It's the Geely... really
Chinese manufacturer comes up with its own interpretation of a Rolls-Royce... but it sure as hell ain't prettyOkay, we've seen some blatant -- and sometimes cringe-worthy -- knock-offs in the automotive arena over the past few years, but this really takes the cake.
The abomination you see here was concocted by Chinese manufacturer Geely, and it's believed the Rolls-Royce imitator will make its public debut at the upcoming Shanghai motor show.
The Geely GE -- as it's known -- will ostensibly be pitched at business tycoons and senior government officials in its home market, as we can't imagine much demand in export markets for the ungainly luxo-barge.
The 5.5-metre limo unashamedly mimics the Rolls-Royce Phantom, right down to the marque's trademark grille. It's even topped by an imposter of the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy (or Flying Lady) that's synonymous with Rollers.
Nevertheless, the interior appears sumptuously appointed, with thick wool carpeting, plush leather upholstery and some reasonable looking woodgrain trim. There's even privacy glass separating the rear compartment from the front seats.
And in a novel configuration that we've yet to see in other vehicles, there's seating for only one in the rear. Actually, it's more a throne than a seat, adding to the impression of royalty for the fortunate (?) occupant.
The Geely GE may well be a copycat design, but it's not exactly Robinson Crusoe in this respect.
Other notable me-too cars over the years that spring to mind include the Mitsuoka Viewt -- based on the Nissan Micra, and intended to resemble the Jaguar Mark 2. Then there's the Kia Opirus, an awful mishmash of Mercedes E-Class and Jaguar S-Type design elements.
But perhaps the most publicised piece of automotive plagiarism was the Chery QQ, which was all but indistinguishable from the Daewoo Matiz (later sold as the Chevrolet Spark in some markets) -- so much so that GM Daewoo Auto and Technology filed a lawsuit against the Chinese manufacturer.
We can't imagine Rolls-Royce feeling threatened enough by the Geely GE to instigate any kind of legal action... but you never know.
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