 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Headquarters | Helwan,Cairo,Egypt |
| Products | Automobiles |
| Website | nasr |
Nasr (Arabic:نصر, long form:El Nasr Automotive Manufacturing Company) isEgypt's state owned automobile company. It was founded in 1960 inHelwan,Egypt. Since, the company has produced licensed versions of theFiat 1100 R,Fiat 1300,Fiat 2300,Fiat 128,Fiat 125,Fiat 133,Fiat 126, series 2Fiat 127, 1983–92FSO Polonez and in 1991 introduced a further range ofFiat-designed cars licensed via the Turkish companyTofaş. In the early 2000s Nasr began producing theFlorida range under license from Serbian manufacturerZastava.
Nasr was a replacement for the short-livedRamses automobile (also state produced), which suffered from poor design and performance (basically a redesignedNSU Prinz). The Nasr was intended to be an affordable car for the average person of means. The company's creation was also part of the general industrialization process initiated after theEgyptian Revolution of 1952, which would see millions of Egyptians flock to urban areas to gain work in newly built factories and industrial centers.
The decision to focus on assembly of foreign licensed cars under the Nasr marque was primarily based on the desire to avoid the engineering and design problems associated with previous attempts at domestic car manufacture. Furthermore, the compact and comparatively affordable Fiat-based cars (produced in conjunction withFSO andZastava) were well suited to the Egyptian market. Nasr would later expand to production of utility and agricultural vehicles such as trucks.
As the years progressed, Nasr's best-selling model, the 128 GLS, began to show its age (its design had not been modified since the 1970s). Consequently, Nasr began production of a new range of vehicles, once again based on existing Fiat models, including theRegata, and Fiat-based models licensed by Tofaş, particularly the Dogan andŞahin. The early 21st century saw the relationship with Zastava expanded with production of the Nasr Florida.
Nasr's position in Egypt remains strong, largely due to its brand recognition and comparative affordabilityvis a vis foreign produced vehicles. However, its cars' relative lack of modern design (especially in terms of otherwise standard safety and comfort features), and the increased availability of low-to-mid range foreign brands in Egypt (such asŠkoda) have increased the level of competition in Nasr's core market.
Nasr ended the production of passenger vehicles in 2009.[1]
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(April 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Total production from 1961 until 2005 = 402,536 units. (Production statistics OICA data)
In addition to Nasr, other manufacturers such as:
| Manufacturers | |
|---|---|
| Defunct | |
| Foreign companies | |
| Related topics | |
