In Iran, Auto Repair Brings Back Cadillac Sevilles

2023-06-29

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1
  • In his automobile repair shop near Iran's capital, Tehran, Khosro Dahaghin works carefully on a special car, a Cadillac Seville.
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  • The car is over 40 years old and needs fixing.
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  • In the 1970's, the American automaker General Motors (GM) partnered with an Iranian company to build the cars in Iran.
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  • The Sevilles cost more than twice as much in Iran as they did in the United States.
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  • "The most luxurious and the most special car that was assembled in Iran was Cadillac Iran," Dahaghin told The Associated Press.
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  • He said no other car was as good as the Seville during that time.
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  • The Seville had a powerful engine, large and soft seats, and power windows and door locks.
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  • It sold for $12,479 in the United States in 1975 when it entered the market.
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  • If the price is changed to account for the effects of inflation, that would be over $70,000 in today's money.
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  • Back then, Iran had the only Cadillac production factory outside of the United States.
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  • GM created General Motors Iran Ltd., which produced the Seville and other vehicles using American designs and materials.
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  • The Sevilles sold for about $35,000 in Iran at the time.
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  • Michael Albano, a Cadillac spokesman in the U.S., said he believed about 2,500 Sevilles were built in Iran.
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  • After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Americans and GM left the country.
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  • Iran continued building Sevilles for several more years.
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  • It nationalized the GM Iran factory, creating the manufacturer Pars Khodro that stills exists today.
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  • Saeed Shobeiri is the editor-in-chief of Machine Magazine in Tehran.
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  • He thinks there are about 60 Sevilles that are in good driving condition today.
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  • And he thinks there are more than 100 that are unable to be driven.
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  • These cars need fixing.
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  • Dahaghin, the car repair expert, and his coworkers hope to fix them.
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  • Dahaghin once watched an American television show that showed how old cars are made to look new.
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  • He has worked on Sevilles since 2013.
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  • He said, "Now we restore these cars after years and when they are back on [the] streets they are both very beautiful and very special compared to other cars."
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  • But it is not easy to fix the old cars. Each one can take up to a year and a half to finish.
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  • It is hard to find parts and many of the old cars have damage.
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  • Some replacement parts are being hand-carried back into Iran by those traveling from other countries.
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  • "I will not sell this piece of art to anyone who makes an offer," Dahaghin said.
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  • "The buyer must appreciate the value of this artwork."
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  • A restored Seville can sell for as much as $40,000 in Iran now, said Mohammad Khorshidizadeh, a classic car specialist.
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  • That is very costly because the exchange value of Iranian money is low.
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  • Albano, the Cadillac spokesman, said that more young people around the world are interested in the cars.
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  • For fans of the classics and the Iranian automotive history, like 29-year-old Arsalan Asgharzadeh who recently bought a Seville from Dahaghin, nothing compares to a Cadillac.
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  • "If you experience driving a Cadillac, you will always want to drive a Cadillac," Asgharzadeh said.
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  • I'm Andrew Smith.