Thursday, December 13, 2007
TEHRAN: Iran is to lead the production of a new vehicle dubbed as the “Islamic car” targeting Muslim markets and to be built only in Islamic states, its largest auto manufacturer Iran Khodro Co said on Wednesday.
Iran Khodro Co chief executive Manouchehr Manteqi said the vehicle would be a joint venture by members of the pan-Islamic grouping, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC). “The Islamic car is a joint brand among member states of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) targeting Muslim markets and aimed at boosting their economy and industry,” he told reporters. He added that delegations from the OIC, Turkey, and the Malaysian automaker Proton would meet in Tehran in January to prepare the framework of the project which would later be debated at an OIC summit in March 2008.
“If it is adopted by the OIC, the project will be launched in March 2008 and it will take three years to complete the project at an estimated cost of US$200-500 million,” Manteqi said of the vehicle, which is yet to be designed. He explained that the platform would be in either Iran or Malaysia and that Iran Khodro would lead the project.