Soar Automotive

Soar Automotive, officially Qingdao SOAR Automotive Group, Ltd., is a Chinese motor-vehicle manufacturer and specialist coachbuilder headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong. Its business is centered on vehicle conversion and the construction of low-volume or bespoke vehicles for institutional, commercial, ceremonial, emergency, and specialized-use applications rather than on mass-market passenger cars. Its portfolio has included ambulances and patient-transport vehicles, police and military vehicles, funeral hearses, limousines, courtesy buses, exhibition vehicles, camper-style vehicles, and other recovery or special-purpose vehicles. The company's history is associated with the Qingdao Jinma Auto Refit Works, which began automobile production during the 1990s. Reference material gives differing dates for the earliest production activity, citing 1990, 1996, or 1997. Soar Automotive itself was formed in 1991 through the merger of several Qingdao automotive companies, and the company is described as having produced automobiles under the Soar name since 2001. This development placed the business within China's emerging specialist-vehicle and vehicle-refitting sector, where manufacturers adapt existing commercial or passenger-car platforms for uses that require distinctive bodywork, equipment, or interior layouts. Soar became known for unusual retro-styled and ceremonial products. Early examples included the Saint Horse, an open-top firefighting vehicle designed with 1920s-inspired styling, and a courtesy bus produced under license from the Asquith Mascot Courtesy Bus design. Another distinctive product was the Shengma camper van, built on a Ford Transit chassis. These products demonstrated the company's emphasis on visual customization and niche applications rather than standardized high-volume production. From late 2008, Soar produced a reinterpretation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom V. The vehicle was based on the Brilliance BS6 platform and used a Mitsubishi 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Soar also developed a retro-style funeral hearse based on the Brilliance BS4 platform and a luxury model called the SOAR 1 single, likewise derived from the BS4. These vehicles illustrate the company's approach of combining locally available vehicle platforms with specialized body designs and premium or ceremonial presentation. Soar ended production of passenger cars in 2011. The company has continued to operate in vehicle conversion and recovery vehicles, with its activities focused on special-purpose manufacturing rather than conventional passenger-car sales. Its Qingdao corporate campus comprises approximately 40,000 square meters of buildings and supports a workforce described in reference material as about 80 engineers and 180 other professional staff. Publicly available information about its ownership, leadership, financial performance, export footprint, and current model range is limited.

Soar Automotive is a Qingdao vehicle manufacturer whose identity is closely tied to specialized coachbuilding and vehicle conversion. Its institutional background includes the Qingdao Jinma Auto Refit Works, which reference material places at the beginning of the company's automobile-manufacturing history during the 1990s. The available accounts disagree on whether the earliest production began in 1990, 1996, or 1997, so those dates should be treated as historical alternatives rather than a single confirmed founding event. The Soar organization was formed in 1991 through the merger of several Qingdao-based automotive companies. The merger created a broader manufacturing base for vehicles requiring customized construction, body modification, and specialized equipment. Rather than pursuing the scale and standardized model cycles associated with major passenger-car manufacturers, Soar developed products for institutional and niche markets, including emergency services, public authorities, ceremonial use, commercial transport, and special military applications. The company is described as having produced automobiles under the Soar name since 2001. Its early and notable products included the Saint Horse, an open-top firefighting vehicle styled after 1920s designs, and a courtesy bus produced under license from the Asquith Mascot Courtesy Bus. Soar also made the Shengma camper van, an unusual vehicle based on the Ford Transit chassis. These products reflected the company's willingness to use existing chassis while creating distinctive bodywork and specialized interiors. Soar later broadened its bespoke luxury and ceremonial range. In late 2008 it began producing a vehicle that reinterpreted the Rolls-Royce Phantom V. Instead of using an original Rolls-Royce platform, the Soar model was based on the Brilliance BS6 and powered by a Mitsubishi 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. The reported output was 100 kW with 200 Nm of torque. The company also built a retro-style funeral hearse on the Brilliance BS4 platform and developed the SOAR 1 single luxury car, also based on the BS4. These products positioned Soar in a highly specialized segment where styling, presentation, and adaptation of an available platform were central to the offering. Soar ended passenger-car production in 2011. After that change, its continuing activities were associated with vehicle conversion and recovery vehicles, alongside its wider specialist-vehicle capabilities. Its product categories have included ambulances, patient-transport vehicles, police cars, military vehicles, funeral hearses, limousines, courtesy buses, exhibition vehicles, and other custom-built vehicles. The company's Qingdao campus covers approximately 40,000 square meters of buildings. Reference material describes a staff base of around 80 engineers and 180 other professional employees. Public information does not establish a complete current product catalog, detailed ownership structure, executive roster, financial record, or international distribution network. Accordingly, Soar Automotive is best characterized as a continuing Chinese specialist manufacturer whose principal distinction is customized and special-purpose vehicle production rather than mass-market automobile manufacturing.

