The Flying Pigeon: The Real Most-Produced Vehicle in the World

Honda C90

The Flying Pigeon is a symbol of modern China, a piece of everyday history, and, for decades, the heartbeat of the nation’s streets. After the Communist Party took power in 1949, Chairman Mao’s government made the bicycle a pillar of society. The Flying Pigeon, first produced in Tianjin in 1950, quickly became the country’s official ride. Its design was inspired by the sturdy British roadsters—simple, reliable, and built to last. This was a bike made for the masses, and it delivered.

Owning a Flying Pigeon was once a rite of passage. In Mao-era China, it was one of the “big three” household items, alongside a sewing machine and a wristwatch. Getting one wasn’t easy: you needed a permit, and the waiting list could stretch for years. For many, it was a prized possession, sometimes even used as a wedding dowry or a marker of family status.

By the 1960s and 1970s, the Flying Pigeon was everywhere. The brand became so synonymous with “bicycle” that the two words were almost interchangeable. The phrase “a Flying Pigeon in every household” became a measure of prosperity, and by the 1980s, the factory in Tianjin was producing up to 10,000 bikes a day. More than half a billion Flying Pigeons have been made over the decades—numbers that leave the Honda C90 and every car in the dust.

But the Flying Pigeon’s story isn’t just about numbers. It’s about what the bike meant to ordinary people. For generations, it was the backbone of daily life. Workers commuted to factories, children rode to school perched on the back, and families carried everything from groceries to furniture on its sturdy frame. The Flying Pigeon became a tool of mobility, a symbol of equality, and a quiet force behind China’s economic rise.

Even today, as China’s cities fill with cars and electric scooters, the Flying Pigeon endures. You’ll still spot them rattling along side streets and country lanes, often handed down from parent to child. For older generations, it’s a reminder of a time when two wheels represented progress and hope. For younger riders, it’s a piece of living history—simple, reliable, and honest.

So next time someone brings up the world’s best-selling vehicle, remember the Flying Pigeon. It’s not flashy, it’s not fast, and it doesn’t have a catchy jingle. But it quietly carried the dreams and daily lives of hundreds of millions, making it the true champion of the road.