New Sleeve Sponsor - Geely Auto UK

[Nick]

https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2026/august/21/coventry-city-fc-announces-geely-auto-uk-as-official-sleeve-partner-and-official-vehicle-partner/

Had never heard of them, looks like they are moving in with LEVC.

Looking at the car, I have seen them about but just didn't know what they were!

 

[CovveeBreak]

The Motor City, sponsored by a Chinese car manufacturer

In fairness bet it’s some wedge though…

 

[fernandopartridge]

https://www.ccfc.co.uk/news/2026/august/21/coventry-city-fc-announces-geely-auto-uk-as-official-sleeve-partner-and-official-vehicle-partner/

Had never heard of them, looks like they are moving in with LEVC.

Looking at the car, I have seen them about but just didn't know what they were!

They're a massive company, their cars are everywhere. They own Polestar and Volvo and sell their own cars in the UK too.

 

[Nick]

They're a massive company, their cars are everywhere. They own Polestar and Volvo and sell their own cars in the UK too.

I know their cars now I have googled them. Interesting they are moving in at LEVC too so wonder how much is going to be done there.

 

[Martw]

They've owned LEVC for a long time, started working together in the late 2000's

 

[fernandopartridge]

I know their cars now I have googled them. Interesting they are moving in at LEVC too so wonder how much is going to be done there.

Wouldn't it be mad if somehow CCFC spearheaded the revival of Coventry as an actual manufacturer of cars

 

[Nick]

Wouldn't it be mad if somehow CCFC spearheaded the revival of Coventry as an actual manufacturer of cars

LEVC have that huge factory and I don't think it's actually doing much at all.
Then Polestar had a lot in Cov for R&D as well.

King is really a front for Chinese billionaires who just wanted to make cars here. It had to be cov.

 

[SkyBluePower]

LEVC have that huge factory and I don't think it's actually doing much at all.
Then Polestar had a lot in Cov for R&D as well.

King is really a front for Chinese billionaires who just wanted to make cars here. It had to be cov.

Yep Polestar are based in Ansty Park next to the Sainsburys HQ there

 

[Nick]

Yep Polestar are based in Ansty Park next to the Sainsburys HQ there

Think they are moving, not sure if they are also going over to the LEVC building or moving away.

 

[edgy]

Geely are a huge company. Worth over £18b.

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

They're a massive company, their cars are everywhere. They own Polestar and Volvo and sell their own cars in the UK too.

Yes i have. Polestar 4 made by Geely - it gets serviced at Volvo -

 

[Nick]

Yes i have. Polestar 4 made by Geely - it gets serviced at Volvo -

I do like Polestars.

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Geely are a huge automotive empire. This is massive news.

As well as their own brands and sub-brands they also own Polestar, Volvo, Lotus, Proton and LEVC.

They have a significant share holding in Mercedes (and own 50% of Smart in a joint venture with Mercedes) as well as a massive holding in Aston Martin.

Geely are unique among Chinese car makers in that they are privately, not state owned. The whole shabang is owned lock, stock by a billionaire entrepreneur called Li Shufu.

It's been an open secret for some time that he is looking to shift the nationality of his company to another Country because being registered in China makes it very difficult to run a private business with no state interference. Large parts of the business now run out of Sweden as the HQ but when they built the new taxi factory in Coventry and it was far larger than LEVC needed there was a lot of speculation that he was looking to do more here than simply built black cabs and a few vans. Geely has R&D in and around the city too.

 

[chiefdave]

We used to have proper sponsors like that Christmas tree company.

 

[BackRoomRummermill]

Geely are a huge automotive empire. This is massive news.

As well as their own brands and sub-brands they also own Polestar, Volvo, Lotus, Proton and LEVC.

They have a significant share holding in Mercedes (and own 50% of Smart in a joint venture with Mercedes) as well as a massive holding in Aston Martin.

Geely are unique among Chinese car makers in that they are privately, not state owned. The whole shabang is owned lock, stock by a billionaire entrepreneur called Li Shufu.

