Askam (officially, Askam Kamyon Imalat ve Ticaret AŞ) was a

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

automotive manufacturer The automotive industry comprises a wide range of companies and organizations involved in the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and selling of motor vehicles. It is one of the world's largest industries by revenue (from 16 % such a ...

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...

s and

commercial vehicle A commercial vehicle is any type of motor vehicle used for transporting goods or paying passengers. The United States defines a "commercial motor vehicle" as any self-propelled or towed vehicle used on a public highway in interstate commerce to ...

s. The company was established as a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...

with US-based

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...

, commercialising its products under the

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

, Fargo and DeSoto brands. Askam was the largest truck manufacturer in Turkey.Kamyon üretiminde iki Türk’ün arasına bir Fransız mı giriyor
on Hurriyet.com, 10 May 2006 The company, which was also the first truck maker in Turkey, ceased production in 2011.
on Otometre.com, 30 Jan 2012

History

Askam was founded in 1962 as a

with 60% ownership by

, the company originally traded under the "Chrysler Sanayi" name. Production of trucks started in 1964 under the Fargo, Desoto, and

brand names. Most of the models built utilized a cab and front end developed by Chrysler specifically for manufacture in developing countries. This cab, in modified form, continued to be used by Askam until its bankruptcy. In 1978, Chrysler sold its share to the local partners and then owners, Tatko, Çiftçiler & Ruşensad. Askam continued production under the_Chrysler's license agreement. Most of Askam's products used Perkins diesel engines. After an agreement signed with Japanese

Hino Motors Hino Motors, Ltd., commonly known as Hino, is a Japanese manufacturer of commercial vehicles and diesel engines (including those for trucks, buses and other vehicles) headquartered in Hino, Tokyo. The company was established in 1942 as a corpora ...

in 1991, Askam started production of

mini truck Mini truck, also called a micro-truck, are tiny but practical light truck Light truck or light-duty truck is a US classification for vehicles with a gross vehicle weight up to and a payload capacity up to 4,000 pounds (1,815 kg). Similar good ...

s branded "Hino". When

Daimler-Benz The Mercedes-Benz Group Aktiengesellschaft, AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It ...

and Chrysler merged operations in 1998, Askam changed its name to "Askam Kamyon Imalat ve Ticaret AŞ" in 2002 and continued to produce its products under the Fargo and Desoto brands. Askam produced a variety of Fargo and Desoto heavy and light trucks of its own designs. The numerical portion of the model names (AS250, AS700, AS950) stand for the payload in metric tonnes (e.g. 2.5, 7.0, and 9.5 tonnes). In 2003, Çiftçiler Holding became the only owner of the company after acquiring Tatko and Ruşensad shares. The last trucks were produced in 2011, and attempts were made to sell or revive the company. While trying to buy Askam from

Renault Trucks Renault Trucks is a French commercial truck manufacturer with corporate headquarters at Saint-Priest near Lyon. Originally part of Renault, it has been a subsidiary of the Volvo Group since 2001. From its beginnings in 1978 to 2002, the comp ...

and Temsa, cooperation with the Chinese truck manufacturer SinoTruk came to the fore-front; however, none of the opportunities materialized. Askam filed bankruptcy in 2015.

Products

Trucks

* Hi-Ex * 8 Litre * AS 700 (DeSoto, Dodge, Fargo) * AS 950 (DeSoto, Fargo)

Light commercial

* Fargo Fora * AS 250 (DeSoto, Dodge, Fargo) * AS 250D

Other

* AS 250 Safari

References

External links

*
Fargo Fora
(archived, 23 Jul 2010) {{Turkish automobile brands and manufacturers Truck manufacturers of Turkey Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1964 Manufacturing companies based in Istanbul Turkish companies established in 1964