Red Flag, the limousine made famous by chairman Mao Zedong and other state leaders, is battling to survive as foreign brands have started to encroach on its turf.
Meanwhile, its manufacturer, fighting a rearguard action, is set to launch a new series of Red Flags on July 15, the company's 47th anniversary. First Auto Works Group (FAW), which is based in Changchun in Liaoning province, says the new models will be 100 per cent domestically manufactured.
Since 1996, the company has been manufacturing a model in a joint venture with German car-maker Audi.
At last month's Auto China 2000, the largest vehicle show held in Beijing, audiences were enamoured by the lines of foreign cars, including James Bond's BMW, sleek Ferraris and Buick sedans. The Red Flag, being just one of the also-ran models, seemed to be swamped by the sea of 3,000 cars from more than 20 countries.
Gone are the days when the Red Flag was used to carry its paramount leaders on National Day parades and the sight of it on the streets meant an important dignitary was passing by.
A symbol of power and prestige, or even an emblem of national spirit to the most patriotic, the Red Flag has undergone many changes since the country converted itself into a market economy.