TEHRAN – A selection of nostalgic Paykans, the first Iranian-made cars, held a rally on Tehran streets on Saturday morning to mark the opening of the 15th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition.

The rally was staged by 30 absolute mint-condition vintage Paykans picked from various Iranian cities, CHTN reported.

Organized by the Touring & Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran (TACI), the rally’s itinerary started from the headquarters of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ministry to the Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds.

Often colloquially referred to as the Iranian chariot, Paykan was very popular in the country from its introduction in 1967 until its discontinuation in 2005. Paykan was initially Hillman Hunter built under license but had some unique bodywork and locally developed variants.

In 1967, Rootes Group began exporting Hillman Hunters to Iran Khodro in the "complete knockdown" (CKD) kit form, for assembly in Iran. By the mid-1970s, full-scale manufacturing of the car (minus the engine) had started in Iran. In 1977, Roy Axe designed a new Paykan facelift model using many interiors and exterior parts from the Chrysler Alpine.

Although the Paykan was based on a 1966 Hillman Hunter, there were many changes and modifications made to it over the years – notably the substitution of the original 1725cc Rootes engine with a Peugeot 504-derived unit.

The 15th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition will be running through February 1.

AFM