Old Chinese bomb factories rarely die. They just become car plants. At least that's what has happened at Qin Chuan in the northern city of Xi'an. The aging state-owned enterprise, which a decade ago made 130-mm artillery shells, now houses assembly lines that stamp out a boxy four-door hatchback called the Flyer. It built just 17,000 vehicles last year; many of the underpowered and unattractive cars were bought by local taxi companies on the order of provincial officials looking for a captive market. But even that didn't dismay factory managers trying to cash in on China's booming car market. In February,...
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