A government initiative introduced last year to produce the country’s first national car brand has attracted the attention of both foreign and local firms; the government requested that Turkish industrialists introduce plans for the project. Koç’s remarks came amidst heated discussions as to how the first local car brand could be produced. The initiative has been in the works for over a year and has been receiving more attention, as 80 percent of consumers support a domestic brand and 72 percent have expressed an interest in one, according to a recent survey. Seeing much potential, various companies earlier contacted the government in anticipation of receiving a share in the newly created local car market. The first vehicle should be designed as a passenger car and Koç says TOFAŞ is a reliable company to undertake this project. His partner, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, recently told the Turkish press that the company was continuing talks with the Turkish government and the Koç family in order to produce a national car brand for Turkey. Acknowledging Marchionne’s statements, Koç added that the local car would be manufactured in a completely new production platform in their Bursa facility. “We are not going to use the already-existing platforms for Fiat’s Palio and Albea model passenger cars produced in Turkey,” he said, indicating his company placed great emphasis on the new car being manufactured with the highest local contribution possible. Government officials have given the green light to foreign contributions in the creation of the country’s first national car brand. This means the project will result in a car brand that will produce cars assembled with “mostly Turkish parts.” Marchionne also said the design and auto-parts supply for the possible joint Fiat-Koç car would be developed in Turkey.
Asked if TOFAŞ has any specific model or price in mind for the new car, Koç said it was too early to give further details, but studies were under way in close cooperation with the government. “But I could say in advance that this car will be something most people could afford to buy,” he added.
