Mosul factory worker builds handmade off-roader from scrap

NINEVEH — In al-Shura, south of Mosul, a 52-year-old factory worker has built a functioning mini car from scrap metal and dismantled parts, drawing attention in his community. Locally, such vehicles are often nicknamed “jeeps” to describe small, classic-style off-road cars.

Ali Ahmed, an employee at the Mishraq Sulfur Plant, told 964media, “This car I made with my own hands, and I did not bring anything ready for it.”

Using an engine from a three-wheeler known locally as a stouta, along with gear parts, an axle, and a frame welded from pipes and old iron doors and windows, Ahmed designed the vehicle to be lightweight and simple. “All the materials were from scrap,” he said. “The frame was from a three-inch pipe and thin steel plates, and all the bends I made by hand. Nothing is difficult for me.”

The car, which took about a month to complete with two to three hours of daily work, can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. “The climbing depends on the gear ratios, and I made the gear light to avoid breakdowns,” he said.

Ahmed said he does not use the car himself since he already owns one. “The main benefit is for children to enjoy it, because I don’t need it,” he said. He estimated the cost at under one million dinars ($710), with most parts sourced from dismantled vehicles and scrap dealers.

The handmade car drew praise when he first drove it through town. “Everyone who saw it in the area liked it because it is a classic car and handmade,” Ahmed said.

Working from a modest workshop, he said he could do more with better tools. “If the possibilities were greater, the car would be better,” he said. “I am capable of making a bigger and much better car if I had the right equipment.”

Ahmed has a track record of small-scale inventions and repairs. “I have made many things, such as presses and bending machines, and at home I made a lawnmower,” he said.