NATIONAL SHAME - no national car

[SarkaR]

Every so called respectable country has got some sort of "national car" that they buid locally. India has got Tata, Pakistan is recently making some 4th world junk, Malaysian are making Protons and Chinese are making everything from VW to Deng Feng but Bangladesh on the otherhand can't manage to make any worthy motor vehicles.

We assemble cars from kits but a lot of othe countries can do it too. What steps can we do to realise our dreams of a national car?

I don't mean we have to build beamers but I am just saying we need something that is descent, affordable to the middle class and reliable. It's a shame that we are importing junks from our neighbours when if we try we can make better cars.

Gents please give some ideas about what type of car we can build in BD and what is our automobile industries (BMTF, Progati, Atlas, Pacific etc) capabilities as far as buildig cars are concerned. Thanks.

[arnab]

First of all what we lack is Capital because car manufacturing is a capital oriented industry. The best way to start this off is to buy the designs of older chassis from say a Japanese brand, like for eg. '86 Mitsi Lancer. And then make a body to fit that. See the chassis is very costly to develop while different bodies could be accomodated on the same chassis. Once the funds starts coming in the company can re invest to make better chassis or but designs of newer model chassis.

[auto_freak]

Even the rickshaws are made in Japan and assembled in BD. The cng's are also made in India. But to me Bangladesh is improving a lot these days. We dont have any automotive industry just because we have lack of capital as arnab bhai already said. But soon ppl like us will start to build new cars in BD when they have enough money. But give this country some respect, the country just liberated in 1971, it's very young still now. As a young country it has improved massively.You can see that we have a huge gdp growth every years. Yes it is corrupted but technology in bd isn't.

[SarkaR]

How much capital will be required to setup something like a Proton company in Bangladesh?

I think Bangladesh should urge Japaese, Chinese, Korean and Malaysian manfacturers to invest capital and technology in our automobile industry.

First we can start building licensed copies and sell them locally and once we have enough money to play with we should then think about designing our own vehicles like they did in Malaysia with proton. Proton actually used Mitsubishi technology as far as I know.

Anyway the main problems that we will likely face is pressure from car importers and also manufacturers who have a stronghold in the local market.

[rezwan]

my plan has always been to setup a car manufacturing unit in Bangladesh. Ideally if we could get the rights to the EE90 series of Toyota Corolla from Toyota and buy out all their old equipment for building that model, we could in fact sell that car for Tk. 4/5 lakhs brand new.

Toyota always upgrades its production process and machinery, if we could get the previous generation tools that is probably lying around and build the car here it would be amazing.

Another thing to remember building a car you will need a strong setup of component suppliers, companies who make say for example lights, shocks, filters, brake pads etc.

Maybe if all of us get together and come up with some sorta plan we may actually come up with a cost estimate for the car manufacturing plant for a Toyota Corolla EE90 series.

At present the only cars that are assembled here is the old gen Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero.

[SarkaR]

Yes, Rezwan has a good plan. I aways wanted to invest in Banglades in something worthwhile but my father doesnttrust Bangladeshi business environment but we have to take risks sometimes. We are always taking risks for everything else except our nation.

Anyway Rezwan can these car components be built locally or do we have to import them at first?

[auto_freak]

wish you guys all the best. I would just love to see a car manufacturing company in bd.

[rawfin]

very good idea about the EE90 rez.

[arnab]

my plan has always been to setup a car manufacturing unit in Bangladesh. Ideally if we could get the rights to the EE90 series of Toyota Corolla from Toyota and buy out all their old equipment for building that model, we could in fact sell that car for Tk. 4/5 lakhs brand new.

Toyota always upgrades its production process and machinery, if we could get the previous generation tools that is probably lying around and build the car here it would be amazing.

Another thing to remember building a car you will need a strong setup of component suppliers, companies who make say for example lights, shocks, filters, brake pads etc.

Maybe if all of us get together and come up with some sorta plan we may actually come up with a cost estimate for the car manufacturing plant for a Toyota Corolla EE90 series.

At present the only cars that are assembled here is the old gen Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero.

good direction rezwan, to stream line the process I can look after the production line, thats my speciality. as for the supplies technically if the components ae produced ikn bangladesh then the hartals would creat havoc on the production, in Dubai given proximity to Bangladesh and tax free would be ideal. I can have a set up for that....

[SarkaR]

Can someone post the picture of the car that we want to manufacture. :help: I am hopeless with specific models.

[Abdul]

Bd military this is the car we want to build http://english.auto.vl.ru/catalog/toyot ... la/1989_5/

I think it should be better take a newer chassis than the EE 90.What about the present civic chassis very sporty?We could do a joint venture with Proton?Or start building a small sports car using Lotus Esprit chassis or Elise chassis?
Anyway we need a NATIONAL CAR if we find a solution then other asian country will consider us differently.

[arnab]

Bd military this is the car we want to build http://english.auto.vl.ru/catalog/toyot ... la/1989_5/

I think it should be better take a newer chassis than the EE 90.What about the present civic chassis very sporty?We could do a joint venture with Proton?Or start building a small sports car using Lotus Esprit chassis or Elise chassis?
Anyway we need a NATIONAL CAR if we find a solution then other asian country will consider us differently.

If we want to sell this car to everyone, within the 4-5 lakhs then we would not be able to get the new civic chassis or the new proton chassis. they would be more expensive. But Proton when they started to bough chassis designs from Mitsu.

[rezwan]

the car would have to have an automatic transmission, 1300cc nice smooth ride so this series EE90-AEHBS is the most likely choice.

we could contact toyota japan but only once when we have a proper business plan and market forecast with feasability study.

I could talk to Aftab Auto's and Navana who assemble the Toyota Prado here.

[SarkaR]

I understand that the chassis and other parts will be too expensive but do you think people will like the design of this model?

I know this model is excellent as one of my relatives in Dhaka owned one back in the 1990s but this seems too old.

I would like something like this:




Anyway I guess it would be very wise to carry out feasibility studies including surveys from potential buyers.

Our target demographic group would be middle class Bangladeshi families living in urban areas particularly in the Dhaka, Chittagong vicinity.

[arnab]

body is not the problem, getting the mould might be.