Shahab Khodro

Shahab Khodro Company was founded in 1966 under the name of Leyland Motor Iran in cooperation with Leyland Motors of England with the aim of assembling trucks and buses. Stay with Act Group to introduce you more to Shahab Khodro Company.

1955

The company started working in 1955 under the name Leyland Garage on Qazvin Street. Leyland Garage’s job was to rent Internash trucks, sell spare parts for Leyland trucks and modify their chassis, and install cargo rooms and dump rooms on them.

Shortly after, the name of the company was changed to “Transport Bank” and then to “Domestic Transportation Company” and its activity was the sale and assembly of Leyland trucks, including MC and 900 FG.

Years later, under the name “Shahab Yadak“, this company imported and distributed spare parts for Internash and Leyland trucks.

1963

On June 28, 1963, a new company named “Leyland Motor Iran” joint stock company was established with the participation of Leyland Motors of England in the amount of 10 percent of the company’s share and Iran’s Domestic Transportation Company, whose major shareholders were Ali Naghi Asadi and Seyed Abolqasem Ruhol Amin, in the amount of the company’s share.

Ninety percent and with an initial capital of sixty million rials, the foundation was established. The initial directors of the company were Murad Panahpour, the chairman of the board of directors, Ali Naghi Asadi, the CEO, and Anthony Patrick McLaren, representing Leyland Motors, England, as a member of the board of directors, and Seyed Abolaqasem Rohul Amin as the first legal inspector.

This newly founded company started its work in 1966 with the purpose of producing and assembling buses and trucks by purchasing a land with an area of 120,000 square meters and building a hall in the 14th kilometer of Karaj special road (currently 9th kilometer).

The operation of the factory started in 1968, and in 1971, the license to manufacture buses and trucks for municipal services was issued by the Ministry of Mines and Metals.

After the revolution

After the revolution, Mustafafan Foundation confiscated the factory and in 1981, the Organization for the Development and Modernization of Iranian Industries took it over.

In 1982, the name of “Leyland Motor Iran” was changed to “Shahab Khodro” and its operating license, which was issued in 1994, was bought by Astan Quds Razavi in 1994 during an auction.

In 1956 and 1957

In 1956 and 1957, the company’s production included Leyland trucks (Super Comet model), double-decker buses, and special vehicles, including fire engines, garbage trucks, and mud trucks. In 1979, based on the Industrial Protection Law approved by the Revolutionary Council, the management of the company was handed over to the government.

After the revolution of 1978, due to the non-cooperation of Leyland Motors in England in supplying parts and updating the product, the relationship between the two companies gradually decreased and the company put the production of city buses with Mercedes-Benz and also special cars on Benz chassis in the production plan.

1989

In 1989, based on the policy of the Ministry of Industries, against a barter agreement with the Yugoslav government, a contract was signed for the construction and transfer of bus room and chassis technology from the Tom Yugoslavia company, and a number of shipments of C.K.D parts (nearly 2,500 units) were imported and placed in the production line. But due to the low quality of imported parts, as well as the collapse of Yugoslavia and the bankruptcy of the Tom company, the production of that product also faced problems.

After that, the company used engines from other manufacturers such as Benz, Cummins and Renault for production buses, and the supply of engines from Renault was the beginning of the relationship with this French company.