Bumpy ride to first indigenous car
Monday 08-08-2005
KARACHI: Feroze Khan believes his future was already determined when his homeless mother gave birth to him on a car porch. More than half a century later, he has launched Pakistan’s first home-grown automobile.
It’s been a long road for the boy from a poor Karachi neighbourhood whose life-long fascination with engines, gears and wheels has just driven his native country into the exclusive club of nations designing and producing cars.
“Every nation in the world has taken a lot of pride in making cars, and I wanted to contribute it to my country,” says a proud Khan, whose Adam Motor Company has just rolled out his pride and joy — the Revo. The compact, five-door 800cc model has made a splash on the roads of Karachi in recent weeks. The snub-nosed model costs 270,000 rupees (about 4,500 dollars), some 30 to 40 percent cheaper than rivals.
The company has orders for 400 cars on its books and plans to manufacture 5,000 units this year, taking 2.5 percent of the market share.
… “This is a red-letter day in the history of our manufacturing sector,” the premier told the assembled guests. “With this, Pakistan has joined the club of 16 countries having the capability of designing an original car.”
Like a proud father, Khan praises the virtues of the little Revo — a car born and bred in Pakistan with the poorly-maintained roads and hot climate of the South Asian country in mind..
… With a top speed of 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour and the option to run on natural gas, the Revo can claim both reasonable performance and economy. The car has been launched into a booming market, where foreign car plants have stepped up production to meet growing demand fuelled by Pakistan’s eight-per-cent annual economic growth and the advent of cheap car loans. afp
Get yours fast before every Hindustani grabs 'em all.