Page 39 - Журнал «Русский Берег» #9-2021

RUSSIAN COAST | № 1/9 2022 ИСТОРИЯ | HISTORY

Ford branch in Turkey. The entrepreneurial TURKISH
businessman Vechkhi Koch became the SUPER MONSTER
founder of the Turkish car industry. He was
a skillful car dealer. Since 1928, he has Anadol became the first real Turkish
controlled 95% of the sales of the American manufacturer. Despite the relatively small
stream in Turkey and Syria. In 1959, Koch volume of production, from 1967 to 1991,
founded the Otosan company, which, in more than 130 thousand cars of all models
addition to selling Ford vehicles, began to and modifications were produced. He
deal with their maintenance. gave severe assistance to the development
of the country’s automotive industry and
The Anadol brand is the result of several related industries. For example,
cooperation between business and the production of spare parts, rubber
government. Koch got money from the products, repair, and maintenance, finally,
government and convinced them to finance helped to overcome the "complex of the
the creation of a Turkish national brand that eternal disciple." In the 70s, the first Turkish
would be as reliable and unpretentious sports car Anadol STC-16 with an engine
as Ford, and would not be a copy or a capacity of 1600 cm3 appeared. The
franchise. The idea acquired the scale of abbreviation STC stands for Sports Turkish
a national project, for example, the name Car. For a sports car, the name is too soft,
Anadol (Anatolia is the geographical name and therefore the people quickly renamed
of the peninsula where most of Turkey is it to Super Turk Canavari, which means
located) was chosen on a competitive basis "Turkish super monster."
with the involvement of popular opinion.
In order for the car to acquire its own
The car was released in 1967. Anadol unique appearance, Turkish designer
was targeted at the mass consumer. Who Eralp Noyan was involved in the design
was not too rich, but who had already left development. The prototype, which came
the dream of buying a motorized carriage. out in 1972, met all the requirements for
The first concept car included new technical the exterior of a sports car of the time.
solutions. For example, a car body made The car was painted bright yellow and
of fiberglass. A rarity for the 60s. Most was equipped with a Ford engine from
FROM THE HISTORY of the components and assemblies of the 68 horsepower in a budget version, to
ENG
OF THE TURKISH first models were purchased from other 78 in a luxury one. The rear lights of an
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY brands. So, Koch acquired a patent for the unusual trapezoidal shape have become
production of a car from the British company a feature of the appearance. The car
Europe in the mid-60s was just beginning Reliant. Three-wheeled, by the way. turned out to be not only beautiful, but
to recover from the consequences of the war, Reliant Motor Company, whose specialty also quite reliable. It can still be found
and before that time, the formation of the was three-wheeled vehicles, existed until among collectors in Turkey, and although
automotive industry met with great difficulties. 2002. This brand had very local fame, not so many such cars were built — 176
European cars of the 50s were no cars at but nevertheless in Britain, its popularity is copies. In the same 1972, the Anadol
all but a kind of sidecars — cars built on quite comparable to the iconic MINI. A A1 Mark II was presented — a vehicle
motorcycle units and units Fiat 500, Citroen three-wheeled car can be found in some for the mass consumer, which even for
2CV, BMW Isetta. of Mr. Bean’s sketches, in which this car some time became the sales leader in
rolls over with enviable regularity. Reliant the Turkish market. In 1973, the SV1600
An ordinary person dreamed of a means "confident" in English and jokes model came out, which was an A1 station
motorcycle with a sidecar under a roof. about his instability are popular in England. wagon. It was also a rather unusual car for
Introduced in 1959, the MINI Cooper This did not stop the vehicle from leaving its its time. Well, at least the fact that being a
became a kind of milestone in the automotive mark on history. The three-wheeled layout typical sedan, it had a two-door layout,
industry — it is definitely not a motorcycle, lasted forty years on the conveyor. Reliant which, in turn, provided greater body
but also not quite a car, as they are used to Motor Company in the 70s was the No. strength. It was equipped with a 1200
seeing it, for example, in America that was 2 brand in the English market in terms of cm3. There was also a "sports" version of
not affected by war. sales, second only to British Leyland Motor the A1, which, however, did not become
Corporation Ltd (BLMC), and manufactured popular. Only 15 copies were sold. After
The European branch of Ford felt very its products in nine countries. Another reason the A1 model, there was already a four-
confident on the continent, as it was ready to to think about how short-lived is commercial door sedan Anadol A2. He stayed on the
offer simple and extremely reliable solutions happiness and how it relates to innovation assembly line until 1981.
traditional for this brand. There was also a and non-trivial know-how.

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