47 Years Ago: Jafar Akhavan's Factory and Assets Confiscated

Forty-seven years ago today, the factory and assets of Jafar Akhavan were confiscated. How was the Iranian Jeep produced? The story of investment and partnership between American General Motors in the manufacture and assembly of Jeep, Buick, and Chevrolet, Aria and Rambler in Iran; the story of the confiscation of the Jeep factory following the Islamic Revolution. Jafar Akhavan was the first to undertake vehicle assembly in Iran, assembling and selling American Jeep automobile parts. Later, his work extended to the assembly and production of some parts for Chevrolet, Buick, Jeep Aria, and Shaheen vehicles, laying the foundation of the automobile manufacturing industry in Iran. The Jeep company often sold these vehicles on an installment basis.

• Following a 45-day workers' strike, the workers' committee removed the management from their position, and on Mordad 1358—forty-seven years ago today—the Jeep factory came out of the control of the Akhavan family.
• Kayhan newspaper, in a report titled "From Cadillac to Bus," described automobile ownership as a symbol of discrimination and called for its closure and replacement with public vehicles such as vans and buses.. Read the full report in