Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

Chen Dong's acquisition of Saab Automobile actually had some advantages; at the very least, Saab's paint spraying technology was showcased on the "Dilu" car.

Saab's predecessor was a fighter jet manufacturer, and it made great achievements in paint mixing. At this moment, the silver-gray "Dilu" shines with a golden light in the sunlight. The glowing paint on the body is still a top-level craftsmanship even in today's world.

The crowd was quiet for a moment when the silk cloth was pulled down, but then erupted into a thunderous roar. The workers waved their work hats, some jumped for joy, some were moved to tears, and some were beaming with pride.

Amidst the cheers and shouts of the workers, Chen Dong and Zhou Haimin joined forces to pull down the curtain on the second "Dilu" sedan. It was an all-black car, which was more composed, more reserved, and more dignified than the silver-gray one!

"My God, this black one is even more beautiful!" Guo Xuemin unconsciously gripped her pen tighter, exclaiming in disbelief, "Is this really a car that China can manufacture?!"

The experienced mechanic she had interviewed earlier was displeased and immediately retorted, "Of course it's true! From the engine to the transmission, from the chassis to the interior, everything was assembled by our Xiaochi Auto!"

Guo Xuemin turned her head and looked at the proud old master craftsman. "Master, where did you work before?"

"Me? Hehe, I worked at the Second Automobile Works for over twenty years," the old master craftsman grinned. "When I first started, our workshop foreman wanted me transferred to Tuocheng, and I wasn't happy about it. Now, even if they try to get rid of me, I won't leave!"

"Why?"

"The equipment here is many times more advanced than that of the Second Automobile Works, and the workers are highly motivated and enthusiastic," the veteran craftsman said, pointing to the third "Night-Shining White" sedan whose curtain had been drawn back by Chen Dong and Zhou Haimin. "The key is that we can now produce sedans that rival international advanced mainstream models!"

"We built it!"

The experienced foreman shouted loudly, and his fellow workers and apprentices, hearing this, all joined in the shouting, "We built it!"

"We built it!"

"Long live Snapdragon Motors!"

"Long live Made in China!"

More and more workers joined in the shouting, and the photographer kept pressing the shutter, pulling the shouting workers and three brand-new cars into the rubber circle.

"Zai Dong, the sedans you manufacture are simply the most beautiful domestically produced cars I've ever seen," Zhou Haimin said, walking around the car before opening the door and sitting in the back seat to experience the comfort of this luxury car worth $250,000.

"Your Xiaochi has brought honor to our Tuocheng Special Economic Zone!"

Chen Dong waved his hand and replied modestly, "Secretary Zhou, you flatter me. Our Xiaochi Motors still has a lot of room for improvement!"

"Hahaha!"

When Zhou Haimin heard Chen Dong's previous comment that he was being too modest, he thought Chen Dong would continue to be modest. However, Zhou Haimin directly said, "There is still a lot of room for improvement," which was very Americana-esque.

Arriving at the "Zhaoyebai" car, Zhou Haimin opened the door and peered inside. Unlike the understated luxury of the "Dilu" eunuch's all-leather and all-wood trim, the "Zhaoyebai" interior had many more plastic parts. Plastic was used on everything that could be used, such as the center console and door panels.

The interior space is quite spacious and doesn't feel cramped. Even in the back seat, Zhou Haimin, who is 1.8 meters tall, still has plenty of room for two fists.

The front of the car also features integrated headlights, but compared to the 'Dilu's' fierce headlights, the 'Zhaoyebai's' headlights appear much more gentle, and the grille still features the 'wing' design with the eight-shaped upturned shape.

Clearly, this is the classic design of the future Snapdragon car grille, just like the large nostrils of the Bavarian engine plant. As soon as you see this "wing" grille, you will think of Snapdragon cars.

As a mid-size car priced around 100,000 yuan, the "Night White" has a 2.5-meter wheelbase, a streamlined body, and is available in four colors: white, silver-gray, cyan, and black.

"Zai Dong, how much do you plan to price this car, Xiao Chi? A flat price of 100,000?" Zhou Haimin sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the steering wheel, looking at Chen Dong in the passenger seat.

Chen Dong turned the key for Zhou Haimin, and the electronic instrument panel lit up instantly. Zhou Haimin was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected the car's instrument panel to be an electronic screen.

"We will launch three price tiers: a manual youth model at 70,000 yuan, an automatic leading model at 85,000 yuan, and an automatic luxury model at 100,000 yuan!"

Zhou Haimin asked, puzzled, "What's the difference?"

"There's a big difference," Chen Dong explained to Zhou Haimin. "The Youth model with a manual transmission only has a mechanical dial and is the most affordable. The Leading model, on the other hand, is an automatic with an electronic display screen and has a moderate configuration. Some features can be added as options if the customer needs them, such as upgrading to a higher-end audio system."

"As for the luxury model, it comes fully equipped. Unlike the youth model, which only has airbags for the driver and front passenger, the luxury model has airbags as standard throughout the vehicle. It also boasts 200 horsepower, fully meeting customers' power needs!"

"You really know how to do business," Zhou Haimin said with a smile and a shake of his head. This car is divided into three grades, not just for the purpose of selling at a low price. Even if Chen Dong hadn't said it, Zhou Haimin could guess that in China's official vehicles, there are not only the special cars for leaders, but also the police cars for public security officers.

This manual transmission model is undoubtedly a car that Chen Dong tailored specifically for the police officers. Moreover, the price of 70,000 yuan is not expensive. With 150 horsepower and a spacious interior, it can fully meet the daily patrol needs of the police officers.

As for the premium and luxury models, they are tiers designed for future vehicle procurement by local governments. If you ask why local governments don't just buy "Dilu" directly, they need the money.

Besides, such a luxurious car as the "Dilu" is only available to high-ranking central leaders. You, a city-level leader, want to ride in the same car? I think you're doomed.

To ride in a "Dilu" (a type of car), you need to be at least a provincial-level leader. With a price of 200,000 US dollars, which is nearly 600,000 Chinese yuan, to be honest, in the early days of reform and opening up, no provincial or municipal leader dared to openly purchase and use such a car.

It wasn't until the 1990s, with the localization of the Sihuan 100, that the vehicles procured by governments at all levels in China began to move towards luxury. Later, even luxury cars worth millions, such as Mercedes-Benz and Maybach, were added to the procurement list.

Xiaochi Motors' current strategic plan is to leverage the luxury of the "Dilu" to build brand value, and rely on the "Zhaoyebai" to target government official vehicles, combining high and low-end models to promote each other.

By the 1990s, China's market economy had begun to flourish. Foreign car manufacturers that entered the market later faced fierce competition from the already established Snapdragon. Not only were they outmatched by Snapdragon in overseas markets, but even China, the last bastion of peace and prosperity, became Snapdragon's prey.