Autocars Co.

2025-10-12T21:41:06Z

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{{Short description|Israeli automotive manufacturers}}
{{About|an Israeli car maker|the United States vehicle maker|Autocar Company}}
[[File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - SABRA SPORTS CARS AND 'CARMEL 12' PASSENGER CARS.jpg|thumb|Sabra Sport, Sussita 12 station wagon, and sedans (Carmel) at the factory in 1967]]
[[File:Autocar in Israel photographed 1986.jpg|thumb|Sussita 13/60 sedan (Carmel Ducas)]]
[[File:EM-susita-12-50-2.jpg|thumb|Sussita 12 station wagon]]
[[File:Attica Carmel.jpg|thumb|Greek [[Attica (automobiles)|Attica]] Sussita 12 sedan (Carmel), only about 100 of which were produced.]]
'''Autocars Co. Ltd.''' ({{langx|he|אוטוקרס}}) of [[Haifa]], [[Israel]], was Israel's first car manufacturer.

==History==
Autocars Ltd, founded in 1957, made [[fiberglass]]-shelled [[Automobile|car]]s that were popular in Israel during the 1960s and 1970s.<ref>[https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/culture/movies/.premium-susita-a-documentary-about-an-israeli-car-that-almost-makes-the-trabant-look-good-1.9220003 'Susita': A Documentary About an Israeli Car That Almost Makes the Trabant Look Good], [[Haaretz]]</ref> Government agencies were forced to buy them. This released onto the market thousands of low-priced second hand vehicles. Although their style and finish left something to be desired, Autocar's use of [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] and [[Triumph Motor Company|Triumph]] engines made them reliable cars which kept their value for years. The manufacturing of these cars ceased during the 1980s, and Israel's only remaining car making company today is [[Automobile Industries Limited|AIL]].

Autocars manufactured its own car models under the [[Sabra Sport|Sabra]] (Hebrew: צברה) brand. The line included a station wagon, pick-up and the Sabra Sport, a [[sports car]] derived from [[Reliant Motors|Reliant]].

From 1960, the sport model was produced under the Sabra brand, and the station wagon, sedan and pick-up models were produced under the Sussita brand name ('''''Sussita''''' (סוסיתא), '''''Sussita 12''''' and '''''Sussita 13/60''''' models).
Following an agreement with the Greek automotive manufacturer [[Attica (automobiles)|Attica]], a small number of Sussita 12 sedans (Carmel) were produced in [[Greece]].

Apart from its own brand, Autocars also assembled other car manufacturers’ models, such as Reliant Regal, and Triumph 1300 / 1500. These models were built using complete kits received from the brands owners.

== Models for the Israeli market ==

'''Sussita (A.K.A "Cube")''' - manufactured from 1960 till 1966. 2 doors station wagon and pick-up versions. Designed with the help of the British [[Reliant Motors|Reliant]] company. The car was built using various Ford's parts, mainly the [[Ford Anglia]] engine.

'''Carmel''' - manufactured from 1962 till 1964. A clone of the British three wheeler [[Reliant Regal]], that was modified to have 4 wheels. The model had many problems, and was discontinued. The Carmel label was later given to next generations of the Sussita sedans.

'''Sussita 12''' - manufactured from 1964 till 1970. Body versions:2 doors station wagon, 2 doors sedan (A.K.A '''Carmel'''), 4 doors sedan (A.K.A '''Gilboa''') and pick-up versions. Till 1968 the Sussita 12 used the [[Ford Anglia]] engines, where the Gilboa had an optional 1500cc Ford's engine. From 1968 to 1970 the station wagon and sedans (Carmel and Gilboa), used the [[Triumph Motor Company|Triumph Herald]] 12/50 engine.

'''Sussita 13/60''' - manufactured from 1970 till 1975. 2 doors station wagon, 2 doors sedan (A.K.A '''Carmel Ducas'''), and pick-up versions. 4 door sedan was not produced. The Sussita 13/60 was built on the British [[Triumph Herald|Triumph Herald's]] chassis, and used the [[Triumph Herald|Herald 13/60]] engine and gearbox.

