Automotive industry in Brazil

Automotive industry in Brazil
The Brazilian automotive industry is coordinated by the Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores (Anfavea), created in 1956, which includes automakers (cars, light vehicles, trucks, buses and agriculture machines) with factories in Brazil. Anfavea is part of the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), based in Paris. In 2021, the annual production exceeded 2.2 million vehicles, the 8th largest in the world.
Most large global automotive companies are present in Brazil, such as: BMW, BYD, Chery, Fiat, Ford, Geely, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, JAC Motors, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lifan, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan Motors, Renault, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo Trucks, among others, and also the consecrated national companies such as Agrale, Marcopolo, Randon, and more. In the past there were national brands such as DKW Vemag, FNM, Gurgel, and Troller. Some traditionally produced modern equipped replicas of older models.
Some companies such as Rolls-Royce and Porsche, rely on local distributors to import their vehicles, but brands with local factories, such as Honda and Chevrolet may also import some of their models.
History
The first Brazilian automotive industry was the work of Henry Ford, who started the Brazilian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company in 1919. In 1921 Ford opened its own production facility and was followed by General Motors in 1926. In 1928, Ford established the Fordlândia, an industrial district in the Amazon rainforest. The district is no longer in use but saw a populational growth compared to the early 2000s, when roughly 90 people lived in the town.
In 1956, the Romi-Isetta, an early Brazilian car, was initially produced, with license purchase of Italian Iso. In 1958, Toyota started to produce its famous Bandeirante. In 1959, the first Volkswagen factory was built, it started manufacturing the Type 2, which preceded the famous Beetle. At the same time, a Brazilian entrepreneur, Mr. Sebastiao William Cardoso, started producing an electrical small jeep called Tupi.
In the late 1950s, Chevrolet and Ford started manufacturing pickup trucks, and in the 1960s, automobiles and commercial vehicles, GM also brought buses. In 1967, Puma began selling sports cars. The Italian Fiat established its first factory in the 1970s, and Mercedes Benz started to produce trucks and buses during the 1950s, and opened an automobile factory in 1998. These companies dominated the Brazilian market until mid-1990s, when the Brazilian market was finally opened to imports. In the 1990s, more auto companies settled and opened factories in Brazil.
The automotive industry in Brazil sells to all over Latin America and the world. In the last few years, the Brazilian auto industry has grown quickly, attracting investments from the main global automakers. In 2007, production grew 14% compared to 2006 figures, reaching more than 4 million vehicles.
In October 2012, the Inovar-Auto Program was approved by decree with the theoretical goals of encouraging automakers to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles and investing in the national automotive industry, by managing taxation exceptions (IPI = Tax over Industrialized Product). However, the program has received criticism, especially of protectionism. The country has recently lost a WTO dispute against tax advantages and illegal practices of protectionism. The Inovar-Auto program ended in December 2017 and was replaced by the Route 2030 Program.
Timeline
1890s
1900s
1910s
1911: The first Brazilian automotive magazine, "Revista de Automóveis", was launched in Rio de Janeiro by the Automóvel Clube do Brasil, founded by Santos Dumont; the collection can be observed in the Automotive Press Museum (Miau), in São Paulo.
1908-1913: The first trip by car from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo was in 1908. The first trip by car from São Paulo to Curitiba was in 1913.
1917: By now, the State of São Paulo had a fleet of 2,600 motor vehicles. In 1918, the first female driver in São Paulo, the wife of the commander of the Port of Santos, operated her automobile under protest from traditional families.
1919: The first automotive industry of Brazil was implemented by Henry Ford. Ford's head office in the United States opens a statewide branch, with initial capital of . Model T and TT trucks began to be assembled in São Paulo.
1920s
1930s
1930: Ford was followed by concurrent General Motors with the assembly of the first Chevrolet cars in São Caetano do Sul, São Paulo, there until today, at Avenida Goiás.
