The very first car produced by the SAIC Motor Corporation Limited came out in September 1958 under the name Fenghuang, which means "phoenix" in Chinese, and the car featured a logo of its namesake bird on the engine hood.

The second Shanghai brand car came into being in January 1959. It was black in color and wider than the first.

In February 1959, Zhongnanhai, the central headquarters for the Communist Party of China, received its first Shanghai brand car, which was praised by the late premier Zhou Enlai.

In 1963, the automobile industry in Shanghai began to take off, and the Fenghuang brand changed its name to Shanghai.

With a 2.23-liter inline six-cylinder engine and a weight of 1.5 tons, the model SH760 could reach a speed of 130 kilometers per hour.

To meet the needs of officials and diplomats, SAIC designed and produced the model SH761 high-end convertible in 1966.

The car was imbued with a sense of luxury, elegance and leisure due to features such as an alarm clock, a transistor radio, artificial leather chairs and chrome plated ornamentation.

The very last Shanghai brand car was produced in November 1991. Before China opened its markets, the Shanghai brand was the only type of government car in mass production.

After the reform and opening-up, the brand was finally marketed to ordinary consumers at a price of 25,000 ($3,965) yuan each.