Iran Khodro Paykan History

The Paykan (Persian for 'arrow') was introduced in May 1967 under the Iran National banner as a licensed version of the British Rootes Arrow — the Hillman Hunter — assembled initially from complete knock-down kits. It quickly became Iran's quintessential family car, affordable and simple to maintain, and grew into a symbol of national identity.

When Rootes was absorbed by Chrysler and then Peugeot, Iran Khodro secured the full production tooling; by the mid-1970s the Paykan was manufactured domestically, eventually with a Peugeot-licensed engine. Over two million saloons were built before sedan production ended in 2005, nearly three decades after the Hillman Hunter line itself closed in Britain. A pickup variant — the Paykan Bardo — continued in production until 2015.

Few cars anywhere have shaped a nation's automotive culture as profoundly as the Paykan shaped Iran's. Its extraordinary longevity stemmed from economic isolation during and after the Islamic Revolution, which made updating the line difficult; paradoxically, this made the Paykan ubiquitous well into the 21st century.