Random Geely Spots In Beijing In 2004

Back in 2004 Geely was still a new and tiny Chinese automaker. They basically had one platform and used that to develop a rather amazing series of different cars. On the first photo a pristine Geely Haoqing hatchback.

The Haoqing, also known as HQ, was based on the Tianjin Xiali, which in turn was based on the Daihatsu Charade. The Geely Haoqing debuted in 1998 and was made until 2006. Power came from a 53 hp 0.9 liter three-cylinder petrol engine, made in China but originally developed by Daihatsu.

Geely Merrie Uliou

A Geely Merrie Uliou. This was a sedan developed by Geely based on the Haoqing. They just added a trunk. It worked rather well, I always considered it a nice-looking sedan. Classy wheels as well! It is not based on the Xiali sedan, which had a completely different design. Geely produced the Merrie series from 2003 to 2006, powering it with a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that delivered 86 hp.

Geely MT notchback

The Geely MR notchback is by far the oddest and coolest variant on the platform. A unique design with a notchback rear end:

It must have been quite a bit of work. Everything from the C-pillar to the back is of a new design. Geely dressed it up nicely with a sporty spoiler and the same sporty wheels as on the sedan. It could be had with a 1.3 or a 1.5-liter engine. Sadly, the market didn’t get the notchback idea and it proved to be an unpopular car. Production started in 2003 and ended in 2006. These are probably the rarest early Geely’s today.

Geely body kits

In the early 00s, when the car market began to boom, the car modification business heated up as well. Body kits became very popular. At the time, those kits were simple affairs, made of cheap plastic and with overdone design. The kit on this Haoqing is a good example. The car features big new bumpers, fresh side skirts, and an entirely new grille combination that sits directly in front of the real grille. It also has large roof rails and a complex wing-spoiler arrangement at the back.

Red cars are always the best cars! Note the pay phones in the background. All gone now. Interestingly, when Geely noticed the growing popularity of aftermarket modifications, they decided to get in on the action themselves. As a result, they developed a factory-modified version of the Haoqing, called the Baofeng GT Sport. It looked better than the after-market stuff, but just not as cool. Much more Geely is on the way!