Some old Pakistani automotive ads

[mumbojumbo]

Salam all,

I found some old Pakistani ads regarding cars and thought I should share them on this forum.

here is a link to the archive from where these ads were taken.

https://www.facebook.com/adarchives/

[UAHMAD]

Nice share. I don't believe such vehicles were once being sold here. Bedford truck is the only survivor right now (and perhaps the most terrible). But my favourite among all of these is Ford F 100.

Also, one can make out that quite different marketing techniques were being used during those times.

[Xulfiqar]

All these were sold in Pakistan in the past and if you look at the names of the importing dealers they are still in business.

They also had proper spare part supplies and channels.

Their downfall was in the mid 70s due to some insane policy making by some real cartoonish politicians.

The reason a lot of these werent known later on was due to them being stalled and left to rust due to the local agents being forced out of business, then the rest were subjected to the forever “pitrol kam kardo, chota jutt lagado” to installing datsun 1200 tail lamps, to swapping out complete engines and dashboards and body panels of oddball cars.

[UAHMAD]

Good explanation for these vehicles becoming extinct now.

I inadvertently wrote 'I don't believe'. I actually meant that I couldn't believe.

[mumbojumbo]

The ads give a good insight regarding the psyche of the consumers of the time. And most of these ads are from the early 60s and fuel economy is highlighted in terms of "miles/gallon" rather than "kms/litre". Probably because Pakistan was part of CETO and CENTO at the time. Some of the figures are very impressive like 38 miles/gallon in case of the Toyota.

Also, looking at General tires advertisement, I believe they still use the same marketing strategy that these tires are made according to Pakistani roads and weather conditions.

The FX ad says delivery time between 10-12 months...these were proper CKDs lol

[Xulfiqar]

General tires were the first ones to make a tire that was structurally intact even when deflated, If you come across an ancient relic of a really cheap tire, they literally looked like thicker inner tubes in some cases. General were selling these as heavy duty rough terrain tires (hence great for on road use) since the very beginning.

p.s. I still prefer General Branded tires here in USA as they have exceptional water displacement ability and provide superior traction at a very good price.

[umairjamil6]

That explanation makes sense. I think that most of our mechanics didnt have the ability to repair these cars properly so they became chronically clapped. When the cost of repair became very high they were scrapped. A lot of the cars were in karachi and so rust took a lot of them.
I really want to get my hands on a rusted out car and restomod it properly with tube frames but i dont have space for such a project.

[Xulfiqar]

These were very simple cars to work on, their demise was when the import policies were set that forced a lot of business owners to abandon their ventures, and some had to pack up business due to religious terrorism.

In the end, business was lost, the jobs they provided were lost, the revenue movement that happened was lost.

And not about imports, some machinery/trucks were being assembled locally which also had to pack up.

Its quite a deep dive into history and reads like an unbelievably stupid act.

[umairjamil6]

I have seen mechanics mess up really really simple cars. Short term policy making by illiterate people who dont understand the subject is stiil the norm though.
Had those factories remained open we could be exporting cars by now.

[Navqam]

[Navqam]

[Navqam]

[crema]

The best 2 adds are:

1. Toyota Corolla
2. Polka Ice-cream

Rest are ugly and torture to eyeballs.

[sameerulhaq064]

Never knew lambretta scooters were officially sold in Pakistan as well. Been trying to get my hands on one for a long time now but only Vespas are available.

[Xulfiqar]

All old lambrettas were scrapped quite early, mechanics did their absolute best to screw them up beyond repair in the name of “pitrol kam kardo” and its parts channel went dry in Pakistan.

So they would be chopped like onions by the dozen in ranchore lane and broken for scrap weight.

[hassanmughal101]

such good days

[SpeedDemon]

If only we had worked towards sustainability! We would had some awesome looking cars (now local classics).

Ransacked the industry!!!

[Xulfiqar]

you cannot have sustainability if every single thing you rely on is imported. In other countries where old cars are sustained for long times on the roads - every one of them has local industries that can produce pattern made wear and hard parts.

Now tell me how many people will buy a made in Pakistan brake disc for their Honda civic? - absolutely zero!!!!

because "do number hogi"

same with the logic of "local agent is repacking oil from drums - do number hoga, milaawatt karraha hoga" - hum nahi lenge, sirf imported, dabba pack chahiye"

[nfssaad]

allwin making brake discs and drums for toyota, honda, suzuki, since wayyyy back in the 90s in karachi.... lol

[Xulfiqar]

And yet common car owner will happily pay thousands upon thousands more for so called Japani, Taiwan or China item.

While allwin has been selling decent stuff all along.