History
Formerly, Pars Khodro built American Motors' Rambler and General Motors (GM) products under licence. Its first cars, the Aria and the Shahin, were based on AMC's compact 1966 Rambler American and were launched in 1967. Production ended in 1974. It also built Jeep vehicles under licence. The company was called Sherkat-Sahami Jeep at the time.
In June 1972, Sherkat-Sahami inked a deal with GM and formed General Motors Iran Ltd. GM Iran produced Opels under licence, using the Chevrolet brand. These models featured 2.5 and 2.8 litre engines. In addition, a Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet (Nova) were built, along with a Chevrolet pick-up truck. The Jeep continued during this time. These were built until 1981, the Iranian Revolution forcing the cessation of their manufacture and links with GM.
Afterward, Pars Khodro switched to the manufacture of the Nissan Patrol under licence.
In 1997, it acquired an additional Renault 5 assembly line from SAIPA, a fellow Iranian manufacturer, which had been making the car since 1980 as a replacement for the Iranian-built Citroën Dyane. The Sepand I and II were versions of the original Renault 5.
In 2000, 51 per cent of Pars Khodro's shares were purchased by SAIPA, which in turn is 48 per cent owned by the Iranian Government.
Read more about this topic: Pars Khodro
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“At present cats have more purchasing power and influence than the poor of this planet. Accidents of geography and colonial history should no longer determine who gets the fish.”
—Derek Wall (b. 1965)
“There is one great fact, characteristic of this our nineteenth century, a fact which no party dares deny. On the one hand, there have started into life industrial and scientific forces which no epoch of former human history had ever suspected. On the other hand, there exist symptoms of decay, far surpassing the horrors recorded of the latter times of the Roman empire. In our days everything seems pregnant with its contrary.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“English history is all about men liking their fathers, and American history is all about men hating their fathers and trying to burn down everything they ever did.”
—Malcolm Bradbury (b. 1932)