The Paykan (Persian: پيکان, romanized: Peykân meaning Arrow) is the first Iranian-made car produced by Iran Khodro, between 1967 and 2005.
[citation needed] The car itself originated in 1966 as the "Arrow" series of vehicles (the most prolific version of which was badged as the Hillman Hunter); designed and manufactured by the Rootes Group, which was the British wing of Chrysler Europe.
This revealed the fact that the intellectual ownership of the Paykan brand and logo still belongs to PSA Peugeot Citroën, as a legacy of Rootes Group.
Although the Paykan was based on a 1966 Hillman Hunter, there were many changes and modifications made to it over the years – notably the substitution of the original 1725cc Rootes engine with a Peugeot 504-derived unit.
The Iranian government reportedly offered Iran Khodro a large cash incentive to end Paykan production by 2005, labelling the car as an environmental hazard because of its unacceptably high fuel consumption.