The Hafei Ruiyi is a small cabover pickup truck made by Hafei Motor and developed in partnership with Pininfarina. In effect it is the load-carrying version of the Hafei Zhongyi microvan, using the same cab with its front end unchanged.
Hafei Ruiyi at a glance
| Maker | Hafei Motor, Harbin, China |
|---|---|
| Type | Microvan-derived cabover pickup |
| Design | developed in partnership with Pininfarina |
| Based on | Hafei Zhongyi microvan |
| Cab | identical front end to the Zhongyi microvan |
| Brazil and Uruguay | sold under the Effa Motors brand |
| USA | sold by Mag International as the T-MAG and T-MAG XC |
| Electric version | developed and supplied by MAG |
| Chile | launched in December 2007 with the Zhongyi and Lobo |
The English article on the Ruiyi is short; the model’s position in the Hafei range comes from the English article on the company.
History of the Hafei Ruiyi
Hafei’s microvans carried most of its production, and the Ruiyi extended the family sideways: the same cab as the Zhongyi, with a load bed behind it, aimed at traders who wanted a small truck with van running costs. Pininfarina took part in the development, as it did with the rest of the range.
The type is firmly rooted in a Chinese idea of transport. Vans of this shape are called mian bao che at home, bread-loaf cars, and in Chile, where microvans and pickups derived from them were extremely popular in the late 1970s and 1980s, they are known as pan de molde. The Ruiyi reached Chile in December 2007, launched alongside the Zhongyi van and the Lobo city car.
Outside China the truck carried several names. In Brazil and Uruguay it was sold under the Effa Motors brand, and in the United States MAG International marketed it as a utility truck under the names T-MAG and T-MAG XC. MAG also developed and supplied the electric version of the truck.
The Ruiyi was the first of the two Hafei records on this site to carry the Towner name: Hafei Towner was the badge used for the model in Brazil, where the pickup was sold as the Effa Picape.
Design and features
- Van-based cab: the Zhongyi front end carried straight over, which keeps tooling and parts simple.
- Load bed behind the cab: the point of the model, turning the microvan into a light utility truck.
- Pininfarina involvement: the Italian studio worked with Hafei on the shape.
- Electric option: an electric version developed and supplied by MAG in the United States.
Hafei Ruiyi versions
- Ruiyi pickup: the standard cabover load carrier.
- Effa-badged trucks: Brazilian and Uruguayan market versions, sold there as the Effa Picape.
- MAG T-MAG and T-MAG XC: the American utility truck versions.
- Electric truck: the battery version supplied by MAG.
The van it is derived from is the Hafei Zhongyi, and the city car launched with it in Chile is the Hafei Lobo. More cars are in the Hafei collection.
Video: Hafei Ruiyi on the road
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Hafei Ruiyi, English Wikipedia: derivation, Pininfarina, export names, Chile
- Hafei, English Wikipedia: company background and model list
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