Author | Message |
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◊ 2009-10-09 00:12 |
Original title: 7인의 새벽 ("chil" seems to be 7 from what I found, and rest of the title matches the transliteration) |
◊ 2009-10-09 00:22 |
The Koreans really do love their own cars! You wouldn't see that sort of dedication in the USA towards their own cars! |
◊ 2009-10-09 01:23 |
Is every car in Korea a freaking Hyundai Sonata? |
◊ 2009-10-09 08:59 |
I like the North Korean car selection better than the South Korean. |
◊ 2009-10-09 12:06 |
What car selection!? |
◊ 2009-10-09 12:10 |
If there weren't any cars in N-Korea I guess you wouldn't need these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sYR43hSdYw |
◊ 2009-10-09 13:26 |
The South Korean government uses heavy import tariffs to protect domestic manufacturers. |
◊ 2009-10-09 14:22 |
There is indeed a kind of North Korean car industry - resp. "Potemkin villages" of a lookalike-car industry. Hrrmmphhh, I cannot find the Youtube of the North Korean (!) car-commercial, a license-production of the Fiat Siena. Is anyone around here able to help me? We've posted this video a long time ago in the forum. I've found out something about cars in North Korea, because some weeks ago I had the crazy idea, that it could be interesting to visit this strange country, so I've bought all reachable travelling books about North Korea in German language. But except the fact, that travelling there is quite expensive, I haven't found anyone else, who would be interested to come with me. Back to the North Korean cars: in one book was written, that the plan about assembling the Fiat Sienas is still just a plan. There shall be a plant for it, but until now there is no running production. And there shall be a plant, where they produces (less or more illegal) copies of some Mercedes-cars, GAZ-Jeeps and Chrysler-Jeeps. btw.: somewhere over here soneone has posted a pic of a North Korean-faked Mercedes 190 [W201]. But it's a still unknown question, if North Korea really produces illegal copied cars or if they just make "badge engineering" - just putting own phantasy-badges and names on foreign cars. This is quite usual, as one traveller wrote in his book. So the Toyota Landcruisers, which are in use for the transportation of Western tourists, are labelled as "Cuckoo", and shall be produced in the town of Nampo. But in fact it seems, that they just have changed the badges. |
◊ 2009-10-09 14:33 |
@Lateef: have you seen the other video on the list: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YVIBawHaQY&feature=related Very very strange, because it's definetely impossible for Western people, to come to North Korea with the own car. The only chance would be, if you are working for a longer time at an embassy or for a NGO. Is the plate identifyable? It seems to be white, so meant for cars used by state-owned companies and authorities. Black plates are for the army, blue for the diplomatic corps ad orang for private cars - but noone has seen an orange plate there. -- Last edit: 2009-10-09 14:34:42 |
◊ 2009-10-09 19:27 |
All the (known) vehicles made in North Korea are here. http://picasaweb.google.com/birgit1401/DprkAutomobiles# Erik van Ingen Schenau, who put that page together, has also written a book called "Automobiles Made in North Korea". http://www.chinesecars.net/index.php?page=4 The rebadged Siena is or was the Hwiparam, assembled by Pyonghwa Motors from imported CKD kits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyonghwa_Motors (Full disclosure: quite a lot of that entry was written by me...) Ppeokkugi (Cuckoo) is a name used by Pyonghwa first on the Fiat Doblò and then on pickups imported as kits from Chinese manufacturer Dandong Shuguang. So yes they change the badges, but not on real Land Cruisers. http://picasaweb.google.com/birgit1401/DprkAutomobiles#5274441633548923474 |
◊ 2009-10-09 19:50 |
Very interesting links... Thanks, Gag Halfrunt! |
◊ 2009-10-09 20:06 |
I have the book of North Korean cars. Very interesting to read how many different vehicles have been designed and assembled there, mainly heavy trucks and dumpsters. Photos are almost impossible to find. In many cases official stamps issued by DPRK and showing countrys engineering achievements are the only source of photographic evidence. |
◊ 2009-10-09 20:10 |
Wow, very interesting, many thanks. The back doors of the Ppeokkugi are looking like that ones from the Opel/Isuzu Frontera, resp.its Chinese copy. The most common imported cars shall be Mercedes Benz and Volvo, I've read in the travelling books. P.S. @Raul: the big question is, if really these many cars were made or if it's just propaganda. This is the biggest question about everything in/about North Korea. -- Last edit: 2009-10-09 20:11:42 |
◊ 2009-10-09 20:13 |
A lot of Chinese pickups and SUVs seem to be Toyota clones, Isuzu clones or a mixture of the two. |
◊ 2009-10-09 20:19 |
Indeed many vehicles are known only as a codename. Whether they were built is another matter. The author of the book told me that these days it is easier to find pictures because so many tourists post photo albums of their trips in DPRK. Of course those photos are all from Pjongyang and basically taken in the same streets. So it is no wonder that some of the buses and registration numbers are becoming very familiar after awhile. |