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Historical production by year
Historical sales
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers
Current
Large Passenger Vehicles Manufacturers and Importer
BMW Group
BMW do Brasil
Mini do Brasil
Bugre
BYD Brasil
China South Industries Group
Moto Traxx da Amazônia
Effa Motors
Fabral
Mahindra
SsangYong Brasil
Ford do Brasil
Fundação Romi
Indústrias Romi
General Motors do Brasil
Chevrolet do Brasil
Great Wall Motors
Grupo CAOA
CAOA (Former Ford dealer, Subaru and Renault importer, and currently manufacturing and importing Chery, Ford and Hyundai vehicles)
CAOA Chery
Exeed
CAOA Subaru
Hyundai CAOA do Brasil
Grupo CNH Industrial
New Holland Agriculture
New Holland Construction
Grupo Gandini
Kia Motors do Brasil
Grupo Volkswagen
Volkswagen do Brasil
Audi do Brasil (Former Audi Senna, an Audi AG subsidiary until 2005)
Honda
Honda Automóveis do Brasil
HondaJet (Focused on aircraft engine)
HPE Automotores do Brasil (Mitsubishi manufacturer)
Hyundai Motor Brasil
Iveco Group
Iveco (The company was spun-off from CNH Industrial on 1 January 2022; in Brazil the separation occurred in 2019 when Iveco Group was formed)
Iveco Bus
FPT Industrial
JAC Motors Brasil
Jaguar e Land Rover Brasil
Jaguar
Land Rover
Lifan do Brasil
Mitsubishi Motors Brasil
Nissan do Brasil Automóveis
Renault do Brasil
Stellantis – FCA
Fiat Automóveis Brasil
Jeep do Brasil
RAM
Stellantis – PSA
Peugeot
Citroën
Suzuki Brasil
Toyota do Brasil
Lexus do Brasil
UK Motors – Grupo Eurobike – Stuttgart Sportcar
Aston Martin
McLaren
Porsche
Valtra
Via Itália
Ferrari
Lamborghini
Maserati
Rolls-Royce
Volvo do Brasil
Volvo Car of Brazil Automotive
Motorcycle and Bicycle manufacturers (Medium and Large Production)
Amazonas Motos Especiais (AME)
Avelloz Motos
Brasil & Movimento
BMW do Brasil
BMW Motorrad Brasil
Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP)
Bull Motors
CFMoto-KTM
CFMoto Brasil
KTM Brasil
Dafra Motos
Dayang
Ducati do Brasil
HaoJue Motos do Brasil
Harley-Davidson do Brasil
Honda do Brasil
Moto Honda da Amazônia
Hot Custom Cycles
HPE Automotores do Brasil (Suzuki representative)
Iros Motos
J Toledo Motos do Brasil
Suzuki Motos do Brasil
Kawasaki do Brasil
Kymco Motos do Brasil
Motocargo Industria e Comercio de Triciclo (Mtcar)
Royal Enfield Brasil
Shineray do Brasil
Sousa Motos
Triumph Brazil
Vespa Brasil
Voltz Motors do Brasil
Yamaha Motor do Brasil
Bus, coach and truck manufacturers
Agrale
Avibrás
Caio Indústria e Comércio de Carrocerias (Caio Induscar)
Carbuss Indústria Catarinense de Carrocerias (Formerly Busscar Ônibus)
Comil Ônibus
DAF Caminhões Brasil
Foton Caminhões
Fábrica Nacional de Mobilidade (FNM) (Focused in electric semi trucks; not to be confused with Fábrica Nacional de Motores (FNM))
Marcopolo S.A.
