cars, mainly minivans and minibuses. The company made one Cherokee clone, the NQG6480 4×4 wagon. The factory photo shows two red cars going over rough terrain. Any Cherokee can handle that! (Though, oddly, these appear to be two-wheel drive). 

Recap

And those were the Chinese Jeep Cherokee XJ clones of the 1990’s. At least, the ones I know about. Undoubtedly, there were more of them. How many of each were made is largely unknown. There was no proper central register for car production numbers at the time, and I’m not sure these smaller car makers cared to tell their numbers to anyone. The cars were largely produced by hand using any part available at a given time. So even within a small series there could be lots of differences between the cars. 

An intriguing question is why the Beijing-Jeep joint venture never tried to stop the cloning. First, the cloning period didn’t last very long. In the early 2000’s most of the Jeep Cherokee clones disappeared, almost as fast as they had arrived. The Chinese government had started one of its many restructuring schemes for the auto industry, which led to the takeover of many of these smaller automakers by bigger ones, and that came with the killing of the brands. This was especially so in the big cities, with companies like BAIC and the Shanghai Auto Industry Corporation (SAIC) gobbling up lots of companies. 

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Secondly, one may wonder how much Beijing-Jeep knew about it.  This was long before the internet, and many of these smaller automakers mainly sold cars in their home provinces, or even just in their own cities. In the great book ‘Beijing-Jeep’ by Jim Mann, the clones aren’t mentioned at all. Mann was one of the first American managers on the ground; he brilliantly tells the tragicomic story of the ups and downs of the early years of BJC. Finally, a third reason why BJC didn’t do anything about the clones may have been the simple fact that BAW was a subsidiary of BAIC, and that it was earning much-needed money by selling chassis to others. What these others did exactly with the chassis wasn’t really BAW’s problem.

In any case, the fascinating episode in Chinese car history leaves us with a lot of colorful clone cars made by a diverse lot of small Chinese automakers. There were so many of them that they had to be creative to survive, and yet, in the end, they all more or less made the same kind of cars, and more or less disappeared.

Chinese terms

Chinese  English
北京吉普  Beijing-Jeep (BJC)
北京汽车制造厂  Beijing Auto Works (BAW)
北京昌平沙河汽车改装厂  Beijing Changping Shahe Specialty Vehicle Factory
北京凯特专用汽车  Beijing Kaite Specialty Vehicle
北京汽车摩托车联合制造公司  Beijing Automobile and Motorcycle Joint  Manufacturing Company
北京新海汽车厂  Beijing Xinhai Automobile Factory
国营华北交通机械厂  State-owned North China Traffic Machinery  Factory
河北省任丘市客车厂  Hebei Renqiu Bus Factory
河北省邢台汽车厂  Hebei Xingtai Automobile Factory
河北省邢台 114 汽车厂  Hebei Xingtai 114th Automobile Factory
河北燕兴机械厂  Hebei Yanxing Machinery Factory
石家庄市汽车制造厂 Shijiazhuang Automobile Manufacturing Plant
松辽汽车厂 Songliao Automobile Factory
仪征华兴汽车厂 Yizheng Huaxing Automobile Factory
潍坊东岳汽车制造厂 Weifang Dongyue Automobile Manufacturing Plant
新乡消防机械厂 Xinxiang Firefighting Machinery Factory
郑州市汽车改装厂 Zhengzhou Automobile Refitting Factory
四川南充汽车改装厂 Sichuan Nanchong Automobile Refitting Factory

 

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pip bip
pip bip
2 years ago

that was a great read, thank you.

Mikeinthewoods
Mikeinthewoods
2 years ago

The red ribbons and celebration are justified for these XJs, but there are no no photos of the vehicles from the back! What if the wrong illumination style is chosen? Party over. Ribbons on the floor. Celebrants gasping in horror.

Sincerely,
Concerned taillamp enthusiast.

markymark
markymark
2 years ago

All the grilles are 8 slot or more. Did AMC reserve the 7 slots to NA models only?

CSRoad
CSRoad
2 years ago

This was really interesting.
I would be really hard to find the right one in a salvage yard, but maybe that doesn’t matter.

