Jeep's Wrangler Design Concept for the Chinese market.
In case you didn’t know, 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon. Had you been following the news from this week’s Beijing Auto Show, that detail would have been all but impossible to miss, since a wide range of automakers launched dragon themed design concepts or limited editions at this year’s show.
Jeep's Wrangler Design Concept for the Chinese Market
Jeep, for example, showed off it’s Wrangler “Dragon” design concept, festooned with not only a dragon graphic, but enough gold trim to outshine New York’s Studio 54 in the late 1970s. There’s gold on the grille, on the headlight surrounds, on the wheels, and liberally slathered all over the interior. Why, you ask? Because it symbolizes prosperity, just as the dragon symbolizes power. Who wouldn’t want to kick off a “power and prosperity” design concept, which Jeep says could be put into production if enough people show interest.
Audi's Q3 Jinlong Yufeng Design Concept
The concept with the best name has to go to Audi’s Q3 Jinlong Yufeng, which translated means “Golden Dragon in the Wind.” If you’re sensing a tie-in to active sports, like the downhill skiing based Q3 Vail concept Audi showed in Detroit, you’d be correct. This time, the Q3 Jinlong Yufeng highlights the sport of kiteboarding, complete with roof-mounted board carriers, a kite pouch and a waterproof gear bag. Even the color, while not gold, is designed exclusively for the Chinese market, although it’s not clear if Liuli Yellow will be offered on a production vehicle.
The golden badge of an Aston Martin Dragon 88 Edition
It’s not just mainstream automakers who are piling on the dragon designs to appeal to Chinese customers, either. Aston Martin has announced a limited production run of “Dragon 88” models, available in DBS Volante, Virage Coupe and V8 Vantage S Coupe forms. Only 88 will be built in total, and each gets a 24-karat gold Aston Martin badge on the hood (guaranteed to be stolen within 15 minutes of parking), along with a golden dragon embroidered on the headrests and gold-painted detailing on the black-lacquer dash trim.
Aston Martin Dragon 88
The dragon is a noble icon, so it’s easy to understand why so many automakers embraced the symbolism. Still, we can’t help but wonder what they would have done if 2012 were the Chinese Year of the Rat.
Aston Martin Dragon 88
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
