Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

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Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely is not just another Chinese car carmaker. Taking a walk around the vast halls of the recent 2018 Beijing Auto Show would make that clear for this writer.

There are so many homegrown brands that even one who writes about cars for a living can’t name every badge, never mind the layman. Most of the domestic brand cars on display looked generic (Borgward, for instance), and many merely copied trending looks even if the results were sometimes eye-catching (Wey).

Adding to the sea of same-same SUVs are those alphanumeric combinations for model names, which the Chinese market seems to like. An exception is Leopard Mattu, which sounds like something you’ll find in the menu of an Indian restaurant.

The maturity of Geely’s designs, and the fact that its cars have a design identity at all makes the brand stand out. Design is one of the main pillars behind Geely’s rise – which reached a high of 1.25 million vehicles last year – and the man responsible for it is Peter Horbury.

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

The Brit with over 40 years experience in car design led Volvo’s ‘Revolvolution’ in the nineties and was also responsible in injecting ‘Americanness’ (and a lot of chrome) into US Fords in the noughties. As Geely’s group design chief, he currently oversees over 600 staff in locations such as Shanghai, Gothenburg, Barcelona and California.

The Geely empire is a fast growing one, and Horbury’s team will have to determine the design direction of brands as disparate as Geely, Lynk & Co, the London EV Company and new additions Lotus and Proton. paultan.org spoke to Horbury on the sidelines of the Beijing show, where he talked about everything from animal faces to his vision for Proton Design.

On how Geely’s design identity was born

PH: I took a look at the whole range of Geely cars and realised that there was no brand identity being built at all. There were many different designs. What I did is put a presentation together for the senior management of Geely and said look, this is what i see.

It was a massive screen, pictures of all the Geely cars available. Then as I spoke, each Geely was replaced by a different animal – a tiger, a shark, an eagle, different species of animals. “Look, this brand is as diverse as the animal kingdom, there’s nothing tying them together.”

Different species, clockwise from top: Geely GC2, Geely MKCross, Geely GX2, Geely GC5

Then I took all the animals away except one, the domestic cat. And then I said look at this – what I’m not suggesting is we do this (the cat picture on the screen then appeared in different lenghts, heights and legs – the same photo adjusted in every dimension). Some companies are getting close to this, they do the same design in different sizes.

If you look at the cat family – pumas, lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs – each has its own character, but by looking at them you instantly know they’re part of the same species, or brand.

So that’s what we can do, create a look which gives us freedom to give each car a character of its own, but it should instantly be recognisable as a Geely. That’s what we’ve been doing ever since – Bo Rui, Boyue, (Emgrand) GL and GS – all the cars are not identical, but recognisable as a Geely.

On Geely’s signature design

PH: The cat was an inspiration for the Bo Rui – a cheetah running. The really pronounced shoulder rises over the hind legs, and a very strong shape of the underneath of the cat. Look at the Bo Rui and you see exactly those lines. All of the cars have at least this thing (a curve) on the front fenders – Bo Rui, Boyue – the same signature.

From L-R: Geely Bo Rui flagship sedan; Geely Boyue, the basis for Proton’s first SUV

The grille is very important because in China, and I think in a lot of the Far East, the face is critical. People see the character of the vehicle in the face. One of the most interesting aspects of that is that in the West, the eyes are in the windscreen, like in the movie Cars. It’s sort of logical; you look through the windscreen, we’re looking at the human face. In the East, the face is there (pointing to the car fascia) and that’s (crossing out the windscreen) irrelevant.

One of the interesting aspects could be – and this is just a theory – in China for example, animals play a big role in culture (gives examples of animals in the Chinese zodiac) and animal faces tend to have a different juxtaposition of eyes to mouth (draws snake and bird). It’s not the same as the human face; it has varying degrees of proportions of eyes to nose to mouth. I just wondered if in China, maybe people assume all sorts of different species on the front of a car, not necessarily human. That’s just a theory of mine.

On the “expanding cosmos” grille

PH: That was an extra. It was our chairman (Li Shufu) – he’s very philosophical and a great guy to work with – who said “when I look into the front, I want to be looking into the cosmos, into the distance, into space.” I was like, how on earth do we translate that?

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

And the concentric rings, especially on the Bo Rui GE, are not just receding inwards, they go back into the car – you get this impression that your eyes are being led away and into something beyond. It was a great signature, and nobody else does it. You might say of course, it looks strange. I don’t think so, i think it has given us a unique look, instantly.

Some people translate it like a leaf dropping into a lake, and the ripples expanding away. I don’t mind if that’s what they see because it’s a nice image as well.

