The Amazing Story Of The Iraqibu

Kinja'd!!! "Margin Of Error" (marginoferror)
04/20/2015 at 13:21 • Filed to: AUTOMOBILE HISTORY, FC

Kinja'd!!!2 Kinja'd!!! 11

While doing research and fact-proofing my latest !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I came across the story of the Iraqi Malibu taxis.

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In 1981, the Iraqi government placed an order for 25,000 Chevy Malibus to be used as taxis from General Motors Canada. The special-order taxis came with the weakest V6 mated to a unique three-speed manual mounted on the floor. All the taxis came with air conditioning, heavy-duty cooling as well and bench seats upholstered in tweed.

GM shipped 13,000 of the things before Iraq suddenly pulled out of the deal, leaving over 12,000 Chevy Malibus custom-built for the desert sitting on the dock in Halifax, Canada.

The Malibus stayed at the port for a while because GM decided to sell them to Canadians for the ridiculous price of $6800 CDN, which at the time was like $4000 USD.

Not a bad deal if you ask me.


DISCUSSION (11)


Kinja'd!!! Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 13:27

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Except:

No heater

All markings in Arabic (or whatever language Iraqis use)


Kinja'd!!! Margin Of Error > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer
04/20/2015 at 13:30

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No heater, in Canada ??

They sold them ?


Kinja'd!!! ttyymmnn > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 13:30

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Not a bad deal at all. Do you know how many they sold, and if there are any still around? That would be a neat collector’s item, with a great story behind it. The police in my hometown (Norfolk, VA) used to run those Malibus for their patrol cars.


Kinja'd!!! Margin Of Error > ttyymmnn
04/20/2015 at 13:31

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something like 12,500


Kinja'd!!! RustedSprinter > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 13:32

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I feel the need.....

The need for tweed!


Kinja'd!!! LongbowMkII > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 13:32

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Thats about 11,000 in 2015 dollars.


Kinja'd!!! Margin Of Error > LongbowMkII
04/20/2015 at 13:35

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Not bad


Kinja'd!!! Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 13:39

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Built to spec for Iraq, and sold as-is when the deal fell through. Yeah, no heater.


Kinja'd!!! SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 14:08

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fact-proofing

As in ensuring that no facts made it in?


Kinja'd!!! PS9 > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 14:21

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1981 B-Body powered by 1981 era GM V6 technology? With a three speed manual???

Mother of god. Those poor, poor cabbies...


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > Margin Of Error
04/20/2015 at 20:38

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I probably would have taken that deal back then. However, they were probably much better suited for southern California or the Florida Keys than Nova Scotia.