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Böcek(Bug) made it to the showrooms in 1975. The vehicle, similar in appearance to Volkswagen's "Buggy" versions but different in design concept and characteristics, was developed upon request for a similar vehicle by the Turkish Armed Forces. Otosan also predicted that the rising popularity of Turkey's tourism and beach resorts would guarantee a certain level of demand for a civilian-use version of such a vehicle. The Böcek's roof could be opened, it didn't have any doors, and its front window had the same inclinement with the hood. This continuous inclinement was a new concept which was later used by the future SUVs. The futuristic front panel and gauges of the Böcek were also ahead of its time, and were used many years later by future passenger vehicles in Europe.
The Böcek had a 1298cc 63 bhp Ford engine, which provided a very good performance given the vehicle's small dimensions. In line with the pop-art designs of that period, the Böcek had an asymmetrical front and rear appearance. The front grille was not symmetrical, while in the rear there were 3 stop lights at left and 2 at right. A front mirror, which was formed of 5 different angled mirrors which provided a telescopic view, was mounted on top of the windshield. The front tyres were 225*55*13 in dimension, while the seats were of fiberglass covered with vinyl, which was also something new for that period.
Several different versions of the Böcek (Bug) were designed for institutional and civilian use. There was a version with gull-wing doors, which was optimized for using film and video cameras, an offroad version, a tractor/trailer version and a military version.
The Böcek was a design concept that was ahead of its time, and just like the STC-16, it could not reach high sales figures due to the economic situation in Turkey and the rest of the world in that period, caused mostly by the global oil crisis. Only 203 examples of Böcek were produced between 1975 and 1977.
The Böcek had a 1298cc 63 bhp Ford engine, which provided a very good performance given the vehicle's small dimensions. In line with the pop-art designs of that period, the Böcek had an asymmetrical front and rear appearance. The front grille was not symmetrical, while in the rear there were 3 stop lights at left and 2 at right. A front mirror, which was formed of 5 different angled mirrors which provided a telescopic view, was mounted on top of the windshield. The front tyres were 225*55*13 in dimension, while the seats were of fiberglass covered with vinyl, which was also something new for that period.
Several different versions of the Böcek (Bug) were designed for institutional and civilian use. There was a version with gull-wing doors, which was optimized for using film and video cameras, an offroad version, a tractor/trailer version and a military version.
The Böcek was a design concept that was ahead of its time, and just like the STC-16, it could not reach high sales figures due to the economic situation in Turkey and the rest of the world in that period, caused mostly by the global oil crisis. Only 203 examples of Böcek were produced between 1975 and 1977.
