01
Origins
The Ruiyi of 1999 extended Hafei's true franchise: the micro commercial vehicle — tiny vans and pickups descended from Japanese kei-class engineering that carried China's small commerce through its fastest-growing years. Cheap to buy, simple to fix and legal everywhere, such machines moved produce, parcels and families across every province; Hafei stood among the segment's major producers alongside Wuling and Changan. The Ruiyi's forms multiplied through the 2000s, and production continued under Changan's ownership. No glamour attaches to the class, which is precisely its historical weight: China's economic miracle rode substantially in the load beds of vehicles like this, purchased with a shop's first profits. A nation's logistics, at their smallest scale, have rarely had a plainer or more faithful servant.
Hafei Ruiyi 08 Jul 04 Santiago · Viva Chile · Public domain