On the Geely Concept Icon

PH: That’s Geely getting confident. We’ve spread the Geely look on five or six vehicles, so we’re starting to show people what Geely is. It’s now a respected brand where five, six years ago it wasn’t quite so well regarded. Now it’s a major brand.

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

I think we now have the room to breathe and we can start being a little more experimental, more adventurous. The steps we took between the first cars were fairly small steps, because when you try to either build a whole new brand like Lynk & Co or recharge a brand like Geely, you have to make people recognise the brand over a number of vehicles in order to get the message across. Once you’ve done that, then the steps between each model can be a little bigger.

This (Concept Icon) is our first venture away from what we were doing. We’ll continue on those cars (existing design), but now we’re looking for another customer, somebody we probably haven’t met before – and that’s what this car will do.

We’ll have another car, based on the same platform, similar size, an SUV, but looking totally different, and that will be something for the customers to move through, into the Bo Rui (Geely’s flagship sedan) eventually. This one will start the new wave of vehicles.

On Proton’s design team and its role

PH: That’s not all they’re going to do, make Geelys. I was in the studio on Monday looking at the next wave of Protons. We’ll be helping them. They have a design team as you know, and we’ll do a lot more together so that they get to see they got more resources at hand if they need them.

On his vision for Proton Design

PH: Well, that’s going to be interesting (read tricky, the original word he used) because if they’re going to make any Geely products then there’s a specific look, but I think we would like to keep a unique look for Proton as well, to develop that. I cannot tell you everything I know, but certainly we have a Proton brand to take care of and develop.

I have to be honest, I don’t know an awful lot about your culture but it would be a shame if we can’t tap into that and bring that to life in our cars. I’m a great believer in reflecting your place of origin in a product; it adds something unique, something exotic into a car.

Horbury spearheaded the ‘Revolvolution’ era and Ford’s ‘Red, White and Bold’ design strategy

For Volvo I said ‘we are Swedish, we should look Swedish’. How do you do that, translate that into sheetmetal. Well, we did. When I worked at Ford in America, they were doing all sorts of different things and I said ‘come on guys, you must be proud to be American.’ I said if there’s one thing you guys have, you Americans all have great teeth and you’re outward going.

So we did series of cars with three bar chrome grilles – the Edge was perhaps the maximum version of that when we did the facelift – and all those cars have the signature great teeth on them. That got attention.

So, coming back to Malaysia, what do we do, and how can we tap into that? I find it disappointing if designers working in a separate culture like China and Sweden don’t have a certain pride in history of art and design – we’re not going to put pagoda roofs on Geelys, but you’ll start to see a little more of China in Geelys. And lets see what we can do in creating a bit of pride in Proton.

Where does this car come from? I can see that it comes from there. I’m a supporter of trying to reflect an identity of a culture or country in a product. It creates something exotic. Range Rover, couldnt come from anywhere but Britain, for example.

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

The Geely Bo Rui’s design was inspired by a cheetah in motion; fancy this as a new Proton Perdana?

It’s all part of a big picture of having to manage all these brands and create some differences between them, while sharing an awful lot of the technology, platform and dimensions – it’s only design that can create that differentiation.

On the culture and willpower at Geely

PH: I think the biggest change in Geely is not just design and the look of the cars. If you open the door of the Bo Rui you’d be astonished at the perceived quality of everything – the tightness, the fit and finish. The guys in engineering, they’ve really worked hard. Go look at the car’s interior – I think you could say that you wouldn’t get much better in a BMW.

The seriousness and speed of things being done is astonishing. I was still working on a car – the Bo Rui in the studio – still a clay model but in the later stages of refinement. I went to the factory for another project, and as I was crossing between buildings, I was almost run over by a Bo Rui! I thought, how on earth have they done this, it’s still a clay model and yet they’re driving it around already. That’s the difference between Europe and China – nothing’s impossible.

The Bo Rui cabin’s perceived quality is high; Horbury says you wouldn’t get much better in a BMW

It’s like when you used to do school mental arithmetic and the question is: If it takes 10 men a week to dig a 10m x 15m x 4m hole, how long does it take a million men? We have a million men!

It’s an attitude that astounded me. The speed and the willingness to try – we will try and get this – and the Bo Rui’s interior reflects that. The centre screen was a nightmare for the engineers. We could have just done a separate flatscreen but look at that (the ‘hidden’ screen) – it’s beautifully done, and it took a lot of effort and a lot of engineering talent to do that properly. I’m very impressed by my colleagues in Geely.

Quality has gone alongside design to create the new phenomenon which is Geely’s 1.25 million per year sales. It’s noticeable.

