Troller Veículos Especiais

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.[citation needed]

Troller Veículos Especiais
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1995
FounderCharlie Guth de Grange
Defunct2021; 3 years ago (2021)
HeadquartersHorizonte, 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)
ProductsTroller T4
OwnerFord
Number of employees
470 (January, 2021)
ParentFord Brasil
(2007–2021)
Websitetroller.com.br

Etymology

edit

The 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

edit
 
Troller Conceito TR-X exhibited in 2012

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

See also

edit
  • TAC Stark - another Brazilian four-wheel drive vehicle.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rogerio Farias".
  2. ^ a b "Ford to boost Brazilian operation". BBC. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  3. ^ "SOBRE A TROLLER". Troller. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Troller" (in Portuguese). Inova UNICAMP. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  5. ^ "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]
  6. ^ "Troller vai exportar tecnologia" (in Portuguese). Carro e Cia. 2004-10-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  7. ^ "Fora de linha, últimos Troller T4 são vendidos por até R$ 280.000". 11 October 2021.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Este Troller é seu? [Is this Troller yours?] (YouTube Video) (in Portuguese), December 22, 2009, retrieved February 8, 2022
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Ford finished Production in Brazil". Financial Times. 12 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Montadora no Ceará: 40 mil carros ao ano e geração de 9 mil empregos". OPovo. 9 August 2024.
edit