万花筒 2009-04-25&04-26 中国汽车的历史沧桑（在线收听）

They don't make him like they used to in China and perhaps that is a good thing. Lu Wenyou collects these old Chinese classics called Red Flags. Production ran from 1958 to 1971.

"The quality was in line with the rest of the world," he says, "Some functions used the most advanced technology.”

It was quality over quantity. In 21 years just over thousand were ever made.

“This is the Five Flag, Red Flag." he said, "It was built by hand."

This ultra long limo was made for Chairman Mao, but he died before it was finished.

These cars were built for a different time when only elite leaders had the privilege of riding in a convertible like this one, where they could stand in the back and waved to the adoring masses as they sped by.

These days the masses have hit the road. Last month the Chinese bought more than a million new cars, many are first time buyers like this farmer from Inner Mongolia spending 7000 us dollars cash for an old Chinese made minivan.

"We saved for two or three years," he says," We built a house, bought appliances, then decided to buy a car." He is heading out to some of the most dangerous roads in the world where on average 200 people died in accidents each day.

Terrifying for new drivers like Lu Chao. "At the beginning I didn't dare go out by myself," she says, "because there are so many other cars on the road."

Even though she passed her driver's test last year, this is only the second time that Lu has been on the open road and so it's all a little bit nerve-racking and Lu seems uneasy as well. So she's hired a driving coach to guide her.

It's all a change from a land of bicycles a generation ago. From Mao to now, China has for the moment become the world's biggest car market and that comes with the biggest number of new inexperienced drivers as well.

John Vause, CNN Beijing.