Porsche and Mercedes-Benz proposals for China Family Car Project explored

Today's Chinese car industry is barely recognizable from that of 20 years ago, and the country is now the biggest market in the world.

But in 1994, when the industry was still in its relative infancy, the Chinese government launched the 'China Family Car Project', inviting 20 major Western carmakers to develop proposals for a five-seat, cheap and environmentally-friendly family car for the Chinese market.

The chosen proposal would be made in China under a joint venture with First Auto Works (FAW). Several automakers – including Chrysler, Fiat, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Opel and Porsche – responded with designs that would all debut at that year's Beijing auto show.

When we look at Porsche's proposal today, it's hard to believe it was designed by the same brand that developed stylish sports cars such as 911 Turbo.

The C88's status as the odd one out was epitomized by the replacement of its usual badges with a specially designed logo that represented the typical Chinese family unit under the one-child policy. Porsche designers seemed keen to emphasize this part of Chinese culture, also kitting the C88 out with a single child's seat.

The C in C88 stands for ‘Cheap', ‘China' (Chinese characteristics), ‘Comfort' and ‘Clean', while eight is considered a lucky number in China. It also reflected how much Porsche calculated it would cost – 88,000 Yuan.
In 1995 the Chinese government scrapped the China Family Car Project. Not content to consign the C88 to history, Porsche pitched it to Indian automakers, but with no success.

It now resides at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

Mercedes-Benz considered the Chinese market crucial. With the China Family Car Project's launch, it had a platform from which to develop one of the most important concepts in recent times. Renowned concept car designer Harald Leschke was charged with developing the proposal for the FCC, or ‘Family Car China'.

Considered revolutionary at the time for its one-box design and modern people carrier-like appearance, it offered occupants much more space than other compact cars, putting it on a par with an upper mid-range sedan. However it was shorter than normal compact cars in its class, measuring in at 3,560mm long.

It could also be adapted into different versions including a seven-seater, a five-seater pickup with a small cargo area, or a two-seater panel van.

When the China Family Car Project was cancelled, elements of the FCC and the Vision A93 Concept were combined to form the first-generation A-Class, which would debut in 1998.

By Rufus Thompson