Turkish rock legend Manço’s car displayed in Istanbul for first time

ISTANBUL

A cherished piece of legendary Turkish rock musician Barış Manço’s personal history, the red Honda Prelude he drove during his years in Belgium, is now on public display at an Istanbul shopping mall for the first time after a large-scale restoration process.

The 1991 model car, which had long sat unused in a storage facility in Liege, Belgium, was recently restored following a challenging, years-long effort led by the Manço family.

At a launch event for the display, the artist’s son, Doğukan Manço, described the car’s arrival in Türkiye as both a story of perseverance and a tribute to his father’s memory.

“We’ve been chasing this car like crazy for two years. In fact, we’ve been trying to bring it here for 20 years,” he said. “There were many obstacles. We had to wait for the car to reach the required age to be imported. While we were waiting, it was unfortunately caught in a flood and became unusable.”

Seeing the wrecked vehicle, the family initially feared the project was over.

However, after media coverage helped amplify their efforts, Turkish customs authorities and a Belgian logistics firm stepped in to help transport the vehicle to Türkiye.

“This car is a Honda, and Honda Türkiye also didn’t remain indifferent. They offered to support the restoration. My brother Batıkan and I worked tirelessly to bring it back to life,” he said.

Doğukan Manço shared that the vehicle holds deep sentimental value, as it was the one in which he and his brother spent the most time with their father.

“Normally, my father would change his car after two years. But this one stayed for eight years,” he said, indicating that the car meant something more than just a vehicle.

The legendary artist’s son said he has been working for decades to recover what his family lost after his father’s passing.

“My father’s business partnerships went wrong, and after he died, loans were taken out and the burden fell on the Manço family. We lost everything,” Doğukan Manço explained. “He had three more classic cars and a residence known as the Manço Mansion, which are no longer in our possession. I hope to reclaim them someday, not just for my family but for all of Barış Manço’s fans.”

Following its display at shopping mall Marmara Park, the newly restored car will be moved to the Barış Manço Museum, where it will be preserved and exhibited.

A singer, composer, television host and actor, Barış Manço wrote over 200 songs and traveled to almost 150 countries as part of his television show. Many of his songs have been translated into English, Japanese, French, Italian, Greek, Persian and Arabic.