BoxFullofSharpObjects
BoxFullofSharpObjects
2 years ago

Almost every one of these looks like they told someone who is really bad at drawing to draw an XJ Cherokee.

Rob
Rob
2 years ago

I’d like to mention this is exactly the rabbit hole of content I need to keep me away from the absolute wasteland of awfulness the internet, by and large, is. Thank you.

TomMetcalf
TomMetcalf
2 years ago

I have to say, the first bit of content has been great. I’m really loving this site! Hope to see a lot of folks from the other place.

Rozmar80
Rozmar80
2 years ago

I guess they were really desperate if they copied Dacia

Mod Motor Guy
Mod Motor Guy
2 years ago

Wow. This is pretty fucked up.

Lots of the clones are the sort of thing you would anticipate being drawn in 4th period. The car is close enough…..but there’s some dimensions and lines kind of askew……

nlpnt
nlpnt
2 years ago
Reply to  Mod Motor Guy

That and how not one of them seems to have thought to fill BJC’s model gap and build a two-door.

e30man
e30man
2 years ago

How are there so many of them?? This article is amazing.

Der-Foo
Der-Foo
2 years ago

Former Jalopnik reader here. Hooooollllyyyy Schnikees. This site has article after article with no politics. If this was on the J-site, we’d surely hear something about how the Chinese automaufactures were somehow better under CCP than any capitalistic manufacturers could ever be.

SR20DET
SR20DET
2 years ago
Reply to  Der-Foo

Totally agree.

pajamasquid
pajamasquid
2 years ago
Reply to  Der-Foo

>so sick of politics
>comment on an apolitical post on an apolitical website to imply that views other than yours are communism

Alrighty then!

Fantastic article, anyway, and exhaustively researched.

BigThingsComin
BigThingsComin
2 years ago

How hard was David when he edited this?

SNL_LOL Jr
SNL_LOL Jr
2 years ago
Reply to  BigThingsComin

Tungsten carbide hard.

Pockets
Pockets
2 years ago
Reply to  BigThingsComin

I got most of the way through the article before I realised it was by someone else.
I’m surprised someone passed that part of the job interview.

Vit
Vit
2 years ago

That BJ212 sure looks like it’s related to GAZ/UAZ

desertpir8
desertpir8
2 years ago
Reply to  Vit

I immediately thought Nissan Patrol 60 clone.

PompousMoo
PompousMoo
2 years ago

Next goal – pickup conversion of something that looks this cool.

Andrew
Andrew
2 years ago

Are there two David Tracy’s now? Two Jeep nerds?

Dest
Dest
2 years ago

Brilliant. I still remember back in the day a group buy (or something like it) of Chinese XJ front ends on NAXJA. Though oddly I don’t see that front end anywhere in this article.

Ranwhenparked
Ranwhenparked
2 years ago

Also, the BJ212 was based on an early prototype of what became the UAZ 469/UAZ Hunter. Due to the lengthy development cycles of the Soviet auto industry, there were already running prototypes prior to the complete Sino-Soviet split, when the countries were drifting apart but still kind of working together on certain things. Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant provided technical information to BAW, then cooperation stopped and the two companies went their separate ways, resulting in the BJ212 and 469 entering production as very different vehicles despite sharing the same ancestor

Man With A Reliable Jeep
Man With A Reliable Jeep
2 years ago

I have a strong lust for these, particularly the LWB version and the pickup/ute. Absolute chef’s kiss.

Autojunkie
Autojunkie
2 years ago

“The Beijing-Jeep joint venture remained alive until 2007 when Chrysler was sold to Cerberus. At that time, now-Chrysler-less Daimler-Benz took full control of the joint venture and renamed it Beijing-Benz. This joint venture remains to this day.”

Thank you for correctly stating this history! I’ve tried correcting this on the Wikipedia site several times and it kept getting reverted back to a Daimler-centric story that skewed the facts. I gave up trying after a while.

It means a lot to me that someone else truly understands the history of BJC, how huge a deal it was that AMC was the first North American car company to get a foothold in the Chinese market, and how the remains of Chrysler would once again have to start from scratch after Daimler literally just kept everything that AMC/Chrysler had created there.

