Tanghua XY08

The final public appearance of a Tanghua vehicle took place in Paris in October 2008. Fittingly, it brought things full circle: the model on display was called the XY08 — “XY” standing for Xiaoya. It turned out to be the original 1994 prototype, updated with modern touches and a new coat of paint.

The car was showcased at the booth of French importer “China Automobile.” Curiously, in promotional materials, it was referred to as the Chika. The updated version featured a more powerful 4 kW motor, stood slightly taller than the original red version (now 1540 mm), and had a slightly extended wheelbase of 1710 mm.

The brochure depicted the car with black seats, a darker paint finish, and steel wheels — giving it a more refined look for its Paris debut.

A market release was planned for 2010, but that never materialized. This marked the last known public appearance of the company.