The Geely GE was a Chinese Rolls Royce with a single rear seat.

One of the most desirable cars is the Rolls-Royce. It is not strange that over the years many copies, look-a-likes, or Rolls-Royce-inspired cars, appeared in China.

Geely GE, Shanghai Auto Show April 2009.

At the Shanghai Show of 2009, Geely introduced a whole range of concept cars, small and big. They were designed by Nova Design of Taiwan.

One remarkable concept was the Geely GE, a ‘Rolls-Royce inspired’ 5.29m long limousine with a wheelbase of 3.10m.

Geely GE, Auto Shanghai 2009, photo copyright Erik van Ingen Schenau. Before the opening of the show, the ornament was still missing. Later it was applied to the car.

I spoke with the designer who gave me his business card. It is a Korean named mr. Jung Hea Il, working for the Daejin Corporation.

Mr. Jung Hea Il, the designer of the Geely GE, Shanghai Show 2009, photo copyright Erik van Ingen Schenau.

This designer also drew the Geely GT, a wonderful sports coupé concept.

Geely GT and its designer, Shanghai 2009, photo copyright Erik van Ingen Schenau. The text in the background is ‘Xin Jili’; ‘New Geely’.

Back to the Geely GE. GE meant Geely Excellence.

According to the information, the GE was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, good for 278hp/ 340Nm, seven-speed DCT automatic gearbox. I don’t know if the concept already had this engine, or that the space under the bonnet was empty.

Geely GE, probably with a photoshopped background. Photo autohome.com.cn.

The most interesting detail was the rear seat: an enormous big chair, worthy of a president or a capo boss.

Geely GE, the rear seat. Photo autohome.com.cn.

The rear passenger enjoyed many things: a refrigerator, a bar, a cigarette box and a control panel for the audio and the air conditioning.

Geely GE, a better view of the position of the rear seat. Photo autohome.com.cn.

Geely GE, the man to the left in the jeans is the designer again. Written at the car is left GEELY and right 3.3. So maybe they planned a 3.3-litre engine and not a 3.5-litre. Photo copyright Erik van Ingen Schenau.

On the bonnet, there was instead of the Spirit of Ecstasy, the famous lady on the bonnet of the Rolls-Royce, a phoenix.

Geely GE, the imitation lady is a phoenix…

The Geely GE was smaller than the Rolls Royce Phantom. It had a ‘starry sky roof’, that means that through the roof a lot of stars were visible. Rolls-Royce had the same.

Geely GE 2009.

You can understand that the reactions to the concept were not always positive, especially in China. And for the next year, the Geely GE had a totally different front end. The Rolls was gone…

Second Geely GE, the Emgrand GE, 2010. Photo Erik van Ingen Schenau, Beijing Autoshow 2010.

The Emgrand GE had a Delta 4G20 engine, 2.4-litre PHEV power train with AWD, 203kW/ 735Nm. Sizes: LxWxH 5435mm/ 1885mm/ 1585mm, wheelbase 3150.
Text from Geely: “full size luxury flagship, a perfect ride for elite.”
Someone talking about constructing a socialist society??

Both the Geely GE of 2009 and the Emgrand GE of 2010 were never produced.

Our faithful readers will remember the other Chinese Rolls-Royce, the SOAR. This car was really produced, in quite a lot of units.
Tycho has written a lot about these fake Rolls. An important article in China Car History of 2021/08/23, but also eight!! articles in Car News China: 2012/01/27, 2012/02/09, 2012/08/04, 2013/01/29, 2013/08/08, 2015/02/28, 2015/09/18, 2015/11/27. Check here and here.

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