Today, Geely is a major international automaker with brands such as Lotus, Polestar and Volvo under its ownership. In 2005, things were very different, but the automaker still had innovative plans. The Beauty Leopard was available that year, and it was the country’s first home sports coupe. China-based YouTube channel Wheelsboy bought one to check out.
From the outside, the Beauty Leopard looks like a fusion of the ’90s Chevrolet Cavalier Coupe, Opel Calibra, and Toyota Paseo. This combination of stylistic language is not a bad thing but it is not an original appearance. Under the hood, there is a 1.5 or 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine sourced from Toyota as the owner is unsure of the engine. Power is sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual.
The Beauty Leopard might have been a decent car when it was new, but this one led a very tough life. Many plastic parts in the body are broken. The paint is peeling off. His gear shifting is vaguely like a teenager telling his mother about a night out with his friends. At least at idle, the engine runs on three cylinders, but the other pistons may run at high revs, judging by the sound.
The guys from Wheelsboy bought this car for about $800. However, that was before needing to pay for maintenance and towing the coupe to Shanghai. Unfortunately, the authorities there dragged him down, resulting in a fine. The line paid the price and took the car to the outskirts of town.
Now, this Beauty Leopard was almost dead. Wood screws hold the interior parts together. Dowels appeared to be holding the armrest to the door. The dashboard has red spray paint covering it. At one point, the parking brake even came off.
According to Wheelsboy, Beauty Leopard in good condition is very hard to find in the Chinese market today. Now there’s nostalgia for them, but some units on the used market aren’t in much better shape than this one.
