By VOA Khmer, Washington
Video Editor: Manilene Ek
08 January 2009
In the backstreets of Phnom Penh, in a cramped workshop shared with equipment and old parts, a Cambodian man is chasing his vision of greatness. Nhean Pholet is not a trained mechanic, but this 50 year old is currently building the "Angkor 3".
Nhean Pholet: " I wanted to show my abilities. In Cambodia, we don't have a car industry so I wanted to see if I could do it."
He admits there's no design to follow. He's making it up as he goes along, but the results don't look bad. The shell - handcrafted from raw fibre-glass bought in the local market - looks even and aerodynamic. He says the 660 cc Mitsubishi engine should get it up to 80 kilometres per hour.
The car even has hi-tech touches. The ignition mechanism is an original - a hotel-style keycard, shaped like Cambodia's famous temple, Angkor Wat, which is the name o fhis car. Pride - personal and national - is very much the driving force behind this blind odyssey into the land of the motor car.
Hand-made it is, but on closer inspection, "home-made" might be a better description. The steering wheel and general trim could do with some attention, and the golf ball on a stick act as the gear shift. But the hardest part, he says, was the basic mechanics and his solution - trial and error.
Nhean Pholet: "It can be quite difficult because I'm not trained and I don't really know the techniques, so sometimes the car has a problem and I have to start again. After that I test it out. If there's still a problem, I have to do it overy again until it runs smoothly."
Nhean Pholet's original car , Angkor 1, has been driving through the streets of Phnom Penh for the past four years. With its sporty lines and pea green-- it looks sleek. On this particular day, one onlooker says the car is perfectly crafted.
Khieu Cola: "We don't need the big one because you see the size of Cambodian people, it's like me. I am small too. So, if I do this car it is very sweet with my body."
For Pok Chan Dara the Angkor 1 has a quality that no other car can match: its country of origin.
Pok Chan Dara: "Big or small, all kinds of car are the same. But, I really like this car because it has the name "Cambodia" on the back."
Now Nhean Pholet's dream is about to go one stage further. When he finishes the Angkor 3, he'll spray it gold and sell it - the first one ever to go on the market.
Nhean Pholet: "My idea is to start up an industry but it depends on money and on investment. I need technical back up. I can't do it alone. If I can get support, I can have my own factory making handmade cars. I want to see Cambodia build up a car industry."
By the time this car is ready, it will have taken a year to build and set him back $3000 USD. As for how much he will sell it for- it's still undecided.
Information for this report was provided by APTN.
Nhean Pholet: " I wanted to show my abilities. In Cambodia, we don't have a car industry so I wanted to see if I could do it."
He admits there's no design to follow. He's making it up as he goes along, but the results don't look bad. The shell - handcrafted from raw fibre-glass bought in the local market - looks even and aerodynamic. He says the 660 cc Mitsubishi engine should get it up to 80 kilometres per hour.
The car even has hi-tech touches. The ignition mechanism is an original - a hotel-style keycard, shaped like Cambodia's famous temple, Angkor Wat, which is the name o fhis car. Pride - personal and national - is very much the driving force behind this blind odyssey into the land of the motor car.
Hand-made it is, but on closer inspection, "home-made" might be a better description. The steering wheel and general trim could do with some attention, and the golf ball on a stick act as the gear shift. But the hardest part, he says, was the basic mechanics and his solution - trial and error.
Nhean Pholet: "It can be quite difficult because I'm not trained and I don't really know the techniques, so sometimes the car has a problem and I have to start again. After that I test it out. If there's still a problem, I have to do it overy again until it runs smoothly."
Nhean Pholet's original car , Angkor 1, has been driving through the streets of Phnom Penh for the past four years. With its sporty lines and pea green-- it looks sleek. On this particular day, one onlooker says the car is perfectly crafted.
Khieu Cola: "We don't need the big one because you see the size of Cambodian people, it's like me. I am small too. So, if I do this car it is very sweet with my body."
For Pok Chan Dara the Angkor 1 has a quality that no other car can match: its country of origin.
Pok Chan Dara: "Big or small, all kinds of car are the same. But, I really like this car because it has the name "Cambodia" on the back."
Now Nhean Pholet's dream is about to go one stage further. When he finishes the Angkor 3, he'll spray it gold and sell it - the first one ever to go on the market.
Nhean Pholet: "My idea is to start up an industry but it depends on money and on investment. I need technical back up. I can't do it alone. If I can get support, I can have my own factory making handmade cars. I want to see Cambodia build up a car industry."
By the time this car is ready, it will have taken a year to build and set him back $3000 USD. As for how much he will sell it for- it's still undecided.
Information for this report was provided by APTN.
12 comments:
What a bright idea and motivation of the man. Not bad at all. If you’ve lived in other country, you would be a champ and rich. It’s too bad that you’re in Cambodia. If the gov’t willing to provide financial assistant, you’d be starting your own factory in this nation and the country would look at you as Khmer iconic and part of Khmer history in pioneer. Keep going… and would like to praise on your genuine effort.
This is Cambodia's potential. It is great to see someone like him to would bring Cambodia to the world. I also think the government should do something to help him to get him started and buy his cars to use in the government business. I don't want to see the guy is waiting in vein for something that can be a gold mine for Cambodia car business.
That's good, you are living in Samdech Decho Hun Sen Regime. If you were living in Sihanouk Regime, you will be killed, Because Sihanouk doesn't want anyone to be on his TOP.
Ah Hun Sen should open his one eye and help smart Cambodians who can do anything to make Cambodia great.
10:33 AM
Dude, he has only one eye how ?
The more eyes you got, the stupider you are. Therefore, PM is the best leader for Khmer people of all times.
I have a great admire for him because he is a smart man who could build the car. People who have money should help him to buy his car. That way he can build more cars for our people to use.
Please don't wait and expect Ah Hun Sen to help. He is the stupid leader on earth. I give him a shit for Ah Kwak.
Keep your dream moving and you will be success soon.
The man also creates jobs for Cambodia people.
Our government should find way and send him to Japan. This man is a gift to Cambodia.
Go khmer go! Awesome invention,
Bravo made in Cambodia.
Congratulation from California USA.
I hate to see the man going to waste. The government must help.
i hope someday, cambodia can convince an automaker country like japan, the USA, the EU, and a few others to come to set auto plant in cambodia. this will certain help to create more job and give khmer people and cambodia the opportunity to learn to invent and make cars as well. please come to do business in cambodia, american, the EU, japan, etc..., please come to cambodia soon. cambodia has changed a lot, please bring the business people to come to see cambodia for yourself. thank you. god bless cambodia.
Korean Automaker was considering opening its manufacture in Cambodia about ten years ago, but due to corruption, political and instability in the country, they changed their mind and propose discontinued. Ah hun kwack should realize that by now for the jobs lost to many people under his leadership because of investors’ concerns. To these days, his brain and eye never healed and never learned from the past experience. Bravo ah kwack goes to HELL before long.
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