Fiat SOMECA Concord S.A.C.I
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1954
Defunct1980 (1980)
SuccessorSevel Argentina
Headquarters
Ferreyra, Córdoba
,
Argentina
Area served
Argentina
ProductsAutomobiles, trucks, diesel multiple units, rolling stock
ParentFiat S.p.A.
SubsidiariesMaterfer
IAVA

Fiat SOMECA Concord S.A.C.I (or simply Fiat Concord) was the Argentina subsidiary of Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. and the first manufacturer of Fiat vehicles in the country. Established in 1954,[1] the factory produced not only automobiles but railway vehicles through its subsidiary Materfer. Some of Fiat Concord's most emblematic products included the 600, 128, and the 1500 coupé designed by Vignale.[2]

In railway, Fiat Concord produced diesel multiple units (with the 7131 as its most notable development in the 1960s) and other rolling stock.[3][4]

History

The first Fiat dealership in Argentina was established in 1919 in Buenos Aires to import Fiat automobiles. Four years later, "Fiat Argentina S.A." was officially established to sell and assist automobiles and trucks imported from Italy.

Initially, Fiat activities in Argentina focused on agriculture, importing tractors through its local subsidiary "Agromecánica S.A.C.I.F." created in 1949. Tractors were imported until 1954, when "Fiat Someca Construcciones Córdoba" (then renamed "Fiat Concord") was established to produce those vehicles in Argentina. In 1959, Fiat of Italy signed an agreement with state-owned Industrias Aeronáuticas y Mecánicas del Estado (IAME) to give technical support. The assembly plant was built that same year in the city of Ferreyra, Córdoba Province, one year later another factory was built to produce diesel engines.

Fiat expanded its operations in Argentina when the company entered to railway market in 1956 after state-owned railway company Ferrocarriles Argentinos granted it concession to provide 300 diesel locomotives and rolling stock. That agreement paved the way for the establishment of Materfer to produce railway vehicles.[5][6] The plant, also built in Ferreyra, was inaugurated in 1958.

Fiat Concord Building in Buenos Aires, 1966

On 30 September 1959, the Government of Argentina approved a Fiat proposal to invest USD4,5 million to build a factory in Caseros, Buenos Aires. The first locally produced Fiat vehicle, Fiat 600, was launched on 8 April 1960. Soon after, the 1100 was added to the production line.[7] Both models totalised 4,000 units produced at the end of that year.

The 1100 was assembled until 1963, being replaced by the 1500, with a station wagon (familiare) version released one year later.[8] That same year, Fiat Argentina began exporting autoparts to Chile. Fiat Argentina's range of products expanded with the "Multicarga" pickup, 1500 Coupé, and 770 Coupé (being renamed "800" in 1966). In 1966 Fiat Concord launched the 1500 Coupé Vignale, based on the 1500 and designed exclusively for the Argentine market by Italian coachbuilder Alfredo Vignale.[2]

Fiat became leader of the Argentine automotive market with a 23% share in 1967, with more than 40,000 vehicles produced. Two years later production increased to 50,000 units. That same year the 1600 model was launched as a successor of 1500. It was not an original Fiat model but an Italian Fiat 125 body powered by a Fiat 1500 engine. Besides, Fiat Concord launched its first heavy trucks, the 619. In 1969, production of the 1500 was discontinued.[9]

As production increased, in 1971 the factory produced more than 60,000 vehicles per year. Fiat launched one of their most successful and emblematic models, the 128,[10][11] which added a station wagon model in 1973. The 128 would be produced until 1990.[12] Besides, "Industria Argentina Vehículos de Avanzada" (IAVA S.A.) was established as a Fiat Concord subsidiary to produce performance vehicles.[10][13] At the time the 128 model ceased to be produced, [10]

The 1600 model was replaced by the 125 in 1972.[1] This model was produced in three versions, sedan, station wagon, and coupé. In 1973, a pickup version (named "Multicarga") was added, being produced until 1980.[14]

In 1977, Fiat Concord launched the 133,[15] a rebadged SEAT 133 (thanks to an agreement between both companies) and marketed in Argentina under license. The car was poorly received, with only 15,821 units produced between 1977 and 1982 being replaced by the 147, a very similar model.[16]

