Tofaş is the Turkish car maker founded in 1968 by Vehbi Koç, the founder of Koç Holding. From its plant at Bursa it has built Fiat models under licence since 1971, and in the 2000s it began designing and engineering cars for Fiat and PSA as well as assembling them. Today the company is owned equally by Koç Holding and Stellantis.
Tofaş at a glance
| Founded | 1968, by Vehbi Koç |
|---|---|
| Plant | Demirtaş, Osmangazi, Bursa (from 1969) |
| Ownership | Stellantis 37.8%, Koç Holding 37.8%, free float 24.3% |
| Capacity | 450,000 vehicles a year |
| Brands built | Fiat, Citroën, Peugeot, Opel, Vauxhall, RAM |
| First model | Murat 124 (Fiat 124 under licence), 1971 |
| Key models | Murat 131, Şahin, Doğan, Kartal, Tempra, Uno, Palio, Doblò, Linea, Egea |
| Exports, 2013 | 160,000 vehicles to 80 countries |
| Share of Turkish output, 2013 | 240,000 units, 22 per cent |
| Distribution | Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Jeep, Ferrari and Maserati in Turkey |
| Museum | Tofaş Museum of Cars in Anatolia, Bursa, opened 2003 |
History of the Tofaş
Foundation and the first Fiat
Tofaş was founded in 1968 by Vehbi Koç, who had built Koç Holding into one of Turkey’s largest industrial groups. The production plant at Bursa was begun in 1969. In 1971 the company introduced its first model, the Fiat 124 built under licence and sold locally as the Murat 124, and set up its first motorsport team the same year. A spare-parts company, OPAR, followed in 1973, and exports to Egypt began in 1975.
The 131 family
In 1976 Tofaş began production of the Murat 131, its version of the Fiat 131; from 1981 the range was sold as the Şahin, Doğan and Kartal, the Kuş Serisi or Bird Series. Production of the Fiat 131 and its derivatives continued until 2003 in Turkey and until 2010 in CKD form. Capacity rose from 20,000 cars a year in 1972 to 35,000 in 1984, 100,000 in 1990 and 250,000 in 1993, and in 1992 the company held 41 per cent of the Turkish market.
Tempra, Uno and the 1990s
Tofaş moved on to newer Fiat models: the Tempra in 1990, the Tipo and Tempra SW in 1993, the Uno in 1994 and the Palio, Siena, Marea and Brava towards the end of the decade. The company set up its own research and development division in 1994 and began exporting the Tempra in 1995. In 1997 Tofaş and OPAR merged, and in 2001 the production company merged with Tofaş Oto Ticaret, the sales arm.
Cars designed in Bursa
The 2000s brought a change of role. The Doblò of 2000 was designed by Tofaş, and the Minicargo project of 2007 produced the Fiat Fiorino together with the Peugeot Bipper and Citroën Nemo, the first time Tofaş sold the rights to one of its models. The Albea arrived in 2002, the Linea and the Fiat Egea followed later. The company also took over distribution: Alfa Romeo in 2001, Ferrari and Maserati through Fer Mas in 2005, Lancia in 2007 and Jeep in 2012.
Stellantis and today
In 2013 the Bursa plant reached Gold Level in the WCM World Class Manufacturing programme applied across Fiat Chrysler’s 175 plants, and Tofaş exported 160,000 vehicles to 80 countries, with net sales of 7 billion TL and a profit of 434 million TL. After the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA into Stellantis the plant has built vans for Citroën, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall as well as Fiat, and it also assembles the Toyota ProAce. In 2023 Tofaş announced that it would consolidate the commercial activities of all Stellantis brands.
Design and features
- Licensed beginning: the company’s first car was the Fiat 124, built as the Murat 124 from 1971.
- Long-running own range: the Fiat 131-based Şahin, Doğan and Kartal stayed in production from 1977 to 2002.
- Engineering as well as assembly: the Doblò was designed by Tofaş, and the Minicargo project produced the Fiorino, Bipper and Nemo.
- Large plant: 450,000 vehicles a year at Bursa, with Gold Level in the WCM programme.
- Distributor too: Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Jeep, Ferrari and Maserati in Turkey.
Tofaş versions
- Murat 124 and Serçe (1971 onwards): the Fiat 124 built under licence.
- Kuş Serisi (1977–2002): the Fiat 131-based Murat 131, Şahin, Doğan and Kartal.
- Fiat Tempra, Tipo and Uno (1990s): the models that followed the 131 family.
- Palio, Siena, Marea and Brava (late 1990s): the next generation of licensed Fiat cars.
- Doblò, Albea and Linea (2000s): cars designed or engineered in Bursa.
- Fiat Egea and the Stellantis vans (2010s and 2020s): current production.
The two early Tofaş families have their own pages: the Şahin, Doğan and Kartal and the Serçe. More cars are in the Tofaş collection.
Sources
- Tofaş, English Wikipedia: history, ownership, models, production
- TOFAŞ, Turkish Wikipedia: dates, capacity and market share
