We often hear people complaining about the lack of options available when it comes to buying an automobile in Pakistan.
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And it remains true, that the automobile market, for the last 25 years or so, has been dominated by only 3 players- Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda that operate in an oligopolized manner safeguarding each others’ interests, by offering products that never rival each other in terms of segment or price.
Pak Suzuki has always been allowed to enjoy the small vehicle segment, mainly comprising hatchbacks & small pickup/vans. Although Honda & Toyota have some better smaller vehicles in their lineup which they could have introduced here, but in a span of nearly 30 years, they never did so. The so-called flavor that adds to our roads is courtesy of imported used JDMs.
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But back in the old days, there were literally tons of car-buying options in our market. We have often written about the ’70s and ’80s era when cars like Daihatsu Charade, Toyota Starlet, Subaru J10, Mazda 323, Datsun 120Y, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corona, Nissan Sunny, Toyota Sprinter and dozens of other options were frequently found on the roads. But if you go through the images below you will be amazed at what sort of options we used to have in our market during the 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Just a few of the innumerable options we had prior to the 1970s
Since the 1950s, Pakistan experienced rapid industrialization, emerging as an industrial hub in Asia. However, the 1972 Nationalization Program, introduced to stimulate economic growth, had devastating consequences for both the economy and the industrial sector. It severely eroded investor confidence in Pakistan and, in the case of the automobile industry, left it heavily reliant on imports.
The above pictures show only some of the options available at that time. There were way more to choose from such as the Toyota Corona RT40, Mazda 1500, Renault R4, Fiat Regata, Mini Morris, Opel Rekord, VW Beetle & Microvan, Skoda 1000, and much much more.
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The Auto Policy 2016-21 has opened up doors for newcomers and more than a dozen automakers are in the process of stepping into the market. Perhaps in the future, we might be able to see more car buying options such as we used to have in the past. Want to share your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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