“I do to cars what the fairy Godmother did to Cinderella before she went to the ball,” says Leepu from the depths of his garage in Dhaka, one of the world’s most congested cities. :k:
Luxury refit for Dhaka’s old bangers](BBC NEWS | South Asia | Luxury refit for Dhaka's old bangers) BBC News 22 Oct 03
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It looks like a Lamborghini - but it won’t drive like one
**“Only, none of my vehicles will turn ugly again by midnight.” Leepu, whose real name is Nizamuddin Awlia, converts rusting Toyotas and Hondas into imitation Ferraris and Lamborghinis. His market is the burgeoning Bangladeshi middle class - recently enriched, but still not rich enough to afford the cars of its dreams. **
In his specially converted garage, Leepu works with four mechanics, stripping down Japanese cars and replacing their bodywork with metal cut in the form of a sleek Italian sports car. The sheet metal they use comes from the same stock used to make the bicycle rickshaws on Dhaka’s streets. Leepu insists that the two cars he is converting to resemble a Lamborghini and a Ferrari - which will each be worth about $40,000 on completion - are not direct copies.
**“Although this car may have a little more than a passing resemblance to a Lamborghini Diablo, in fact there are a lot of differences,” he told BBC News Online, pointing to a highly polished, streamlined vehicle. “The body panels are designed by me, and have their own unique features. The only genuine Ferrari parts I have are a pair of rear lights and a few emblems and monograms,” he says. **
"To be honest I have to say that my inspiration comes from the great Italian sports cars. "While the bodywork may be similar, the engine is Japanese and the seats are made out of 100% Bangladeshi leather. “I would say that this is my homage to the Lamborghini design,” he says, “which will never be surpassed anywhere in the world.” …