China’s ‘Old Man’s Joy’ Cars Test the Limits of Road Safety
From “new-energy Maseratis” to “license-free Porsche Cayennes,” a growing number of elderly mobility vehicles informally known as laotoule are appearing on rural and suburban roads across China, drawing scrutiny from regulators and road-safety experts. Many laotoule vehicles — commonly translated as “old man’s joy — are sold without registration or…
bubmagJanuary 7, 2026