Cooper Corp, a 75 year old firm based in Satara (Maharashtra), has been supplying automobile components including engines and engine parts to various automobile manufacturers in India.
Cooper Corp is now getting ready to produce it’s own automobiles starting right from design to the final assembly.
To start with, Cooper Corp plans to launch an LCV in 2012 under the brand name Cooper at the plant being set up at Satara with a capacity of 20,000 units p.a. It will be directly pitted against vehicles like Tata Ace, Mahindra Maxximo, and the Ape Truk. Another Tata Motors product, Magic, has the lead in this segment.
The LCV is designed primarily to transport goods and people in rural and semi urban areas. There will be at least six variants of the LCV, including passenger versions, with payload capacity ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 tonnes.
The company has developed two variants of a 1500 cc, twin cylinder diesel engine to propel the LCV's: a naturally aspirated version and a turbo charged version. The turbo-charged version of the engine can generate a peak power of 55 bhp.
Farrokh N Cooper, Chairman and Managing Director, Cooper Corporation, said, "We have completed the work on engine and work on the LCV is on. We are trying to meet the deadline of the Auto Expo (2012), but the vehicle will be launched only next year."
To finance its expansion plans, Cooper Corp is planning to raise a minimum of Rs.150 crores from capital markets before the end of this year. Most of the funds will be used to expand the manufacturing capacity and for product development.
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