One year ago, the second Classic Cars Challenge China (4C) kicked off as 41 vintage and classic cars left Beijing. Over seven days, they traversed some 1,800 kilometres across China’s heartland and through 5,000 years of history on their way to Shanghai. More than 20 of the participants were Chinese, part of the growing number of classic-car collectors in Mainland China.

In the world’s largest car market, classic or vintage automobiles should be the logical next step for China’s wealthy. But, at least as far as regulations go, the classic car is neither here nor there. “There is no definition of ‘classic cars’ in Mainland China: they are all second-hand cars,” says Ian Wade, a Hong Kong-based collector who in the past has loaned part of his collection of Maseratis for display in Shanghai.

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