The goal is to raise funds for the president’s favorite charity—the Mehr Housing Foundation, a state-run charity that builds housing for the disabled and for women who are the breadwinners in their families.
Iran is very short of housing, forcing generations to live together. The housing shortage is believed to be one reason why Iranians are now waiting much longer to marry.
In his first presidential campaign in 2005, Ahmadi-nejad pledged to provide a home for every Iranian, but construction continues to fall far below need. For the current Persian year, the government set a goal of almost 1 million housing units, but only 140,000 units were built in the first half of the year.
A multilingual website to accept bids on the Ahmadi-nejad Peugeot was set up Saturday to spark foreign interest. The daily Iran said one foreigner quickly posted a bid of $1 million. An Arab newspaper said the bidder was Arab.
The top website bidders will be invited to the final auction to be held in Abadan in mid-February. Altogether, 70 cars are to be auctioned off. Online offers are being accepted through the end of January. Foreign bidders must post 50 euros ($67) to register while Iranian residents pay 500,000 rials ($50).
Ahmadi-nejad was often seen driving around the city in the Peugeot when he was mayor and the car featured in his presidential campaign ads in 2005, which emphasized that he was a humble figure who lived in a sparsely furnished home and drove an aging car.
In photos, the car appears to be in remarkably good condition, with no visible dings. That model of Peugeot is worth about $2,000 on the Tehran used car market. To place your bid, go to http://www.ahmadinejad-car.com.