A “microbus from the past” — a nod to the Volkswagen T1

China keeps surprising not only with its own innovations but also with bold reimaginings of classics. Songsan Motors—often compared to Japan’s Mitsuoka—has gone beyond “retro styling” to build a full-fledged philosophy of Chinese retro on modern platforms. Its latest SS Summer is essentially a T1 as if engineered in an alternate reality.

Unlike countless fly-by-night micro-brands, Songsan has held its ground. Back in 2020, it made noise with the SS Dolphin coupe—a free take on the 1958 Chevrolet Corvette riding on a BYD hybrid chassis. Larger than the original and oddly proportioned, it proved the company doesn’t just re-skin existing bodies—it blends retro cues with its own engineering.

The first SS Summer clearly drew from the Volkswagen T1, though the long “nose” betrayed packaging compromises. Underneath sits BYD’s Qin Pro PHEV platform: a 1.5-liter turbo engine, a 16-kWh battery, and front-wheel drive. This season, Songsan unveiled a refreshed SS Summer—tidier proportions, the beak gone, and a look closer to the iconic microbus. The powertrain remains BYD’s plug-in hybrid, and pricing is finally out: from 328,000 yuan (around $45,600).

Practicality isn’t just about style: the cabin offers three rows of seats with dedicated doors for each row (missing in the previous version). The claimed total range is up to 1,000 km with the 1.5-liter hybrid setup. What began as a styling exercise now looks like a finished product for everyday use.

Songsan isn’t stopping at the “dream microbus.” At the Shanghai Auto Show, the brand also rolled out the massive Rocket sedan—an unmistakable nod to a 1960s Cadillac, likely a DeVille—and the compact three-wheeler Songsan MC inspired by the Morgan 3-Wheeler: a two-seater with a front-mounted, exposed engine and a signature face. Brutal choppers and eccentric booth decor rounded things out—a clear sign the brand is alive, creative, and far from bankruptcy.

In the end, the SS Summer isn’t just a “T1 copy” but a retro fantasy built on modern hardware. For those who want old-school vibes without giving up hybrid tech and everyday comfort, it’s a surprisingly convincing proposition.

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