One of the questions of the DPRK traveller is quite common: is there a North Korean car industry?

And a real North Korean car? 

Let’s take a look! 

Is There a North Korean Car?

To answer it simply; yes, there is a North Korean car industry. And besides all the locally assembled and imported cars you will see during your travel, there has been a fully North Korean car.

A lot about this North Korean car remains a bit of a mystery; when the car was made, how many there was made, the technical descriptions, etc… 

North Korean Car Movie Appearances 

This North Korean car made its appearance in two movies which were recently noticed by people who contribute to the website www.imcdb.org.
You can meet a lot of historical North Korean movies on this site in which North Korean cars make an appearance.  

The two North Korean movies are Yeolnebeonjjae Gyeoul (열네번째 겨울) released in 1980 (on youtube, car in part 2) and Uliga Saneun Geoli (우리가 사는 거리) from 1982 (on youtube).
They show a dark blue, square vehicle. 

In the second film, the name on the front of the car is readable: Paektusan or Mount Paektu. 

The car is unique of design, has the registration 2-2-3706. 

From here on, I can only speculate.

Speculations of the Real North Korean Car 

• A car manufacturer in Pyongsang, the Pyongsang Auto Works, made cross country vehicles based on the Russian UAZ jeeps. These models, named Kaengsaeng 85, have a front with a strong resemblance to the Paektusan. 
   
• In other communist countries around, in China and North Vietnam, contemporary cars were made on the base of the Russian Volga M24. They kept the Volga technology, but the bodywork was restyled. Names: Dongfanghong BJ760, Chan Tang. 
   
• The Paektusan North Korean car seems of the same size.
   
• The earliest of the two movies are from 1980, the Dongfanghong was made from 1960-1970, the Chan Tang designed in 1958. The Paektusan is somewhere made between 1958 and 1980.

Conclusion?

The Paektusan was a Volga based sedan with a 2.5-litre petrol engine, made by the Pyongsang Auto Works. 

The prototype is made around ca. 1965-1975. 

I have no indication of serial production.

Guest Blog by Automobile Expert Erik van Ingen Schenau.

I wish to thank Mr Kegare and Mr R. Valkila for their help, working for Imcdb finding this vehicle.

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