As we all know, there are many rare treasures in the Forbidden City, and many of these treasures are the specialties of the Qing Empress. I wonder if you noticed an old car that looked shabby but very precious when you visited the Forbidden City. This old car is a black wooden carriage with four solid yellow wheels. The vehicle looks more like an open carriage, but its real identity is the first luxury convertible imported from China. This ancient classic car is also the exclusive car of Cixi.

Empress Dowager Cixi's car

Although the Qing Dynasty adopted a closed-door policy and the rulers were very stubborn and conservative, those foreign objects from overseas occupied a considerable number in the precious collection of the Forbidden City. This imported car is a luxury car that Yuan Shikai specially invited foreign automobile craftsmen to build on Cixi's 67th birthday in order to please her.

It is said that when Empress Dowager Cixi first saw this rickshaw, she didn't take it seriously. It was only when she heard that she could run automatically without a horse that she felt a little surprised. However, because the driver of this car has to sit in front of Cixi, it obviously does not conform to the concept of Empress Dowager Cixi. Therefore, Cixi was put on the shelf after riding once.

Old photos of Cixi

In this way, this car, perhaps the first foreign car in China, remained idle in the warehouse of the Forbidden City until the 1960s, when the car stored in the warehouse for a long time was damaged. Not only did the engine fail to start, but the headlights and steering wheel on the car were already damaged. After people's transformation, this ancient car that has been sleeping for a hundred years reappears in the sight of tourists.

1976, the engineer of Mercedes-Benz in Germany accidentally saw this car and thought it was the second generation Mercedes-Benz produced by Mercedes-Benz. He planned to replace this old broken car with a new car of 10.

Ancient cars

However, the Forbidden City explicitly rejected their request, and this car is still kept in the Summer Palace. The reason for refusing Mercedes-Benz's request is also simple. Experts in the Forbidden City in Beijing believe that this ancient car collected in the Summer Palace was not produced by Mercedes-Benz.

Through the appraisal and investigation of automobile experts, they found that the production time of this car in the Forbidden City was 1896, and the appearance of this car did not exist in the picture book of Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, under the seat cushion of the car, there is also a string translated into? Tulia? This is the name of an American brother. The cars they produce are all assembled by two brothers by hand.

Empress Dowager Cixi's car

All kinds of evidence show that this car is not made by Mercedes-Benz. According to the evidence at present, this antique car that Empress Dowager Cixi once sat in was even earlier than the Ford car in the United States. In this way, the historical significance of this seemingly dilapidated abandoned car will be even more significant.

However, there are still many disputes about the origin of this car and many mysteries have not been solved. If ancient people's goods are given away so easily or exchanged in other countries, it will undoubtedly be a huge loss for the cultural relics industry or the automobile industry.

classic allure

Therefore, even if Mercedes-Benz offered a high price to recycle this antique car, the Forbidden City refused without hesitation. First, it was not looted in the war, but purchased through legal channels. The person who owns this item certainly owns the ownership of this car. Second: the historical significance of this car is also far-reaching, and all the puzzles have yet to be verified. Even if it is rejected by Mercedes-Benz, it is understandable.