06dak
06dak
2 years ago
Reply to  Autojunkie

It’s amazing what a head start Chrysler had, and how they completely squandered it in what would become the biggest car market that exists today. Not to mention what a disaster the Benz takeover was for no reason other than their own huburis.

Rob
Rob
2 years ago

Any venture with Jeep in any incarnation, in my opinion, *IS* a Jeep. See Mahindra Thar/Roxor for example. That is an actual licensed “Jeep” just as the Beijing Jeep was. There are quite a few of these examples including Mitsubishi Jeeps. If there is no actual connection or collaboration with Jeep (the brand/company) than it would be a clone.

Also- the Kaite BKC6460 looks like a XJ and a FJ60 had a baby.

frodo
frodo
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob

The actual XJs sure. The random copies of it, those aren’t jeeps.

Rob
Rob
2 years ago
Reply to  frodo

Agreed.

Saltier
Saltier
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob

Chinese industry has always had a habit of creating cloned products, sometimes building them in the same factories using “ghost shifts.” With cars, those clones might even use the same molds–the only difference being the quality of the materials. In the case of electronics, sometimes the clones are actually better than the legit licensed product.

Saltier
Saltier
2 years ago
Reply to  Rob

I think the Mahindras are actually more like an original WWII Jeep than anything Jeep in the U.S. is building. These are truly off-road, go-anywhere vehicles. The only drawback is that they are off-road only here. They are definitely a better option than a Can-Am or Honda UTV if you’re a rancher or farmer.

It’s a good thing for Jeep that the Thar isn’t sold in the U.S. because it basically out-Jeeps the Wrangler. It strikes me as a cross between the Wrangler and the Toyota FJ, in a good way. I’d definitely consider buying one if they were available here.

98Z28
98Z28
2 years ago

Never knew these existed. I have seen many clones from that area.

I wonder if they are so close you can exchange parts between the original and the clone?

Side question: Do the, shall we say unique, copyright and IP laws allow this to be more prevalent?

Der-Foo
Der-Foo
2 years ago
Reply to  98Z28

As far as I can tell, there really aren’t any copyright or IP laws in China. I’m sure there are ‘conflicts’ with rampant cloning of darn near everything, but I figure the various ‘business people’ and their CCP overseers work out deals so the making of the money can be done.

Saltier
Saltier
2 years ago
Reply to  Der-Foo

“…there really aren’t any copyright or IP laws in China,”

Effectively no, though I think there are laws, they’re just largely ignored. That, and the fact that if you own a U.S. or European patent, good luck enforcing it in a Chinese court.

beceen
beceen
2 years ago

The BKC1030 SFQ looks somewhat kinda landcruiserish…

amoore100
amoore100
2 years ago

Off topic perhaps, but the Nushen JB6500 always reminds me of the Lada Nadezhda, something about the high stance combined with the copied ‘dustbuster’ shape.

James in Northern Sweden
James in Northern Sweden
2 years ago

The question is, which one will David Tracey find, restore and use for an automative road trip around China?

SAABstory
SAABstory
2 years ago

Asking the important question.

nopithyusername
nopithyusername
2 years ago

He does need a fourth continent car.

JunkerDave
JunkerDave
2 years ago

Depends. These all seem very shiny. But if they use salt on the roads in China, there’s hope that somewhere in China, out behind a factory, there’s a completely rusted out carcass of a vehicle that will steal his heart.

ade_bod
ade_bod
2 years ago

Are you Torch in disguise? This is the best car nerd article I’ve read in ages and is now going to send me down a rabbit hole of looking at cloned cars. I love the North China Traffic Machinery Factory HBJ6440 and the Hebei Xingtai 114th Automobile Factory XTC6460 with the short wheelbase that just looks so wrong!

Citrus
Citrus
2 years ago
Reply to  ade_bod

Oh man you have no idea, this is the guy from carnewschina.com, and he’s shown off some wild Chinese market stuff that you wouldn’t even believe.

This website is going to rule.

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