It's been an open secret for some time that he is looking to shift the nationality of his company to another Country because being registered in China makes it very difficult to run a private business with no state interference. Large parts of the business now run out of Sweden as the HQ but when they built the new taxi factory in Coventry and it was far larger than LEVC needed there was a lot of speculation that he was looking to do more here than simply built black cabs and a few vans. Geely has R&D in and around the city too.

Polestars and really good cars - i have had a 2 and a 4 - the software at present in the 4 is a bit shit - the 2 software was initially shit but came good after over the air updates - all in all though my Polestar 4 is great for running cost and range

 

[Nick]

Didn't know Proton's were still a thing

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Lotus Engineering (the consultancy arm of Lotus) is based in Warwick too.

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Didn't know Proton's were still a thing

View attachment 54509

Geely acquired Proton in 2017 and the factory in Malaysia is now the centre for all Right hand drive production.

It was expected that when Geely launched their own cars in the UK they would be badged as Protons but they went with their own name instead.

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Geely promoting it on their social media

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

 

[AOM]

New left back doesn't look much taller than Dasilva

 

[Nick]

Free Polestars for all the players?

Not quite the same as Talbot.

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Entirely wishful thinking on my part but one of Geely's business areas is Mag-lev trains and above-ground tube transportation. They are also an adviser to the Chinese government on railway infrastructure. How cool would a Mag-lev from the city centre to the CBS be

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Free Polestars for all the players?

Not quite the same as Talbot.

Polestar are actually in danger of being shelved, so more likely Geely own brand and Volvos.

 

[CovRes]

I wonder if this is the "Japanese" delegation that someone overheard being mentioned in the club so the other week.

 

[AOM]

We used to have proper sponsors like that Christmas tree company.

Petition to rename the North Stand at the CBS to The Jingltree Stand

 

[Alkhen]

Minor point but thankfully their logo is not too offensive.

 

[Sky Blue Wozza]

Entirely wishful thinking on my part but one of Geely's business areas is Mag-lev trains and above-ground tube transportation. They are also an adviser to the Chinese government on railway infrastructure. How cool would a Mag-lev from the city centre to the CBS be

Above ground tube transportation, you say?

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Obviously timed the announcement to coincide with a brand new Coventry Geely dealership which opens today

Dealer group opening Geely dealership in Coventry

Green 4 Motor Company has announced a new Geely Auto dealership in Coventry, which will officially open on Friday, August 21.

www.am-online.com

 

[Nick]

Obviously timed the announcement to coincide with a brand new Coventry Geely dealership which opens today

Dealer group opening Geely dealership in Coventry

Green 4 Motor Company has announced a new Geely Auto dealership in Coventry, which will officially open on Friday, August 21.

www.am-online.com

Is that just an addon to the ford one?

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Is that just an addon to the ford one?

No idea, but wouldn't be unusual

 

[cov_jammie]

Yes I noticed the signage going up there the other day when I was driving past.
It’s at the end of London Road by the roundabout, looks like it’s in the same dealership as Mazda?

The cars looked pretty tidy though!

 

[CovRes]

Is that just an addon to the ford one?

The Ford dealer is selling Jaecoo and Omoda, brands of another Chinese company, Chery.

 

[Manchester_sky_blue]

Yes I noticed the signage going up there the other day when I was driving past.
It’s at the end of London Road by the roundabout, looks like it’s in the same dealership as Mazda?

The cars looked pretty tidy though!

They are decent cars. Have benefited hugely from their ownership of Volvo, Lotus and the relationship with Mercedes. Along with MG and Chery, Geely will be one of the Chinese makers that becomes fully established in the UK and Europe.

 

[Aelfgar]

Yes I noticed the signage going up there the other day when I was driving past.
It’s at the end of London Road by the roundabout, looks like it’s in the same dealership as Mazda?

The cars looked pretty tidy though!

Were they parked in nice neat lines?