Chrysler Corp. will begin exporting the Neon sedan, Voyager and Grand Voyager minivans and the Jeep Grand Cherokee to Egypt this month.
The automaker is establishing a wholly owned subsidiary, Chrysler Egypt, with headquarters in Cairo. The office will handle sales, marketing, customer warranty and parts and service support for all Chrysler products in the country.
Chrysler expects the growing Egyptian automotive market to exceed 100,000 units by the turn of the century, said Ed Brust, general manager of Chrysler Latin America, Middle East and Africa operations. 'This move is another step in our international strategy to expand our presence in fast-growing markets,' Brust said.
The models will complement sales of the Cherokee, which Chrysler has assembled locally in Egypt since the late 1980s through Arab-American Vehicles, a joint venture with the state-owned Arab Organization for Industrialization.
Chrysler sold 1,900 Cherokees in Egypt in 1996.