First TPCA cars headed to museum
Three cars and a prototype will be part of National Technical Museum collection
The first three vehicles produced by Kolín, Central Bohemia-based carmaker Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile (TPCA) will become museum pieces of the National Technical Museum in Prague.
The three vehicles – Toyota AYGO, Peugeot 107 a Citroën C1 – left the production line of newly opened TPCA plant in Feb. 28, 2005
The light blue Toyota, yellow Citroën and red Peugeot stood at the entrance area of the TPCA plant for nine years.
The factory is a joint venture of carmakers Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan and PSA Peugeot Citroën of France.
The TPCA plant makes small cars mainly for the European market. The three car models share the vast majority of parts with only small differences among the brands.
The original production lineup was replaced with a second generation of three cars last year.
Now the first minicars of Japanese and French brands produced in the Czech Republic are heading for the National Technical Museum in Prague, where they will become a part of the permanent collections.
“The first triplets produced in our plant are a symbolic milestone of our history. Everyone who remembers the SOP [start of production] in 2005 regards them with a touch of nostalgia. Thus we are happy we could donate them to the National Technical Museum,” Kenta Koide, TPCA president, said in a press release.
One more vehicle – the “Tunning Aygo” – is moving together with the initial triples to the Prague museum.
This red and white special car built on TPCA first-generation platform has large scissor doors, or Lambo doors (hinged at the front and lifted up), a big chevron-shaped front bumper, an air vent duct transitioning to a wider back side panel, and 18-inch cast steel wheels.
“We are pleased that the first three vehicles of TPCA produced on the Czech territory, as well as this special car will be preserved permanently in our collection,” said Petr Kožíšek, the head of road and water transportation department of the National Technical Museum.
The TPCA factory produces its 2 millionth vehicle in March 2012, and has made more than 2.5 million by the end of 2014. The factory has approximately 3,000 employees and a capacity of producing 300,000 vehicles per year.
Some 75 percent of the staff comes from the local area, and the carmaker has invested more than Kč 100 million into projects in the Kolín area as part of its corporate social responsibility campaign.
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