GALLERY: Geely Bo Rui GE MHEV

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design


GALLERY: Geely Boyue facelift
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design
Geely design chief Peter Horbury on creating an image for the rising brand, and his vision for Proton Design

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • john on May 04, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    There is no point if Proton workers attitude stay the same. It’s like Gov’s servants stay the same

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 36 Thumb down 23
    Reply
  • Firdaus on May 04, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    Geely Peter Horbury shud outsource Proton Design to MIMOS.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 22
    Reply
  • Protonchanai on May 04, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Peter…just study our proton waja..gen2..persona…preve…it has all the malaysia origin in it..very unique…no whre in this world u find this ..its shiit.!.so listen up…just design based on yr experince in US and with volvo…combined both and it will sell here..in conclusion malaysia has no unique identity for cars…buses ..trucks etc..we only have durians chanai and nasi lemak..ok …

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 34 Thumb down 27
    Reply
    • dsgnr on May 05, 2018 at 4:43 am

      Nope, still have unique design, like wau (Malay kite) on gen2 grill. You only know eat , deswai

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
      Reply
    • imprezzed on May 05, 2018 at 11:00 pm

      Preve and Waja design is fine…but the Savvy is pure !@#$%

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
      Reply
  • tokmoh. on May 04, 2018 at 12:37 pm

    Volvo, Geely, Proton > all

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 12
    Reply
  • Basher on May 04, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Dashboard design will be nasi lemak inspired then. :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 17 Thumb down 5
    Reply
  • lilytan on May 04, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    Design is currently protons weak point. Hopefully peter would school proton design team into some proper designing.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 5
    Reply
  • Basher on May 04, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    Upcoming proton dashboard designs will be nasi lemak inspired then

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 6
    Reply
    • Tido oh tido on May 05, 2018 at 7:35 pm

      Obviously you dun have any knowledege about bolehland culture.Malu betul

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 4
      Reply
  • Bj on May 04, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    And another profile feature on Geely, no doubt with the intent of planting the seeds of interest and trust of the product for the Proton/ Geely partnership.

    Nothing wrong with that. They need to start somewhere in changing local market perception. Of course, it has to follow through with quality build and after sales support.

    I’m expecting to see a lot more of this type of reporting in the upcoming months, leading up to the SUV launch.

    Agree?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 5
    Reply
  • Ahmadjr on May 04, 2018 at 1:09 pm

    Horbury ni nak cakap setiap kereta proton takde identiti, copy design orang je (iriz terutamanya) . Tapi tak sampai hati

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 12
    Reply
    • expat on May 05, 2018 at 4:51 am

      Only you dun know, put three P1 cars side by side you easily find similar designs on them. Oh I cannot find P2 identity, worst copy paste job from different cars. It is simply ugly

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 4
      Reply
  • 12yrsold john on May 04, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    That is a damn long article explaination by Peter Horbury(PH) on how Geely came about.

    In short, Geely needed the Vision of a man(Li Shufu), a British designer(PH) to put together some vehicles that is acceptable for the Chinese market & looks like they have succeeded when Geely sold 1.25 million domestically.

    As for Proton, I think they must be thinking what a BIG Mistake for splashing a Big amount of money just to get into LOTUS technologies & M’sian automotive market is too small & it will take years B4 they can break even.

    It will take a herculean task for Geely/Proton to dislodge P2 bcos M’sian Like small vehicles simply bcos we do not have the disposable income to purchase/maintain Bigger cars/MPVs/SUVs.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 6
    Reply
    • Ohwai on May 05, 2018 at 4:55 am

      Lotus gip P1 superb handling that you won’t find it on normal jepunis cars

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 6
      Reply
  • John Mansfield on May 04, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    Interesting stuff. As Geely own less than 50% of Proton, I assume that Proton get to decide on their own brand image, and Geely are there to offer support and resources. When I read articles, it often comes across as if Geely is actually the majority shareholder.
    Maybe an article outlining roles and responsibilities, and ownership would help people (like me) who do not completely grasp the dynamic of the relationship. I know Tun M. wrote a blog entry expressing his feeling regarding the supposed sale of Proton to Geely. And many of the people who participate in your comments refer to the fact that Geely appear to be running things… Am I the only one who finds the relationship a little confusing?
    Incidentally, I do hope the relationship produces a win-win situation for all concerned. John Mansfield

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 4
    Reply
    • john on May 05, 2018 at 12:41 am

      DRB might own 51% but they willingly let the 49% to call the shots. That gips Geely the confidence to fully sapot P1.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
      Reply
    • kzm (Member) on May 05, 2018 at 9:02 am

      not confusing at all. design n manufacturing fall under geely control. of cuz they running thing. u should read older PT article to know bout it.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
      Reply
    • Amir on May 05, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      Yup, me too. Reading this article seems to me that Geely is the majority shareholder where the matter of fact Geely is not. Maybe an article about the relationship can clear things up.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      Reply
  • Professor Oon Khoo R Jizz on May 04, 2018 at 1:40 pm

    Ya the interior will be inspired by sarongs, songket, batik, kerongsang, etc…
    Exterior will be inspired by parang, keris, gasing, wau, atap, sampan, tengkolok, etc…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 1
    Reply
    • john on May 05, 2018 at 12:46 am

      Not bad idea. Perhaps the high line can use batik or songket materials on seats much like tartan on Golf GTI. Exterior, hmm…. I can see how some elements might work out..

