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The Shanghai SH760 was a car produced in China from 1965 to 1991, mainly for government officials below the level that warranted a FAW Hongqi, and as a taxi. Its design was based on the 1954 Mercedes-Benz 220S, with front and rear styling altered to recall American Packards of the same era.
Shanghai SH760 at a glance
| Maker | Shanghai City Agricultural Machinery Manufacturing Company, later STAC and SAIC |
|---|---|
| Production | 1964–1991 |
| Built | 79,526 cars of all SH760 versions |
| Design basis | Mercedes-Benz 220S (W180), 1954 |
| Styling | front and rear recalling the Packard Patrician of 1955 |
| Engine | 2.2 L Jinfeng 680Q straight-six, 90 bhp |
| Later engine | 2.3 L Jinfeng 682Q straight-six, 100 hp (SH760B) |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual |
| Layout | front engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Wheelbase | 2,830 mm |
| Length | 4,780 mm |
| Weight | 1,440 kg |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Shanghai SH760.
History of the Shanghai SH760
The story began on 28 September 1958, when the Shanghai Automobile assembly line produced its first prototype, called Fenghuang, or Phoenix in English. It was based on a 1957 FSO Warszawa and used a 2.1 litre Nanjing NJ050 four-cylinder engine, itself a copy of the Soviet Pobeda M20 unit. The Phoenix cars are recognisable by round headlights and rear fins, and their front end resembled the American Packard Patrician of 1955–1956 and the 1956 Plymouth Savoy.
A second Phoenix prototype appeared in January 1959 with quad headlights, and the third, named Jiaotong, followed in November 1959 with twin headlights again and a grille incorporating two dragons. The final prototype was re-based on the Mercedes-Benz 220 (W180), and the production Phoenix went on sale in the summer of 1959, though very few were made.
In December 1964 the modified Phoenix was renamed Shanghai SH760 and entered full production. Only fifty cars were built in 1964, but by the mid-1970s factory capacity reached 5,000 a year. The SH760 was powered by the Jinfeng (Golden Phoenix) 680Q, a 2.2 litre straight-six developing 90 bhp and driving through a four-speed manual gearbox. Like the body, the mechanicals copied 1950s Mercedes-Benz practice, although the engine was OHV rather than OHC. Construction was by hand, with old-fashioned methods and on a small scale: a 1985 visitor described the process as chaotic, with many body parts rusting before they were painted, though the metal was so thick that the panels still outlasted the engine and transmission.
Design and features
- Mercedes-Benz underpinnings: the body centre section and much of the running gear came from the 1954 220S.
- American-inspired styling: the original front and rear echoed the Packard Patrician.
- Hand-built bodies: production was small-scale and old-fashioned, with thick steel panels.
- Government and taxi work: the car served officials who did not rate a Hongqi, and taxi fleets.
Shanghai SH760 versions
- SH760 (1964–1974): the original car with 1950s-style front and rear.
- SH760A (1974–1989): fully redesigned ends around the carry-over centre section; about 49,000 built.
- SH760B (1988–1989): 2.3 litre 682Q engine of 100 hp and a choice of two trims; air conditioning became available with this model.
- SH760C and SH760D: single- and extended-cab pick-up prototypes that entered production as the SQ110 and SQ110A.
- SH1020SP and SH1021SP: later pick-ups, the second using exterior parts from the Volkswagen Santana; 6,000 trucks built to 1994.
- SH7221 and SH7231 (1989–1991): the SH760A and SH760B under China’s new designation system.
The SH760 was the main product of Shanghai’s car industry before the Shanghai-VW Santana took over. More cars are in the Shanghai collection.
Sources
- Shanghai SH760, English Wikipedia: history, engines, variants, production