Neobus
Mercedes-Benz do Brasil
Mascarello Carrocerias e Ônibus
Volvo do Brasil
Volvo Caminhões Brasil
Volvo Ônibus Brasil
Volkswagen do Brasil
Traton SE (Formerly MAN SE)
Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (Some models are rebadged Man trucks)
Scania Brasil
Tractors manufacturers
AGCO
Caterpillar Brasil
Fundação Romi
Máquinas Agrícolas Romi (Agricultural machinery division)
Grupo CNH Industrial
CASE Construction
John Deere Brasil
Komatsu
Massey Ferguson
Valtra
A link to a map containing all plants currently in Brazil:
Current and Former Independent, Custom and Foreign Manufacturers
Agrale (Motorcycle division)
Alfa Romeo
Athena Auto (Partnership between Fibracar Compósitos and Scherer Automotiva)
Athos Cars (Formerly Chamonix Athos)
AutoLatina
Automotiva Usiminas (Formerly Brasinca; manufactured car body, dump container and crew-cabs for companies such as Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Simca, Scania, Massey Ferguson, Volkswagen, Volvo, Chevrolet and FNM, between 1950s and mid-1990s)
Benelli
Bernardini
CBP Indústria, Comércio e Exportação (Closed due to trademark infringement; bought Coyote Indústria e Comércio, a former autocross vehicle manufacturer, in the late 80s)
Chrysler (Ceased sales; representation, concessionaires and repair shop still operational)
Chrysler
Dodge
Companhia Brasileira de Tratores (CBT) (Declared bankruptcy)
Companhia Distribuidora Geral Brasmotor (Former manufacturer for Chrysler, Plymouth, Fargo and Volkswagen; currently owned by Whirlpool, produces since only refrigerators)
Companhia Industrial Santa Matilde
Companhia de Intercâmbio Pan-Americano (CIPAN) (Chrysler, Plymouth and Fargo representative)
Distribuidora de Automóveis, Caminhões e Ônibus Nacionais (Dacon) (Volkswagen and Porsche representative)
Projets d'AvantGarde (PAG DACON)
Emis Indústria e Comércio de Veículos
Engenheiros Especializados (Engesa)
Farus Indústria de Veículos Esportivos
Ford Motors Company Brasil
Ford do Brasil (Ceased production in 2021; focused in importing premium models)
Troller
Fábrica Nacional de Motores (Reestablished as Fábrica Nacional de Mobilidade, focused in Electric trucks)
Grupo Busscar (Declared bankruptcy)
Busscar Ônibus (Reopened as Carbuss Indústria Catarinense de Carrocerias)
Grupo Souza Ramos
Ford Souza Ramos (Biggest Ford representative; defunct after Ford do Brasil ceased production)
SR Veículos Especiais
MMC Automotores do Brasil (Mitsubishi representative and manufacturer)
Gurgel Indústria e Comércio de Veículos (Formerly Moplast Moldagem de Plástico)
Hofstetter Indústria e Comércio de Veículos
Indústria Brasileira de Automóveis Presidente (IBAP)
Indústria Brasileira de Veículos (IBV)
Indústria de Carrocerias Bugre
JPX Indústria e Comércio (Founded by Eike Batista)
Karmann-Ghia do Brasil (Subsidiary of Wilhelm Karmann)
Kasinski (Currently under Magneti Marelli brand, a Fiat subsidiary)
Cofap – Companhia Fabricadora de Peças
Cofave – Sociedade Amazonense Fabricadora de Veículos
Kers Tecnologia em Mobilidade Sustentável (Microenterprise supported by Unioeste University and the government of the State of Parana)
LHM Indústria Mecânica (Formerly Nurburgring Indústria e Comércio)
Lafer (Ceased auto vehicle industry; still producing furniture)
Little Croc (Amphibious buggy)
Lobby Indústria e Comércio (Formerly Matis Indústria e Comércio)
L’Auto Craft Montadora de Veículos (Formerly L’Automobile Distribuidora de Veículos)
Mahindra & Mahindra (Ceased passenger vehicles production in 2015, still produce tractors)
Material Ferroviário (Mostly known as Mafersa)
Mercedes-Benz (Ceased passenger vehicles production in 2020, still produce truck and bus)
Miura (Currently owned by Rangel & Lima Indústria de Veículos; Formerly owned by Besson, Gobbi & Cia.)
