Shanghai 2009: Geely GE goes for baroque. Again.
Geely Excellence Limousine - Click above for a high-res image gallery
Asian consumers loves them some baroque styling. How else to explain the popularity of gaudy, over-the-top couture in the continent's major city centers? Indeed, how else to explain the existence of cars like the Mitsuoka Galue S50 and Galue 204? Proving that the love affair is still very much still alive is this, the Geely Excellence (GE) Limousine.
Despite the obvious aping of traditional Rolls-Royce styling cues (square-rigged waterfall grille, Spirit of
In any case, the 17.5-foot Goliath is widely expected to be the first offering from Geely's new sub-brand, YingLun, or ENGLON (a melding of "England" and "London), but for the moment, the Chinese automaker is stopping short of confirming production.
Gallery: Geely GE Limo
Gallery: Geely GE
Photos copyright © 2009 IceBin / Weblogs, Inc
[Source: Autoblog China]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sektor 2:30PM (4/21/2009)
It's Geely following Chrysler's footsteps.
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PiCASSO 2:32PM (4/21/2009)
Appears so...
letstakeawalk 2:42PM (4/21/2009)
LOL @ Sektor... guess those weren't renderings after all?
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/30/the-geely-ge-is-how-you-say-um-really/
I actually like the formal, upright styling. If you're going to ape design, there are worse cars to emulate than a RR or a Chrysler 300.
Sektor 2:43PM (4/21/2009)
Unfortunately not. I had hoped they wouldn't show this, but well, I don't work for Geely.
Auari 2:37PM (4/21/2009)
When did Chrysler make a 3 seat Roll's Royce?
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jake 2:40PM (4/21/2009)
Well the 300 obviously aped a lot of Rolls Royce styling cues. Why do you think it was so popular with posers and rappers?
jake 2:44PM (4/21/2009)
Case in point:
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/18/recreate-a-rolls-100ex-concept-with-your-chrysler-300c/
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/26/ebay-find-of-the-day-rolls-royce-rr4-already-for-sale/
http://www.autoblog.com/2006/01/03/chrysler-imperial-concept-a-poor-man-s-phantom/
Ian 3:01PM (4/21/2009)
Look at the original 50s 300 C. The Current 300 C pulls A LOT of styling cues from that. Maybe its Rolls Royce who used the original 300 C styling as inspiration.
Benoit Cerrina 2:37PM (4/21/2009)
Yes the article mention that Asian like baroque, but the Chrisler 300 is definitely of the same ilk and has sold pretty well in the US
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Benoit Cerrina 8:33PM (4/21/2009)
What I think we see here is not the love of baroque its the same strategy that Japanese then Korean used, when you start in the auto industry, start by imitating the companies in place which have brand recognition.
This looks like a Rolls like the first Lexuses looked like Mercs and like the Genesis looks like a Merc or the sonata like an Accord.
If they follow in the same footstep the next step will be continue to imitate make cheaper and at least the same level of quality
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Abe 2:49PM (4/21/2009)
The interior reminds of a that in the pre-facelifted Kia Amanti
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person935 2:57PM (4/21/2009)
The rear seat actually looks really uncomfortable, because there's no good place to rest your arms.
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N 3:39PM (4/21/2009)
i really hope these @ss clowns don't end up buying Volvo - see the link below;
http://www.thelocal.se/18966/20090420/
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hypermiler 3:47PM (4/21/2009)
This thing is actually built off London Cab that Geely builds under license for Chinese market.
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P.V. 7:21PM (4/21/2009)
The whole thing seems like a rip off of the Phantom (except for that rear throne). I'll pass.
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Level 8:42PM (4/21/2009)
They are a persistent bunch
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abcd 5:36AM (4/22/2009)
This Rolls inspired Geely may be actually a good competitor to Hyundai Genesis sedan or Equus, they all are build using the same pathetic "tactic".
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carl.lee5 12:13PM (4/22/2009)
RR and Geely are on the two ends of the motor car spectrum. What were Geely thinking. Li Shufu is too arrogant!
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Rar 1:03PM (4/25/2009)
China car is Copycat.
but, don't forget 'real copycat' was(is?) Japan.
MB b-class. Bugatti EB110 design release are more earlier than Japanese cars.
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http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=58&vf=1
When Toyota launched its Lexus luxury car brand a decade ago it made no secret that it had Mercedes in it sights.
Ten years later, the Japanese are sending in the clones with increasing frequency.
It's not just the expensive models which European makers accuse Japan of copying. Consider, for example, the headlights on the latest Toyota Tarago. Now picture those of the Peugeot 206. Look familiar? Looks as if they should share the same part number.
When Audi's TT coupe and convertible were unveiled, diminutive Japanese maker Daihatsu had a car with an amazing likeness displayed at the very next Tokyo Motor Show called the Kopen. The latest Lexus coupe, due here before the end of the year, looks like a larger interpretation of Audi's Bauhaus design.
Daihatsu has also built a miniature Hummer and, bizzarely, called it the Naked. And in 1999 at the same show, Mitsubishi took the wraps off a car that, if you squinted, you would swear blind was a new Mini.
What about the "teardrops" on the headlights on latest batch of Hondas, such as the HR-V, Odyssey and the new Integra? A hint of BMW 3 Series perhaps? The tailights on the HR-V have a remarkable resemblance to the Volvo 850 wagon's.
From a distance, Toyota's square-shaped MR2 looks like a Porsche Boxster.
The original Toyota Celica was so inspired by the Ford Mustang of the era that today's enthusiasts call it the "Mustang Celica".
Now, even after 10 years, Lexus still hasn't broken its clone-like mould. The latest Lexus LS430 has the sillouette of the superseded Mercedes S Class and a headlight theme borrowed from the new S Class.
When the covers came off the fourth generation Lexus at the Detroit Motor Show two years ago, Mercedes-Benz broke its corporate silence over what it called "Japanese copycat cars" but stopped short of calling it plagiarism.
"People explain to us it is really an honour to have someone copy our cars, but I don't think we see it that way any more," said Harald Leschke, the head of design at Mercedes-Benz. "I think it is quite obvious that they admire the design, then try to do it their way. I'm sure in some industries this sort of thing is not legal.
"What surprises us most is that [Lexus] are prepared to do it, in public, and that customers are prepared to buy their copycat cars."
"I think it's fair to say all their cars have been influenced by someone else's models," he said. "They don't have a history so they have to copy someone else's."
Industry experts argue that a flagship Lexus made sense when it was considerably cheaper than the German benchmarks. But now that it is priced the same, there's less incentive to drive an imitation. Nevertheless, Europe's car maker have now become so concerned about Japan's sincere forms of flattery that they are wary of showing concept cars of future models.
Porsche, for example, has deliberately not shown "design studies" of its Cayenne off-roader because it fears a Japanese maker will be able to release its interpretation just as Porsche unveils the real thing.
[...]
The lack of history is also an Achilles heel. "Japan had no horse-and-carriage era. True, the nobility were transported in carriages for a time, but these were import!!ed or the designs were copied.
"So the country skipped a critical phase in its maturation process as a car stylist. Too often, designers took the easy option and borrowed looks from around the world."
Reply