Curios: Sussita Gilboa

Israel might not have a reputation as a major car producer, but for more than a quarter of a century it at least had Autocars Co Ltd, a company that was founded in the 1950s as the country’s first domestic car manufacturer. It enjoyed corporate relationships elsewhere, however, linking up with companies as diverse as Triumph, Hino and Reliant by the ’60s in order to expand its range of models.

In later years, however, Autocars launched this: the Sussita Gilboa 1300, described by its maker as ‘The excellent economic car for the family’. This particular single-page brochure dates from the mid-1970s, showing the Gilboa in boxy profile.  

Featuring glassfibre bodywork mounted on a steel chassis, its styling was new, But what lay under the Sussita’s bonnet would have been familiar to many Brits: Triumph’s 1296cc four-cylinder engine, pushing out a respectable-for-the-time 55bhp. Certain non-mechanical items were also supplied by Triumph, including the Gilboa’s (ex-Toledo) glass, door handles, bumpers, lights and so on.

Israeli models like the Sussita Gilboa proved popular in their day, largely because Government agencies were forced to buy locally-built models rather than imports. This resulted in large numbers of secondhand cars being released on to the market in later years, enabling families to invest in their own affordable transport. They didn’t care that the build quality was poor, with panel gaps you could virtually squeeze a fist into; what mattered was that these cars were cheap and robust.

Sadly, however, Autocars Co Ltd endured various financial crises over the years, not least in 1971 when it was placed in administration, only to be rescued by Rom Carmel Industries. Autocars then managed to struggle on for a few more years, before finally ceasing car production in 1980.