Autocars assembled several car models of other manufactures, using complete kits received from them. For example:

'''[[Triumph 1300]] / [[Triumph 1500]]''' - British [[Triumph Motor Company|Triumph]] cars from kits in the late 1960s. The Triumph lineup included the [[Triumph 1300]], although originally only with a 1500 engine as the 1300 was considered too close to the 1.3 litre Hino Contessa.<ref name=ClassicNZ>{{cite web|url=http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/rear-guard-assault-1967-hino-contessa-1300-176 |date=2007-10-11 |title=1967 Hino Contessa 1300 – Rear Guard Assault – 176 |work=NZ Classic Car |publisher=Parkside Media |accessdate=2012-05-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104220450/http://www.classiccar.co.nz/articles/rear-guard-assault-1967-hino-contessa-1300-176 |archivedate=2013-11-04 }}</ref>

'''[[Hino Contessa|Hino Contesa 900]] / [[Hino Contessa|Hino Contesa 1300]]''' - Assembled from original kits received from Hino Japan. The franchise, to assemble the Contessa, moved in 1969 from Eilin to Autocars, after the Israeli government forced the merger of the two companies. The contract was discontinued when Toyota had taken over Hino.

Autocars went bankrupt in 1970. Its assembly lines were bought by [[Rom Carmel Industries]]. Rom Carmel continued to manufacture the Sussita 13/60, till 1975. Rom Carmel manufactured their own models: Rom Carmel 1300, and Rom Carmel 1301, till 1980.

== Sabra ==
[[File:Sabra.jpg|thumb|Autocars Sabra Sport]]
[[File:Sabra 1960-1977.JPG|thumb|Autocars Sabra Sport]]
The name "[[Opuntia|Sabra]]" was chosen because it means both "[[Sabra (person)|born in Israel]]" and a cactus (its fruit, [[Opuntia ficus-indica|prickly pear]]), which was used as its logo. In 1960, Yitzhak Shubinsky launched an Israeli-made car at the [[New York International Auto Show|autoshow]] in [[New York City]]. It was a very small, underpowered pick-up truck. At the show Shubinsky realized that it was a futile attempt, and set forth on a new project.

He bought the rights to use an [[Ashley (automobile)|Ashley]] [[Coachwork|body]] on a [[Leslie Ballamy]] [[chassis]]. He reached an agreement with [[Reliant Motors|Reliant]] (who had helped producing the "Carmel" and the "Sussita") to combine engine, body and chassis into a [[convertible (car)|convertible]] sports-car. The engine was a [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] 1703 cc. Reliant was authorized to deliver the first 100 cars to the [[United States]] market.

In 1961, at the [[New York International Auto Show|New York Autoshow]], the first Sabras were introduced. Reliant produced the first 100 cars. Their [[Vehicle Identification Number|VIN]]-plates read "AUTOCARS COMPANY LIMITED [[Haifa|HAIFA]] ISRAEL", though they were actually made in the [[United Kingdom]]. The rest of the cars were produced in Israel, but only 41 of those were exported to the USA. One of these was entered into the [[12 Hours of Sebring]] in 1963 but did not finish due to a [[drive shaft]] failure.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/make/photo/Sabra.html |title=Sabra – Photo Gallery |publisher=Racing Sports Cars |date=1963-03-23 |accessdate=2012-05-27}}</ref>

Between 1964 and 1968, some 81 cars – a quarter of the Israeli production – were exported to [[Belgium]]. Production stopped with the [[Six-Day War]]. Orders already placed were honoured, but delivery was delayed until 1968–69. Worldwide, over 100 Sabra cars are still traceable, over twenty of them in Belgium.

The Sabra can also be seen on a record cover of the Israeli band [[צמד דרום]].

==See also==
*[[Economy of Israel]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://www.sabra.be Sabra Belgium]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120707032956/http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/2011/09/03/around-the-world-autocars-of-india/ Around the world : Autocars of Israel]

{{Automotive industry in Israel}}

[[Category:Car manufacturers of Israel]]
[[Category:Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Israel]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1957]]
[[Category:Year of disestablishment missing]]
[[Category:Israeli companies established in 1957]]
[[Category:Companies based in Haifa]]

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Autocars Co.