The Dongfeng EQ140 is one of the Dongfeng entries the open record knows by name and by date — in 1978, and by little else. That is not nothing: a name in the catalogue is where a car's story starts to be recoverable.
The background
The Dongfeng EQ140 is a 5-ton truck manufactured by the Dongfeng Motor Corporation/Second Automobile Works. It is the first civilian vehicle manufactured by Dongfeng and was introduced in 1978. The vehicle turned the loss-making Dongfeng into a profitable company. The EQ140 uses technology based on the Jiefang CA-10 and Dongfeng's first truck, the Dongfeng EQ240, but was developed by FAW Group. Although branded by Dongfeng, many other smaller companies in fact also assembled the truck from parts supplied by Dongfeng. In its first production year, 1978, 5120 vehicles were produced. At its peak the EQ140 held a market share of 66% in the medium-duty truck class in China.
In 1984, the EQ140 was facelifted, the main visual difference being the panoramic windscreen, replacing the split windscreen. Other changes include an improved interior. This post-facelift version was called the EQ140-1 and was developed under supervision of Dongfeng's chief engineer Meng Shaonong. In 1992 a second facelift, named EQ140-2, went into production, featuring improved electrics and use of Nissan Diesel technology. A final facelift in 1994 introduced a more rounded bonnet, however this version was only produced in limited numbers. Production ended in 2011. As of 2010, 1.1 million units had been sold.
Where it sits
Its family tree is legible: it took over from the Dongfeng EQ240; assembly was at Shiyan, Hubei, China. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the GM (General Motors) Saab 900, the Mazda RX-7, the Toyota Supra — show what else the money bought that year. Its Dongfeng stablemates include the Dongfeng Fengshen L7 and the Front Drive Motor.
What it costs now
There is no federal ownership record for the Dongfeng EQ140 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.