Mobilis (Startup focused in urban mobility solution; produced a small electric vehicle in 2017)
Montauto – Montadora Nacional de Automóveis / BRM – Buggy Rodas e Motores (Biggest dune buggy manufacturer in Brazil)
Mundeo (Propeller-driven car built "to simulate the feel of an inverted flight"; traffic restriction on public roads)
Nasser Brasil Motores Indústria e Comércio de Veículos (NBM)
NBM Indústria, Comércio de Veículos
Obvio! Automotoveículos
Vrooom! Veículos Elétricos (Currently active and focused on electric vehicles)
Pioneira da Indústria Nacional de Automóveis Reunida (Pinar)
Plascar – (Formerly Oscar S.A. Indústria de Artefatos de Borracha)
Polaris
Indian Motorcycle
Puma Automóveis
Py Motors Comércio e Indústria
SEED (Acronym for: Small Electric with Economic Design) (Formerly MMR Motorsport)
Simca do Brasil (Replaced by Chrysler do Brasil in 1967)
TAC (Formerly Tecnologia Automotiva Catarinense (TAC); utility car project sold to the Chinese Zotye)
Tarso Marques Concept (TMC) (Founded by Tarso Marques, former Formula 1 pilot; specialized in custom jobs)
Vemag-DKW (Vemag was acquired by Volkswagen do Brasil in 1967)
Viação Cometa (Currently owned by Auto Viação 1001)
Companhia Manufatureira Auxiliar (CMA)
Viação Itapemirim
Tecnobus – Serviços, Comércio e Indústria (Formerly Tecnobus Implementos Rodoviários)
VLEGA Gaucho
Willys-Overland do Brasil
Wladimir Martins Veículos (WMV) (Sold to Polystilo Indústria e Comércio in 1983 and for Py Motors in 1986)
Educational Institutions
Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC-USP)
Faculdade de Engenharia Industrial (FEI)
Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia
Local manufacture encouraged
As of 2022, Brazil has a 16~18% tariff on imported combustion engine vehicles and 0% on electric vehicles.
Passenger Vehicle Currently Offered and Manufactured in Large Scale
Agrale: Marruá
Audi: Q3/Q3 Sportback; Imported: A3, A4, A5, A6, A8, Q5, Q7, Q8, RS, e-tron and e-tron GT
BMW: 3 Series, X1, X3, X4; Imported: 1 Series, 2 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, X2, X5, X6, X7, Z4 and iX
CAOA Chery: Tiggo 5x Pro, Tiggo 7 Pro, Tiggo 8; Imported: iCar, Arrizo 6 Pro and Tiggo 8 Pro Plug-in Hybrid
Chevrolet: Onix/Onix Plus, Montana, Spin, Tracker, S10, Trailblazer; Imported: Cruze, Equinox and Silverado
Citroën: C3, C4 Cactus; Imported: Jumpy, e-Jumpy, Jumper
Fiat: Argo, Mobi, Pulse, Abarth Pulse, Strada, Toro, Fiorino, Fastback; Imported: Cronos, 500e, Scudo, e-Scudo and Ducato
Honda: City (Sedan and Hatchback), HR-V; Imported: Civic e:HEV (Sedan) and Accord
Hyundai: Creta (1st Gen), Creta (2nd Gen), HB20/HB20S, Tucson; Imported: Azera and Kona Hybrid
Jeep: Commander, Compass, Renegade; Imported: Compass 4xe, Gladiator and Wrangler
Land Rover: Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Evoque; Imported: Defender and Velar
MINI: Countryman; Imported: Cabrio
Mitsubishi: L200 Triton, Eclipse Cross; Imported: Pajero Sport
Nissan: Kicks; Imported: Frontier, Leaf, Sentra and Versa
Peugeot: 2008, Partner Rapid; Imported: 208, e-208, e-2008, 3008, Expert, e-Expert and Boxer
Ram: Rampage; Imported: 1500, 1500 Classic and 2500
Renault: Captur, Duster, Oroch, Logan, Kwid, Sandero, Master; Imported: Kangoo, Kwid E-Tech, Mégane E-Tech and Zoe
Toyota: Corolla, Corolla Cross, Yaris (Sedan and Hatchback); Imported: Hilux, SW4 and RAV4
Volkswagen: Nivus, Polo, Saveiro, T-Cross, Virtus; Imported: Amarok, Jetta, Taos and Tiguan
See also
Brazilian Highway System
Ethanol fuel in Brazil
FENABRAVE
Infrastructure of Brazil
List of automobiles manufactured in Brazil
List of exports of Brazil
Transport in Brazil
References
External links
Anfavea Statistical Yearbook of 1997
Articles needing cleanup from February 2022
Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from February 2022
Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from February 2022
Automotive industry in Brazil
Industry in Brazil