▁Israel ' s ▁first ▁car ▁manufact urer ▁( there ▁was ▁an ▁earlier ▁manufact urer ▁who ▁assemble d ▁American ▁cars ▁in ▁Ha ifa ▁bay , ▁Kaiser - F ra zer ). ▁▁ ▁Aut oc ars ▁Ltd ▁made ▁fi berg lass - sh elled ▁cars ▁that ▁were ▁made ▁popular ▁in ▁Israel ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁perhaps ▁because ▁government ▁ag encies ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁buy ▁them . ▁This ▁released ▁onto ▁the ▁market ▁thousands ▁of ▁low - pr iced ▁second ▁hand ▁vehicles . ▁Although ▁their ▁style ▁and ▁finish ▁left ▁something ▁to ▁be ▁desired , ▁Aut oc ar ' s ▁use ▁of ▁Ford ▁and ▁Tri umph ▁engines ▁made ▁them ▁reliable ▁cars ▁which ▁kept ▁their ▁value ▁for ▁years . ▁The ▁manufact uring ▁of ▁these ▁cars ▁ceased ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁and ▁Israel ' s ▁only ▁remaining ▁car ▁making ▁company ▁today ▁is ▁A IL . ▁ ▁Aut oc ars ▁manufact ured ▁its ▁own ▁car ▁models ▁under ▁the ▁Sab ra ▁( H eb rew : ▁ צ ב ר ה ) ▁brand . ▁The ▁line ▁included ▁a ▁station ▁w agon , ▁pick - up ▁and ▁the ▁Sab ra ▁Sport , ▁a ▁sport ▁car ▁derived ▁from ▁R eli ant ; . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁the ▁sport ▁model ▁was ▁produced ▁under ▁the ▁Sab ra ▁brand , ▁and ▁the ▁station ▁w agon , ▁sedan ▁and ▁pick - up ▁models ▁were ▁produced ▁under ▁the ▁S uss ita ▁brand ▁name ▁( S uss ita