Cycler SKL160

The 1993 Cycler SKL160 was an attempt by China’s First Automobile Works to create an affordable “people’s car” for ordinary families.

Developed during the early 1990s, the project was designed around the typical Chinese household of the period: two parents and one child under the country’s one-child policy.

The idea was initiated by Hua Fulin and two other senior FAW researchers and engineers. After spending their professional lives developing vehicles for government and national leaders, they decided to work on a small car intended for private buyers.

The project was named “Sankoule,” literally meaning “Three Mouths,” a reference to the standard three-person family.

An initial prototype was completed in 1991. During the same year, designer Dong Ruifeng created a more advanced clay model for the project. This design was named the Cycler SKL160 and represented a further development of the original Sankoule concept.

A running Cycler prototype was presented to the public in 1993. It was powered by a 250cc engine and had a claimed top speed of 80 km/h, or approximately 50 mph. The planned price was below US$3,500, placing the vehicle within the intended range of a modest family car.

The compact size, low projected price and three-seat concept reflected the project’s focus on practical private transport. Rather than developing a larger conventional passenger car, FAW explored a smaller vehicle tailored to the needs of a family with one child.

In February 1994, a third model was presented to the press. Despite the public presentation and the plan to offer an inexpensive family vehicle, the project never progressed beyond the prototype stage.