Troller Veículos Especiais S/A (Troller) was a Brazilian
off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle (ORV), also known as an off-highway vehicle (OHV), overland vehicle or adventure vehicle, is a type of transportation specifically engineered to navigate unpaved roads and surfaces. These include trails, forest roads, and ...
manufacturer. Founded in 1995 in
Horizonte, Ceará, it became a subsidiary of
Ford in 2007.
The
Troller T4 was a flagship vehicle, which had featured successfully in several rally races around the world, including the
Dakar Rally.
Etymology
The name ''Troller'' is a Brazilian adaptation of the English word
Troll, which refers to a character of the
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
n legends that dwells forests and caves of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
.
History
Troller started in 1995, by Rogério Farias. In April 1996, the first prototype was built.
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.
The
mass-production of the vehicle started in 1999, when a factory was built in the municipality of Horizonte.
In 2005, a manufacturing plant opened in
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
to build the T4 for the
African market.
In January 2007,
Ford do Brasil announced Troller's acquisition for .
On 14 December 2009, a Troller made the news when it cleared
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
's flooded streets during a
news broadcast, at the time, the company played along and tried to find the driver. 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. The brand and the Technology was not put for sale, just the industrial complex which comprises a land of with of
floor area. The special tax regime, valid until 2025, would also be linked to the factory.
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.
Models
*
Troller Pantanal (2006–2008)
*
Troller T4 3.2 Turbodiesel (2015–2021)
See also
*
TAC Stark - another Brazilian four-wheel drive vehicle.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Troller Veiculos Especiais
Car brands
Brazilian companies established in 1995
Car manufacturers of Brazil
Defunct companies of Brazil
Defunct defence companies of Brazil
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1995
Companies based in Ceará
Off-road vehicles
All-wheel-drive vehicles
Automotive industry in Brazil
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company marques
2007 mergers and acquisitions
1995 establishments in Brazil
Brazilian brands
Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 2021