In 1980, Fiat Concord and "Sociedad de Automóviles Franco Argentinos" (SAFRAR), local representative of French brand Peugeot, merged to form Sevel Argentina (officially, "Sociedad Europea de Vehículos para Latinoamérica"),[10] a joint venture that operated as a Latin America subsidiary of European Sevel S.p.A. that had been established in 1978.[17][18] Entrepreneur Franco Macri would take over Sevel becoming the owner of the company.[19]

Vehicles produced

List of vehicles (automobiles and trucks) produced by Fiat in Argentina, 1960–80:

Name Type Orig. Produced Image
600A-segment ITA1960–80
1100Sedan ITA1960–63
1500Sedan /
Station wagon
Pickup		 ITA1963–69
1500 Vignale [n 1]Coupe ARG1966–70
619Truck ITA1969–80 [n 2]
125 [n 3]Sedan /
Station wagon
Pickup		 ITA1972–80 [n 2]
128Sedan /
Station wagon		 ITA1971–80 [n 2]
133B-segment SPA1977–80 [n 2]
Notes
  1. ↑ Based on the 1500 and designed by coachbuilder Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale, this model was marketed exclusively in Argentina.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Production continued by Sevel.
  3. ↑ From 1969–72, it was named "Fiat 1600".

Railway vehicles

Fiat-Materfer 7131 railcar

In 1962, the first 7131, manufactured by FIAT Concord, made its debut on the Villa Ballester–Zárate and Victoria–Capilla del Señor sections of Mitre Railway. Those light cars replaced Ganz railcars that had been running on those lines since 1938.[4] The 7131 also served in some lines of Santa Fe province.[3]

On the Roca and Sarmiento lines the 7131 replaced old Drewry, Birmingham and Armstrong Whitworth coaches in the Temperley–La Plata–Cañuelas; Haedo–José Mármol, Merlo–Lobos, Pereyra–Ensenada, La Plata–Pipinas–Atalaya–Magdalena; Moreno–Luján–Mercedes, Lobos–Navarro, among other suburban branches. The 7131 also served on Bahía Blanca–Darregueira–Carmen de Patagones; Constitución–TandilNecochea, covering a large area of the south and west of Buenos Aires Province.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Historia de Fiat en Argentina on Auto Historia
  2. 1 2 El proyecto Vignale by Mario Perman on Club Fiat Clásicos
  3. 1 2 Bilstein, Andrés (31 October 2007). "Los inolvidables coches motor Fiat". Portal de Trenes (in Spanish).
  4. 1 2 Bernasconi, Ariel (2012). Historia del Ferrocarril al Norte del Gran Buenos Aires: Ferrocarriles Mitre y Belgrano (in Spanish). Dunken Editorial. ISBN 978-9870257691.
  5. ↑ ""Institucional" on Materfer website". Archived from the original on 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2015-02-17.
  6. ↑ "Materfer" on Ferrocarriles del Sud, 2 Oct 2011
  7. ↑ Así probábamos el Fiat 1100 on Parabrisas, Nov 1961
  8. ↑ Fiat 1500 on Revista Auto Club #15, Feb 1964
  9. ↑ Fiat 1500 on Coches Argentinos, 2008
  10. 1 2 3 4 Fiat 128: a 50 años de la aparición de un auto amado por los argentinos by Hernán Oliveri on Clarín, 30 Mar 2021
  11. ↑ ¡EL FIAT 128 NACIONAL CUMPLE 50 AÑOS! by Carlos Figueras on Autotest Argentina
  12. ↑ La historia de un clásico picante: el Fiat 128 on Mdz Online, 10 Oct 2020
  13. ↑ FIAT 128 (ARGENTINA), HISTORIA by Adrian Baer, 10 Mar 2012
  14. ↑ Multicarga 125 on Carburando
  15. ↑ El hermano mayor del Fiat 600 on Corsa magazine #611, Feb 1978
  16. ↑ Fiat 133 on Historia de Autos Argentinos by Alejandro Franco
  17. ↑ SEVEL: la unión entre Fiat y Peugeot que nunca desapareció on Motorweb, 20 Dec 2019
  18. ↑ L'Editrice dell'Automobile LEA/Herald Books, ed. (1984). World Cars 1984 – Pelham, Nueva York. p. 408. ISBN 0-910714-16-9
  19. ↑ El caso Sevel: la historia de Macri como empresario automotriz on La Izquierda Diario, 12 Dec 2015
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