Iran Celebrates the 100,000th Products of Automobile

Tehran, Iran | October 30, 2008 by D-8 Secretariat

The 100,000th product of Iran Khodro Auto Manufacturing Company hit the global markets.

Managing Director of Iran Khodro Manouchehr Manteqi on Saturday told reporters that the peak of the company’s production in 1978 reached 100,000 automobiles while today the mere exports of this country have reached 100,000 automobiles. “Last year, we exported 10 percent of our production,” he added.

“The peak of the company’s production in 1978 reached 100,000 automobiles while today the mere exports of this country have reached 100,000 automobiles,” said Managing Director of Iran Khodro Manouchehr Manteqi. Manteqi described his company as the country’s main representative in industrial exports and said, “Before we engaged in exports, exported products of the industrial sector had a low technological level. But, after we started exports, exported industrial products of the country were upgraded to medium and high levels of technology. Presently, due to our efforts, Iran’s auto industry has found a special position within the Islamic world and very soon we will have good news in this respect.”

He recalled that with the export of 100,000 cars, the ground has been paved for exports of $50 million worth of automotive spare parts.Manteqi said that his company is expected to export 600,000 automobiles by 2016.

Regarding the quality of Iran Khodro products, he noted, “Some of our products such as Peugeot 206 and Peugeot 206 SD are not at all different from the quality of foreign cars. In the meantime, foreign industrialists have said that some of our productions, such as Samand, are at least of the same quality as Korean cars.”

Manteqi emphasized that his company has lowered exports in order to fulfill its domestic commitments and will again boost exports after this mission is accomplished.

Referring to Tondar-90 automobile, he said, “In the initial plan, it was projected that 20 percent of this production should be exported. However, due to the slow pace of procurement of its spare parts and the high level of local commitments, this level of exports cannot be fulfilled. This car will be exported to Iraq in a limited manner in the last quarter of the present Iranian year.”

He referred to Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Algiers, Venezuela, Senegal and Turkey as the most important export markets of Iran Khodro. “Today Iran Khodro exports cars to 32 countries,” he added.

He also pointed to the increasing presence of Iran Khodro in global markets and said that the company’s exports in 2007-8 were more than the collective exports of the past 40 years.

“In 2007-8, Iran Khodro exported half a billion dollars of vehicles and technical and engineering services,” he noted. He said that Iran Khodro’s presence in global markets has earned the company 4 trillion rials.

D-8 cherishes the automotive development in Iran, and point this as a strong asset for similar development in memberstates. D-8 plans to hold at least two programs this year with regard to potential industries, including automotive. During the fourth D-8 Working Group Meeting on Energy in Cairo, Egypt on 1-2 June 2008, Indonesian delegation confirmed their readiness to be the host for the 1st D-8 Working Group on Industry Cooperation. Delegations from the memberstates will sit down to discuss potential issues in Working Group Industry, in Bali, Indonesia, in early December 2008. Automotive sectors will be among issues raised for in depth discussion.

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