WTF? Chinese Company Geely to Buy Volvo from Ford?

This is a shocker. The company that gave us the concept Geely GE - a really well done copy of the Rolls Royce Phantom - is rumoured to be taking Volvo away from Ford Motor.

What a world. The good thing is if Geely decides to really make the Geely GE it would be a heck of a lot safer than most other Chinese cars out there.

First the Indian company Tata bought Jaguar/Land Rover from Ford, then the Chinese buy Hummer from GM, and now the Chinese are (probably) about to be proud Volvo owners.

What is the Chinese word for yuppie? Do the Chinese listen to Nora Jones and James Taylor?

Read about the rumor here:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/18/report-geely-agrees-to-buy-volvo-ford-silent/

http://www.leftlanenews.com/chinas-geely-to-buy-volvo.html

Still Can't Afford A Bentley Arnage? No Problem!

This, um, Bentley Arnage was found on Ebay a while back. I gotta tell ya, the front of this beast looks fine.

The proportions are a bit off but so what? The grille and headlamps look like the real thing.


The side view? Starting to get into weird territory. The door panels scream Lincoln Town Car as does the wide C pillar.

The C pillar, though, really isn't a problem, because there have been Royces and Bentleys (back when both companies were the same and shared platforms) with stretched C pillars.


The tail lamps are sort of okay but the light cluster around the license plate area screams cheap!!

All in all, this would be a fun car to have if you knew people would laugh at you or feel pity for you. This is the Borat of luxury cars, the Bruno of limos.

The only truly bad thing about this Lincoln Arnage is the interior, which is the same as your Grandpa's ride.

Yes, the seats have customized leather but the luxo-atmosphere is ruined by the plethora of fake Bentley emblems stitched into the seatbacks and plastered onto the dashboard!!

Verdict? I'd take it. I mean, this is no Geely GE but it'll do.

WTF? Geely GE The Chinese Rolls Royce

Heh Heh, look familiar? Gotta say this about the Chinese auto industry, they got some balls!

In the past they fell into some hot legal water over copying Mercedes and BMW vehicles. In fact, BMW had sued to prevent the Chinese designed Shuanghuang CEO SUV from being sold in Europe because BMW felt it was a copy of their X5 SUV.

Well, a car company going after one of the largest communist countries on Earth in court does seem like a futile exercise. Seriously, think the Chinese government would be scared? Nah. What could BMW do to them?

Well, the Chinese are at it again with the wonderful Geely GE. Will they once again get away with blatantly plagiarizing a beloved and much recognized symbol of the automotive world?

Rolls Royce Phantom, meet your Chinese clone, the Geely GE. The proportions of the two cars are practically the same. Notice the Geely's profile...the length of the hood, the shape of the doors, the smallish trunk. And how can you miss that big ass grille with the winged mascot.

Okay, in Geely's defense, there are some differences. The Geely GE doesn't have suicide doors, and, um, let me think, oh yeah, the Geely GE only has one rear passenger seat.

Yup, one rear passenger seat. Makes you think of Bertolucci's The Last Emperor. Or Al Bundy's dream throne.

But you know, I'm so very broke and desperate that if I could, I'd buy this Geely son-of-a-bitch. I love Rolls Royce motorcars, even took an old Bentley Eight out for a spin once.

The only ones I can afford to purchase are the models from Franklin Mint, Matchbox, Maisto, etc.

For example, this is my beloved 1/24th scale Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I from the Franklin Mint. Beautiful. Handcrafted. But I can't drive it. Believe me, I've tried.

Such is the comedy called life that I can't afford to purchase and maintain a real Royce, let alone a pre-owned model, but can fill up an imaginary garage with 1/24, 1/18, and 1/42 scale replicas. Therefore I'll have to take the Geely GE.

I could love the Geely GE like a Royce. We could make the relationship work, the Geely and I.

Just think of the Geely GE as being a Franklin Mint replica of a Phantom that one could really drive.