The First Cambodian Car Maker

Mr. Nhean Phaloek Show His Third Car

“Your driving command is not correct, please check the driving system again.” This is the sound coming from a little car parked in front of a room storing car repairing tools when  the wrong key is inserted. This car is a bit smaller comparing to other ordinary cars, but it is well designed with the support of advanced technology.

The car,made by an ordinary Cambodian, has only two entrance doors and two seats for

a couple, a driver and a passenger.

NheanPhaloek, the car owner and maker, said that he started making his own cars since 2003, and this is his third car.

“In 2003, I got successful in making my first car that attracted many people,” he said.  “My first car has no air

conditioner, no roof, and it can operate by using motorbike’s machine with only 100CC power,” he added.

Mr. Phaloek achieved his second car in 2004, and this one was a bit updated from the first car.

He explained that he used the machine with 660CC power for his car, and he also equipped with air conditioner and a roof.

Since 2004, we didn’t see any achievement from him until in 2009, the third car appeared. By spending five years searching for something new for his car, at last, he really did a good job. In this new car, he used a lot of modern technology that made it very different and better than the previous two cars.

His third car has no roof, and it can work by using a machine with capacity of 600CC. This car has no CD player or Tape recorder, but has a loud speaker working with Sony Ericsson Mobile Phone.

A lot of people put their interest in his marvelous achievement, and news media both local and international started to contact him for interviewing.

“My car and my feeling have linked together,” this is the phrase that he used to explain the point that made his third car really different from his first and second ones. “I said that my feeling have connection with my car because only me who can control it,” he added.

He gave an example by pointing his hand to his car; surprisingly one of the car entrance door opened. Then, he pointed again to the other door and suddenly that door open automatically too. “Nobody can open my car door except me, because my car only listen to my feeling,” he explained.

This is a great achievement for him since nobody in Cambodia can make their own car before. Mr. Phaloek is the first people who have an idea of making such a kind of this car and achieved it by doing alone without any help from any experts.

Mr. Phaloek was born in Phnom Penh, and when being asked about education, he replied that he could study until grade one in 1975 (grade 11 in current educational system ).

He said that he never learned about how to make a car, but he used to be a motorbiketechnician between 1986 and 1987. He explained that his success came from his desire and encouragement from his family. His oldest daughter also helped him in designing these three cars’ models.

Even he already got successful in making three different models of his cars, this success does not satisfy him. He said that he is planning to invent his fourth car which will include some more special modern technology.

“I want to make another car in the future, and I will include some features that didn’t exist in the first three cars,” he said. “For my plan, I want my fourth car  more related with me. That car will open the door automatically when I want to get on, and when I sit on the seat, the steering wheel will appear and the engine will automatically start. When I want to leave, the steering wheel disappear, the engine will stop working, and the door will open for me to get out.”

“I strongly believe that the fourth model of my car will succeed,” he said at last.

Written by: Dara Saoyuth

Written Date: 12/12/2009