Turkey Time!

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse)
11/27/2014 at 18:19 • Filed to: Turkey

No, not the bird. I've been looking to see what Turkish built cars I could buy and here's my list. Who'd have thought there are so many?

Hyundai i10

Fiat Qubo

Ford Transit

Renault Fluence

Toyota Corolla

DISCUSSION (20)

KirkyV > Cé hé sin
11/27/2014 at 18:22

A surprising selection, to be sure. I think I'd have either the i10, or the Transit.

In barely-related news, I'm about to enjoy some fine Turkish cuisine as my Thanksgiving repast. Oh, Chicken Shish, how I love you.

Cé hé sin > KirkyV
11/27/2014 at 18:25

The i10 is the only one I've driven, although that was the old one and I think it was from India.

Steve in Manhattan > Cé hé sin
11/27/2014 at 18:25

Wonder if any Turkish Corollas make it here to US America ....

Cé hé sin > Steve in Manhattan
11/27/2014 at 18:29

Nope, yours are from here

Steve in Manhattan > Cé hé sin
11/27/2014 at 18:36

Makes sense. And did you know - all Mercedes MLs are made in Alabama, and all BMW Z4s are made in South Carolina (to the best of my knowledge). It's the red state race to the bottom to attract a factory.

Cé hé sin > Steve in Manhattan
11/27/2014 at 18:41

Yes, and all BMW X3s and X5s are from there too, because biggest market. The Z has returned to Germany, because small sales.

In other news, if I was to buy a Golf it would probably come from South Africa. A Nissan Micra would come from India and a Nissan Qashqai from Sunderland in England, a factory that produces substantially more cars than the whole of Italy.

thebigbossyboss > Cé hé sin
11/27/2014 at 18:47

I didnt even know england had any car factories left.

Cé hé sin > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 18:50

Well apart from the obvious ones like Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley, Aston, and Rolls Royce there are plants belonging to BMW (Mini), Nissan, Toyota, Honda and GM. Oh, and Morgan. Never forget Morgan. Or Lotus. Or Caterham.

thebigbossyboss > Cé hé sin
11/27/2014 at 18:58

I thought Jaguars, and Land rovers were made in India. I thought Bentley and Rolls Royce were owned by VW. I dunno where I thought Aston was from. Oh well.

Svend > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 19:01

Quite a few. Nissan Juke, Note, LEAF, Qashqai-Sunderland, Vauxhall Astra-Ellesmere Port, Vauxhall Vivaro-Luton, Mini-Cowley, Honda CRV, Jazz, Civic-Swindon, Aston Martins-Gaydon, Bentley-Crewe, Toyota Auris, Avensis-Derbyshire, Rolls Royces-Goodwood, Jaguar/Land Rover-West Midlands and Liverpool, MG Motors-Longbridge, etc...

http://www.britishbuiltcars.co.uk/

Svend > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 19:08

VW owns Bentley and BMW owns Rolls Royce but the cars are still built in Britain. Ford is an American company but the Transit is made in Turkey, Chrysler is owned by Fiat but they still make cars in America.

Cé hé sin > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 19:08

Jag/LR are indeed owned by Tata, an Indian company, but they're still made in the UK. VW own Bentley and BMW own RR, but same applies.

thebigbossyboss > Svend
11/27/2014 at 19:09

Yeah. I really thought they moved Land Rpver to India though. I dunno. Guess I better stop talking.

thebigbossyboss > Cé hé sin
11/27/2014 at 19:09

I see. I have been enlightened. I blame clarkson for only showing abandoned car factories in england.

KirkyV > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 19:17

I'm generally not much for this sort of thing - it irritates me that supermarkets, for example, feel the need to go on and on and on about how much of their stuff is sourced locally - but Clarkson produced something of a counterpoint to all those abandoned factories a year or so ago.

Svend > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 19:20

Many have. The big companies have some very impressive factories but there are still small companies, one being 'Suffolk Jaguar' who build exact replicas of the Jaguar SS100 (aka Suffolk SS100) and now the XK-120 C-Type (aka Suffolk C Type).

Kinja'd!!!

Other companies producing cars in Britain (not a full list but some names many including myself have never heard of).

AC (1908–present)

Arash (2006–present) established 1999 as Farboud

Ariel (1999–present)

Ascari (1995–present)

Aston Martin (1921–present)

Bentley (1919–present)

BAC (2009–present)

Bristol (1946–present)

(Note: As of 2014, the brand appears to be dormant.)

Brooke Cars (1991–present)

Caparo (2006–present)

Caterham (1973–present)

Connaught Motor Company (2004–present)

David Brown Automotive (2013–present)

Eterniti (2010–present)

Ginetta (1957–present)

Grinnall (1993–present)

Jaguar (1945–present)

JBA Motors (1982–present)

JZR (1989-1998, 2000–present)

Land Rover (1948–present)

Lightning Car Company (2007, production yet to commence)

Lister (1954-1959; 1986–2006; 2013-)

Lotus (1951–present)

McLaren (1969-1970; 1993-1998; 2005-Present)

MG (2006–present)

(Note: Wholly Chinese-owned assembly plant)

Mini (2001–present)

(Note: Wholly owned by BMW )

MK Sportscars (1996–present)

Morgan (1910–present)

Noble (1998–present)

Prodrive (1984–present)

Radical (1997–present)

Rolls-Royce (1904–present)

Suffolk Jaguar (1990–present)

Trident (1965-1978) (1999–present)

Triking (1978–present)

Toyota Manufacturing UK (1989–present)

TVR (1954–present)

Ultima (1992–present)

Vauxhall (1903–present) (Note: Wholly owned by General Motors via Adam Opel subsidiary)

Westfield (1982–present)

Svend > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 19:25

They do build those cars in India just as they do back here in blighty. Just as my Skoda Superb in built in the Czech Republic, China, India and Kazakhstan.

There is nothing to stop talking about fella. Car talk is good talk.

Svend > KirkyV
11/27/2014 at 19:32

I've seen this a few times but it's still beautiful especially to the tune of Nimrod on The Mall.

ranwhenparked > thebigbossyboss
11/27/2014 at 20:04

One of the abandoned factories he showed wasn't even abandoned. St. Modwen Properties demolished the old part of Londbridge that had been vacant for years even before MG Rover went under, and that was the empty field in the show. The bulk of the plant is still being used by SAIC/MG. They only screw together a tiny number of cars there, but they have a huge R&D/design center on the site.

Leon711 > thebigbossyboss
11/28/2014 at 03:26

we make more cars now than ever before, just for other people. Or for foreign owned british marques.