An Engine of Inequality: The Unaffordable Car Market in Iran The cost of living crisis in Iran is exacerbated by the automotive market, which has been described as a "mafia" system where protected state linked businesses collude to transfer costs onto households.
This has made buying a car nearly impossible for even those with decent salaries.
Hossein, a 32 year old marketing specialist in Tehran, earns around four and a half times the minimum wage but cannot afford a new car – not even one made domestically.