Cel (Hungary) - AllCarIndex

Cel was a Hungarian automotive brand founded in 1987 by Mdryds Borldy, who was the director of a repair shop in Budapest. The brand aimed to create a city car that would serve as a successor to the Trabant, a popular vehicle in Eastern Europe. Borldy’s initial design was based on the Trabant and Mathias models, but the project did not achieve the anticipated success.

In the course of developing the vehicle, Borldy collaborated with László Rekettye, an experienced automotive engineer known for his work in racing and tuning rally cars during the 1960s and 1970s. Rekettye had also built buggies and was involved in the TECOPLAN Leo project, which provided him with a solid background in special vehicle design.

The partnership between Borldy, Rekettye, and a mutual friend led to the idea of creating a vehicle inspired by the Lotus 7. To secure financial backing, they sought assistance from Tamás Vadas, the director of QI Lazing, a distributor of various automotive products, including OLTCIT cars. Vadas initially proposed a four-seater version of the Lotus concept, but this idea was deemed impractical. He then suggested developing an off-roader, which aligned with the growing interest in such vehicles. Consequently, work began on a Jeep-style vehicle based on the UAZ platform in 1990.

The completed prototype was showcased at the Budapest International Autoshow in 1991, and four additional units were produced. However, Vadas eventually lost interest in the project, leading to the cessation of further development. The vehicles produced by Cel have remained largely forgotten, gathering dust since their creation.