Here we have a Geely Meirenbao sporty car, seen in Beijing in 2015. It was totally original bar for strips on the front bumper. It is rare to se these cars without lots ugly of modifications.
The Geely Meirenbao’s was China’s first sports car, according to Geely. The original arrived in 2003 and the facelifted version in 2006. Our mellow yellow car is a facelifted example. The wild body kit was factory standard, including the interestingly designed wheel arch that ‘reaches out’ over the rear fender, almost to the door. The sun roof, rear spoiler, and the racy fuel-door are original too.
The facelift made the Meirenbao look more grown-up, but less pretty overall. The Atenza badge and the exhaust pipe tips are the owner’s own additions.
The facelifted Geely Meirenbao was available with two four-cylinder petrol engines: a 1.5 with 92hp mated to a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic, and with a 1.8 with 111hp mated to a five-speed manual. Horses went to the front wheels. Price in 2007 started at 66.800 yuan and ended at 79.800 yuan. A real bargain for a real Chinese sports car! Over the years I have driven a coupe of these Meirenbao’s, in original and facelift forms. It was great fun just to be in one, I remember the steering and clutch were very light, and it was surprisingly quick.
The Mybo badge with showing a crowned leopard.
Meirenbao means ‘Beautiful Leopard’, but Geely translated it as ‘Beauty Leopard’, and this is how it became known in the rest of the world. The Meirenbao was also known as the ‘MyBo’, which was an English transliteration & abbreviation of ‘Mei (My) renbao (Bao)’.
ABS was still a relative rarity in China when the Meiranbao was born, so many cars that were equipped with ABS came with special ABS-badging. The facelifted Meirenbao had them on the door.
Too bad Geely isn’t making sports cars anymore! But there is hope. Geely recently purchased Lotus and it now working on the successor of the Elise. Perhaps Geely can use that platform for new Beauty Leopard as well.