Autocars car models in Israel

Autocars Co. Ltd (אוטוקרס) was the first car manufacturer in Israel, producing sports models under the Sabra brand, as well as station wagons, sedans and pickups under the Sussita brand. The company, founded in 1954, is inextricably linked with Itzhak Shubinsky - the generator of ideas, the inspirer of projects and, in fact, the father of the entire Israeli automobile industry. The company, located in Haifa, has launched the production of British three-wheeled Reliant cars from imported vehicle kits. Autocars became a full-fledged automobile brand in 1960, when the first independent model Sussita appeared - a simple two-door, but already four-wheeled station wagon, developed by Reliant engineers. A distinctive feature of all Autocars cars is the fiberglass body and components from Ford. Subsequently, the model range was supplemented by the Sabra Carmel and Sabra Gilboa sedans. British Leyland licensed models Triumph 1300/1500, as well as Japanese Hino Contessa, were also assembled in Haifa. But only one managed to leave a lasting memory – the Sabra GT. The word Sabra has two meanings: a fruit-bearing cactus and a person born in Israel. It was with a car with a cactus on the radiator grill that Isaac Shubinski decided to conquer America. There was little that was purely Israeli in the design: the licensed body was purchased from the British company Ashley, the chassis was built by the English engineer Leslie Bellamy, and under the hood was a modest 1.7-liter Ford engine with 61 hp. It was this car that Shubinski brought to an exhibition in New York in 1961. The coupe was positioned as the first sports car from Israel, although the first hundred copies were assembled in the UK at Reliant facilities. The “cactus from Israel” did not indulge in dynamics, much less image and prestige. The car did not stand out due to its affordable price. I was not pleased with the reliability and build quality. The value of the Sabra GT has only come in modern times due to its rarity. Of the 379 copies of the total production run of the sports car, not all of them remained running. Autocars Ltd ceased its activities in the 1980s, but even earlier control passed to another Israeli industrial group - Rom Karmel Industries, but it did not produce cars for a long time. Israel's first brand of passenger cars actually turned out to be its last.