Avia was the brand name under which the commercial vehicles built by
Aeronáutica Industrial S.A.
Aeronáutica Industrial S.A. is a Spanish aeronautical company. The predecessor company, ''Talleres Loring'' had been founded by Jorge Loring in 1923.
History
The predecessor company was founded by Jorge Loring Martinez in Cuatro Vientos nea ...
(AISA) a company that was founded in Madrid in 1956, originally as an aircraft repairing organization, later started to manufacture their own new light vans and FC pickup trucks. However they were taken over in 1970 by another Spanish large manufacturer called
EBRO Motor Iberica based in industrial Barcelona. From 1970 on, all vehicles were renamed and known as AVIA-Ebro employing modern engineering and new mechanicals.
AISA had been primarily a maker of light aircraft, but in the late 50s switched, with some success, to producing road vehicles. Those were mainly light vans, trucks and buses using
Perkins
Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England.
Another derivation com ...
Hispania diesel engines. They launched their first four wheeled truck within the 1500 KG to 11000 KG gross weight categories. Also available was an 18-28-seater bus/coach model, both of which were part of the model range in the 1950s and 1960s.
One of the most interesting applications of Avia trucks was the
Klöckner Humboldt Deutz Spanish subsidiary designed Avia-Deutz firefighting engine. Based on an Avia 3500L chassis-cab, it featured an
air-cooled Deutz engine equipped with German
Magirus firefighting equipment.
In the early 70s, AISA was taken over by its main competitor Motor Iberica, manufacturer of the
Ebro range of commercial vehicles, and gradually Avia vehicles became little more than
badge engineered Ebros. All new models were now called AVIA-EBRO. When
Nissan Motors of Japan took over Motor Iberica in the 1980s, the Avia brand name had disappeared. Several AVIA-EBRO 3500L Diesel models are still in daily use and can be occasionally spotted in Spain, normally employed in agriculture and industrial activities. Both AVIA and AVIA-EBRO brands are still in use.
The Spanish Avia should not be confused with the
Czech Avia aircraft and automotive brand of the very same trade mark.
Avia trucks were used by the Spanish
Armed Police in their anti-riot operations.
Avia 1250 de la Policía Armada
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References
External links
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Page on Road Transportation in Spain
Information and photos of Pegaso and Avia trucks
{{Automotive industry in Spain
Avia (Spain)
Avia
Avia Motors s.r.o. is a Czech automotive manufacturer. It was founded in 1919 as an aircraft maker, and diversified into trucks after 1945. As an aircraft maker it was notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534. Avia ...