posted September 25, 2006 06:52 PM              

TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (MNA) – Iran’s major automaker Iran Khodro Industrial Group will transfer the production line of its phased out automobile Paykan to Sudan.
Based on an agreement signed between Iran and Sudan, the popular Iranian made passenger car, Paykan will be built in the North African country, the Persian service of Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) said here on Saturday.

Iran’s Export Promotion Bank will provide the funds for the Sudanese company to purchase the car assembly line, the report quoted Alireza Mirzaii, an official with Iran Khodro Industrial Company. However, bureaucratic and red tape burdens have created some problems, in particular the issues related to loan guarantees, for the purchaser company. He predicted that the problems would be resolved soon, however.

The Sudanese assembly line to be installed in the nation’s capital, Khartoum, is expected to produce 10,000 Paykan passenger cars in the first year however, the figure is planned to reach 20,000 in the next year, the Iranian official explained.

After nearly forty years, Iran Khodro finally phased out production of the nation's best-selling car last year. Some 50,000 old British Hillman Hunters - the automobiles Iranian Paykan was carbon copied from in the 60s - are still plying the streets of Iran.