Industry Automotive industry Products Trucks, vans Website askam.com.tr Headquarters Istanbul | Defunct 2015 Parent Çiftçiler Holding Founded 1964 Ceased operations 2015 | |
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Askam, a subsidiary of Çiftçiler Holding, is a manufacturer of trucks and commercial vehicles in Turkey.
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History
Askam was founded in 1962 as joint venture with 60% ownership by Chrysler, the company originally traded under the "Chrysler Sanayi" name. Production of trucks started in 1964 under the Fargo, Desoto, and Dodge 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, is still in use by Askam.
In 1978, Chrysler sold its share to the local partners and current owners. Most of Askam's products used Perkins diesel engines.
After the merger of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler, the company changed its name to Askam Kamyon Imalat ve Ticaret AŞ 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).
The company went bankrupt in 2015, and apparently discontinued all production.