The first car in the country was created in 1912 by Horacio Anasagasti in Buenos Aires. And its successes in this area almost a century ago are already a thing of the past. Constant political and economic crises in the country have become the reason for the practical absence of their automotive industry. Large foreign concerns and corporations own all plants. Attempts to create their products were unsuccessful.
In the 60s of the last century, Argentina managed to start producing its own original sports cars, but this initiative was quickly closed. Today in Argentina, there is one national manufacturer – ASA. Its production is aimed only at custom-made replicas of successful sports models of past years. Together with the Brazilian Agrale, the army SUV VLEGA Gaucho is being produced.
Anasagasti
Anasagasti was the first automobile company in Argentina, founded in 1909 by Horacio Anasagasti and based in Palermo, Buenos Aires. Her first car was the 1912 Anasagasti 12CV, and in 1914 the sporty Anasagasti 15CV was produced. But production cannot compete with Ford, which offers cheaper cars on the domestic market. The brand went bankrupt in 1915. Its emblem was in the form of a circle, which was placed a smaller one, depicting a shield. In its upper part was a six-pointed star. The name of the founder and the name of the founding city were inscribed around the circumference of the large inner circle.
Andino
In the Argentine automotive industry history, you can find the name Andino – the name of a small automotive company founded in 1967 in Buenos Aires. The only car that brought her fame was the Andino GTA 1 coupe, the first series of which was produced until 1970, and the second, with a Renault engine, was launched in 1976 and was produced until 1978, when the brand was closed. The car was assembled by hand and competed with famous brands. The brand logo was placed on the cover of the engine compartment. It was the brand’s full name, executed in a font resembling a handwritten inscription.
Hispano-Argentina
Hispano-Argentina is a diversified Argentine company founded in 1925 by Carlos Ballester and Eugenio Molina in Buenos Aires. The company was engaged in the production of not only cars. The automotive division was called HAFDASA. The bus was the first fully assembled from Argentine-made components. Among the well-known models of the brand is the two-seater D3 Record car, the Criollo Grande 6 x 6 truck, the prototype of the El Redondo passenger car. The brand ceased to exist in 1953. The company logo was made in the form of deployed wings and a rhombus of stylized letters H and A. Above it was the symbol of the rising sun.
IKA
Industrias Kaiser Argentina SA was founded in 1956 as a JV with Kaiser Motors headquartered in Córdoba Province, Argentina. The especially popular Torino model brought the fame of the brand. The brand also produced serial Kaiser-Jeep and American Motors, Rambler Classic, Ambassador models. In 1970, Industrias Kaiser ended its auto production by handing over IKA to its partner Renault. This was the end of the brand’s history. The brand emblem had the shape of a circle divided horizontally into two parts. In the upper part, the abbreviation of the brand name was applied in red. At the bottom, on a dark blue background, was the full name in white letters.
Siam Di Tella
The Argentine production brand Siam Di Tella is known for its multi-profile production, in which the manufacture of cars took some part up. Founded in 1911, Torcuato di Tella was based in Buenos Aires. Autodirection was opened after adopting government measures to ban the sale of foreign cars. The Siam di Tella 1500 model was released under license. The Traveler station wagon, the Argenta pickup truck, and the popular Magnette followed. In 1966, the brand went bankrupt. Its logo was a stylized letter S, made in the style of Gothic symbols.