Haven't seen these bad boys in a while!

Created in 1958 under Mao to compete against foreign luxury cars, the domestically-made Hongqi (meaning Red Flag) was intended for foreign dignitaries and the party elite. Mao even picked up Nixon in a first generation Hongqi. Although it had become a symbol of Communist benefit and pride, the popularity of the Hongqi was short lived. Production was halted in 1981 due to the deadly combination of limited oil supplies and the vehicle’s gas-guzzling mileage. Starting in the 1990s, Hongqi stubbornly tried to make a comeback despite the fact that second, third, and fourth generation models all dived.

And yet, the Hongqi is jumping back on the horse and fighting for a 2013 comeback, recently making an appearance at the 2013 Shanghai Autoshow. With 30% of China’s public servants using foreign car models like Audis, the central government’s efforts to bolster Hongqi popularity appear to be based not just on a desire to reclaim market shares, but as a boost to national pride too. FAW, the producers of the Hongqi, want to invest 1.98 billion yuan to produce 30,000 new Hongqis over the next year.

The new 5th generation series exhibited in the 2013 Shanghai Autoshow consisted of the L9, L7, and L5, all of which look like a sleeker version of a retro Rolls Royce with eccentric detailing.The L9 is a civilian version of the bullet-proof, 400 horsepower L9 that Hu Jin Tao previously sported. 'Civilian’ seems optimistic, though: selling for £1 million, their priciest model is the most expensive Chinese car. Eyebrows cannot but raise, therefore, at the government's claim that a key motivation in producing these beasts is to avoid extravagance.

It may be grabbing attention with its gaudy novelty now, but it remains to be seen whether Hongqi's best can restore Party pride. We won't hold our breath.