In 1964 a Turkish truck-building company (BMC Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.) was set up at Izmir (the birthplace of Alec Issigonis, incidentally) in partnership with BMC to build Austin and Morris trucks under licence.
The Turkish Sherpa
The company later became independent of British Leyland, but has retained its BMC name; indeed, when the company began exporting to the UK in 2003, that saw the BMC name re-appear on British roads after an absence of around 30 years…
Below is a brochure (supplied by Graham Arnold), which shows off the company’s version of the trusty Leyland/Austin-Morris Sherpa van.
[Editor’s Note: Our thanks to Graham Arnold for scanning and submitting this brochure.]
Editor and creator AROnline at AROnline
Created www.austin-rover.co.uk in 2001 and built it up to become the world's foremost reference source for all things BMC, Leyland and Rover Group, before renaming it AROnline in 2007.
Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...
Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.
Is the Editor of the Parkers website and price guide, formerly editor of Classic Car Weekly, and launch editor/creator of Modern Classics magazine. Has contributed to various motoring titles including Octane, Practical Classics, Evo, Honest John, CAR magazine, Autocar, Pistonheads, Diesel Car, Practical Performance Car, Performance French Car, Car Mechanics, Jaguar World Monthly, MG Enthusiast, Modern MINI, Practical Classics, Fifth Gear Website, Radio 4, and the the Motoring Independent...
Likes 'conditionally challenged' motors and taking them on unfeasible adventures all across Europe.
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Turkey is now a commercial vehicle powerhouse, being the site of the global Ford Transit / Connect factories. (Where they are built as passenger vehicles for the US market, where the seats are ripped out and destroyed)
When I was in Turkey in 2012 I spotted quite a few newish BMC lorries, along with Ford ones that looked liked updated Cargos.