Iran Khodro
| File:Enlogo.jpg | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1962 by Ahmad Khayami and Mahmoud Khayami |
| Headquarters | Tehran, Iran |
Key people | NA |
| Products | Automobiles Trucks |
| Revenue |  USD $7.2 billion (2005) |
| USD $560 million (2005) | |
Number of employees | 58,000 (2005) |
| Website | www.ikco.com |
Iran Khodro (or Iran Khodro Industrial Group) is a major Iranian industrial manufacturer; khodro means "automobile" in Persian. The company manufactures cars for the domestic and export markets. Founded in 1962 by two brothers, Ahmad and Mahmoud Khayami, Iran Khodro was originally called "Iran National" before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
History
Iran Khodro produces Iran's first national car, the Samand, which is based on the Peugeot 405 platform. The firm has a long-term relationship with PSA Peugeot Citroën, and assembles a number of Peugeot models under licence from the French firm. It also makes trucks and buses under license from Mercedes-Benz.
For more than 3 decades, Iran Khodro produced the Paykan, (a version, developed over its life, of the Rootes Group's Hillman Hunter). This car became an iconic figure in Iran and single-handedly pulled the Iranian automobile industry from the edges of bankruptcy in early 1990s. [citation needed] Paykan's production was discontinued in 2005, almost thirty years after the end of Hillman Hunter production in Britain. A pick-up version is still in production.
Iran Khodro is the largest automotive producer in the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa regions, with an annual production of around 1,000,000 various vehicles including cars (550,000 unit), buses, trucks and pick-ups. This figure also places it as the 20th biggest automotive producer globally. [1]
In a joint-venture with Daimler AG, Iran Khodro is soon to start production of sophisticated 900-class Mercedes-Benz engines; one of Daimler's directors stressing that the company will export Iran-made engines to Germany. [1] [2]
Current passenger car range
- Samand; the "Iranian national car". Codenamed X7 during development, and based on the 405 platform.
- Samand Sarir; a longer bodied Samand with enhanced equipment.
- Samand Soren
- Peugeot 206; a saloon version of the 206, the Peugeot 206 SD has also been recently co-developed with Peugeot.
- Peugeot 405; available in saloon trims GLi and GLX and estate trim GLX.
- Peugeot Pars; initially called the Peugeot Persia. Changes include a redesigned front and modernised rear.
- Peugeot RD; chassis and drivetrain are similar to the older Paykan but the outer body shell and appearance resemble a 405.
- Peugeot ROA; modified version of Peugeot RD.