Bahman Group Mazda 323 History

In 1999 (Iranian calendar year 1378), Bahman Group launched licensed assembly of the Mazda F, Mazda 323 GLX, and Mazda 323 FL at its Tehran plant — marking the company's transition from commercial-vehicle assembler to passenger-car maker.

The 323 was Bahman's first mainstream sedan and brought Japanese-standard build quality to Iranian buyers at a competitive price point. It was produced until around 2006, when Bahman began transitioning the assembly line to the next-generation Mazda 3.

The 323 program established the manufacturing processes and supplier base that would underpin the far more successful Mazda 3 / Bardo run that followed.