• 2011

  Passenger-car production ended

  [1]Soar Automotiveen.wikipedia.org

  Soar stopped producing passenger cars and continued focusing on vehicle conversion and recovery vehicles.

• 2008

  Phantom V-inspired vehicle introduced

  [1]Soar Automotiveen.wikipedia.org

  From late 2008, Soar produced a reinterpretation of the Rolls-Royce Phantom V using a Brilliance BS6 platform and Mitsubishi engine.

• 2001

  Automobile production under the Soar name

  [1]Soar Automotiveen.wikipedia.org

  The company is described as having produced automobiles under the Soar name from 2001.

• 1991

  Soar Automotive was formed

  [1]Soar Automotiveen.wikipedia.org

  Soar Automotive was established through the merger of several Qingdao-based automotive companies.

A Chinese specialist vehicle manufacturer and coachbuilder focused on bespoke conversions, ceremonial vehicles, emergency and institutional vehicles, and other low-volume applications.

• Special-purpose firefighting vehicle

  Saint Horse

  The Saint Horse was an open-top firefighting vehicle with styling inspired by automobiles of the 1920s. It represents Soar's early emphasis on visually distinctive, specialized vehicles rather than conventional standardized passenger cars.

• Courtesy bus

  Asquith Mascot Courtesy Bus

  Soar produced a courtesy bus under license from the Asquith Mascot Courtesy Bus design. The model formed part of the company's niche commercial and passenger-transport offering.

• Camper van

  Shengma

  The Shengma was an idiosyncratic camper van built on a Ford Transit chassis. Its design illustrates Soar's practice of adapting an established commercial-vehicle platform for a distinctive recreational and lifestyle application.

• Bespoke luxury car · 2008

  SOAR Phantom V reinterpretation

  Introduced from late 2008, this Soar model reinterpreted the styling of the Rolls-Royce Phantom V while using the Brilliance BS6 platform. It was powered by a Mitsubishi 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine reported to produce 100 kW and 200 Nm.

• Funeral vehicle

  SOAR funeral hearse

  Soar produced a retro-style funeral hearse based on the Brilliance BS4 platform. The model was part of the company's ceremonial and specialized vehicle range.

• Luxury car

  SOAR 1 single

  The SOAR 1 single was a luxury vehicle based on the Brilliance BS4 platform. It belonged to Soar's low-volume bespoke-car activities and was distinct from the company's emergency, municipal, and commercial conversions.

• 2011

  Exit from passenger-car productionStrategy

  Background

  Soar had produced passenger cars alongside specialized and converted vehicles, but its later business profile emphasized niche applications and vehicle conversion.

  Action taken

  The company ended passenger-car production and continued operating in vehicle conversion and recovery vehicles.

  Aftermath

  Soar's publicly described activities remained concentrated on specialized, institutional, ceremonial, and recovery vehicles rather than mass-market passenger cars.

  Source

1. 1Soar Automotiveen.wikipedia.org
2. 2A sight for SOAR eyes – A look at SOAR Automotives vehicleschinacartimes.com