Troller Veículos Especiais S/A (Troller) was a Brazilian off-road vehicle manufacturer. Founded in 1995 in Horizonte, Ceará, it became a subsidiary of Ford in 2007.[2] The Troller T4 was a flagship vehicle, which had featured successfully in several rally races around the world, including the Dakar Rally
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Charlie Guth de Grange |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Horizonte, Ceará, Brazil |
Area served | Latin America and Caribbean |
Key people | Rogério Farias,[1] Mário Araújo Alencar Araripe, Demetrio Fleck (General Manager), Lyle Watters (President and CEO) |
| Products | Troller T4 |
| Owner | Ford |
Number of employees | 470 (January, 2021) |
| Parent | Ford Brasil (2007–2021) |
| Website | troller.com.br |
Etymology
editThe name Troller is a Brazilian adaptation of the English word Troll, which refers to a character of the Scandinavian legends that dwells forests and caves of Norway.[3]
History
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Troller started in 1995, by Rogério Farias. In April 1996, the first prototype was built.[4]
In 1997, the company was bought by the entrepreneur Mário Araripe, who formed a partnership with Rogério Farias; the first gasoline-powered T4 was built.[4][5] The mass-production of the vehicle started in 1999, when a factory was built in the municipality of Horizonte.[4]
In 2005, a manufacturing plant opened in Angola to build the T4 for the African market.[6] In January 2007, Ford do Brasil announced Troller's acquisition for R$400 million (2007)[7] (US$205.44 million).[2][8]
On 14 December 2009, a Troller made the news when it cleared São Paulo's flooded streets during a news broadcast, at the time, the company played along and tried to find the driver.[9] The T4 received a redesign in 2014.
The Troller plant in Horizonte was closed by the end of 2021, with Ford ending all its production in Brazil.[10][11] The brand and the Technology was not put for sale, just the industrial complex which comprises a land of 120,142 m2 (0.046387 sq mi) with 21,736 km2 (8,392 sq mi) of floor area. The special tax regime, valid until 2025, would also be linked to the factory.[8]
The state owned company expropriated the 129,000 m² of land that was for sale and seems to re-assemble electric hybrid vehicles, six models from three brands, starting in 2025. The investment of R$ 400 million would be for the first phase 255 direct employees. The Plant where the assembly is planned in Horizonte was ceded by Adece to Comexport under a loan-for-use arrangement, where 3 years ago was ex Troller of ex Ford, meaning the forests behind with a total land of 550 000 m² is to be devasted near the water supply.[12]
Models
edit- Troller Pantanal (2006–2008)
- Troller T4 3.2 Turbodiesel (2015–2021)
See also
edit- TAC Stark - another Brazilian four-wheel drive vehicle.
References
edit- ^ "Rogerio Farias".
- ^ a b "Ford to boost Brazilian operation". BBC. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
- ^ "SOBRE A TROLLER". Troller. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Troller" (in Portuguese). Inova UNICAMP. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ "História" (SWF) (in Portuguese). Troller. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
This vehicle is not to be mistaken with the Jeep Wrangler TJ, an off-road vehicle produced by Chrysler
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Troller vai exportar tecnologia" (in Portuguese). Carro e Cia. 2004-10-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ "Fora de linha, últimos Troller T4 são vendidos por até R$ 280.000". 11 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Fora de linha, últimos Troller T4 são vendidos por até R$ 280.000". Quatro Rodas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
- ^ Este Troller é seu? [Is this Troller yours?] (YouTube Video) (in Portuguese), December 22, 2009, retrieved February 8, 2022
- ^ "Ford Advances South America Restructuring ceased Manufacturing In Brazil, Serve Customers With New Lineup" (Press release). Ford Media Center. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "Ford finished Production in Brazil". Financial Times. 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Montadora no Ceará: 40 mil carros ao ano e geração de 9 mil empregos". OPovo. 9 August 2024.
External links
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