Chinese Diplomats to Go Capitalist Class in Cadillacs

General Motors said today that the company delivered its first cars to mainland China since 1951, a fleet of Cadillac luxury limousines destined for use by the Peking diplomatic corps.

Cadillac executives said the sale of 15 Fleetwood stretch limousines, and five smaller models costing $30,000 each, marked the first time the GM flagship division has sold limousines to the People’s Republic of China. Each of the limousines can carry as many as eight passengers, a spokesman said.

The spokesman said the price for the stretch limousines was not immediately available.

The Fleetwood models include 10-inch color television sets, four-speaker AM/FM radios and cassette stereos, lead crystal decanters, illuminated ice service compartments and intercom systems, Cadillac said. Five of the limousines are also equipped with video recorders.

Cadillac said the autos were bought by the China International Trust and Investment Corp. and adapted to buyer specifications by O’Gara Coachworks of Simi Valley, Calif.