The Drive of Life

Set against the backdrop of the 1997 handover, The Drive of Life traces a Hong Kong family and the auto businesses that bind them, starting with scenes set in 1994 and moving through the decade that follows. The series uses the car industry as a mirror for social and economic change, showing how market shifts, cross-border deals, and personal ambitions reshape relationships and fortunes. Told with frequent flashbacks, the story contrasts life before and after the sovereignty transfer without revealing major plot turns, focusing instead on the evolution of characters, their loyalties, and the challenges of building an automaker brand named "Hua-Zhe" within a transforming China.

This TVB and CCTV co-production was created by Tommy Leung Ga-Shu and shot from October 2006 to May 2007. Filming locations included Hong Kong, Beijing, Ningbo, and Vancouver, and vehicles from Geely were used under the fictional "Hua-Zhe" label for authenticity.

Several cast members were already TVB Best Actress winners, giving the show a record tie with War and Beauty for the number of such awardees in its main ensemble. Jessica Hsuan, Charmaine Sheh, Sheren Tang, and Myolie Wu had won Best Actress in 1999, 2006, 2009/2010, and 2011, respectively, highlighting the series' heavyweight female talent.

As a televised commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the handover, the series stood out as a high-profile cultural collaboration between Hong Kong and mainland media. Its focus on the domestic auto industry and the use of mainland locations signaled a growing interest in cross-border storylines, while production scale and official backing made it one of the more visible anniversary projects of 2007.

Viewer reaction was mixed, and available ratings suggest modest audience enthusiasm, reflected in a low aggregate vote average. Critics and viewers pointed to heavy-handed exposition at times, while noting recurring themes of modernization, identity under political change, family obligation, and the clash between entrepreneurship and tradition.