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 4
      Reply
  • ioma on May 04, 2018 at 1:52 pm

    How come nothing mentioned about luxury model Geely GE?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 3
    Reply
  • Nieko on May 04, 2018 at 2:15 pm

    Did he say “we have a Proton brand to take care of and to develope ” ..hum ..so it looks like he has defrent ideas for Proton ie in the design department …lets wait and see …

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
    Reply
    • DK on May 05, 2018 at 6:36 am

      Basically his biggest headache is to get azlano to make him tea or milo.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
      Reply
  • j0hn on May 04, 2018 at 2:51 pm

    i hope paultan.org will provide info during hujung minggu and public holiday also..have to wait for next monday is seksa jiwa taw…ooo wai!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
    Reply
  • Yep on May 04, 2018 at 3:09 pm

    Make proton stronk again

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 1
    Reply
  • Driver on May 04, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    Just design a car that looks like a nasi lemak, put banana leaf.. sure looks malaysian.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 5
    Reply
  • Sgt Scoop on May 04, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    Interesting article. Hopefully the Chinese can turn Proton around.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 2
    Reply
  • john on May 04, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    Cat for Geely. Tiger for P1. Match made in heaven.

    P1, Geely, Mesidis, VolvoCar, VolvoTruck, Lotus > all

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 9
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  • Hayenadeblue on May 04, 2018 at 6:37 pm

    Lets hear from China-product bashers from Malaysian. They are pakar in mechanical, electronic, economy, politic; all-in-one person. Some would say that they are racers too!

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  • Nieko on May 04, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    Wow he actually sees Proton as a car brand and did he mention he has already seen some of the new wave of Next Generation Protons …so thats why Geely was so sure of selling nearly 400k of Protons in the future…hum interesting times…Cheers

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  • Nieko on May 04, 2018 at 9:17 pm

    And it looks like Mr Horbury will be in charge of designing future Protons as well..So lets see He will be incharge of Volvo , Lotus, Proton , Geely and Lynk&Co wow can he pull this off ??

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    • john on May 05, 2018 at 12:43 am

      He dun need to design every car but just lay out the design language and prominent features to suit each brand. The rest of his team will do the detailed designs.

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    • #malaysianlifesmatter on May 05, 2018 at 12:54 pm

      Watever la….its a failure..how much u thnk they invested in proton…peanuts…tbry will walk away in 2 years…believe me…we dont need p1..kick it out …throw in toilet…all car price will drop..we shd and have the right yo better cars la.

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  • DK on May 05, 2018 at 6:34 am

    Nasi lemak design inspiration for Baoteng grille please. It should be as ugly or even uglier than that silly grille design of geelys.

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  • Fei on May 05, 2018 at 5:15 pm

    Malaysia cultural design? Add in a smart-tag like the new Myvi plus a price below 80k and you’re gonna have a car that sells…. Just my thought, don’t bash me people.

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  • drMpower on May 05, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    One big question:

    Who owns who at the moment?
    Because all i ever know, Geely bought 49.9% of Proton, which leaves…about…ermm 50.1% ?

    So why Geely dictating all the moves? Why not the other way around as major shareholders usually do?

    Have proton become a dick? U know, a dick is owned by the human body it resides on. But it gets longed when some other human bodies excites it

    Its a dick

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  • Dari rakyat on May 06, 2018 at 7:29 am

    Rakyat mau tengok mna dia…hasil geely+ proton yg bole selamat proton….btoi ka ? Jangan cakap saja….buktikan

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  • Tom on May 06, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    We prefer to have European designs with Japanese reliability. Period. No need fancy local-esque design when you really need Proton to success. PH theory might not work here. Since we’re famous for Musang King durian, dare try design like Citroen C4 Cactus ? Thorny doors :-D
    But Geely’s instrument cluster design is impressive for a lower budget car, I have to admit that. It puts so many Japanese car makers to shame.

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  • Raja Azhar on May 08, 2018 at 6:39 am

    The part where he said “When I worked at Ford in America, they were doing all sorts of different things and I said ‘come on guys, you must be proud to be American.’ I said if there’s one thing you guys have, you Americans all have great teeth and you’re outward going.”

    I chuckled there because it’s true! Now i can never look at the Ford Edge the same way again.

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