The retired Xiali sedan that went on display at the Beijing Capital Museum in mid-April marked the start of the countdown to the humble car's exit by next year from the Beijing taxi market.
For two decades, the sight of the small red Xialis roaming the streets was part of the mainland's urban landscape. The Xiali is manufactured by Tianjin FAW and was once the workhorse of the taxi industry, snapping up 80 per cent of the market.
But as the mainland economy charges ahead and local governments try to improve their city image, the Xiali is giving way to more glittering models such as Shanghai Volkswagen's Santana, FAW-Volkswagen's Jetta, Dongfeng Citroen's Fukang and Beijing Hyundai's Elantra.
These higher-end cabs have become ubiquitous, with 66,000 units on the streets of Beijing while the Xiali's numbers have sunk to fewer than 7,000. Dwindling sales to taxi companies have, in part, forced Tianjin Xiali to undergo several rounds of restructuring, including a tie-up with First Automotive Works (FAW) in June, 2002, and a join venture with Toyota in June, 2000.
Tianjin FAW spokeswoman Amy Ma said private car buyers were now the company's target consumers and accounted for 90 per cent of Xiali vehicles sold in 2005.
Tianjin FAW reported a 70 per cent jump in sales for the year, to more than 200,000 units.
Zhang Zhengzhi, a senior analyst with Tianjin-based China Automotive Technology and Research Centre, said that gaining a foothold in the taxi market was not as significant as it was a decade ago because the number of private car buyers had exploded.