ClassicCar

Right you are. The Argentine government-owned vehicle and airplane manufacturer was called IAME (Industrias Aeronáutica y Mecánicas del Estado). Their first vehicle, the Rastrojero pickup, rolled off the assembly line in 1952 using a 42 horsepower Borgward Diesel engine. The company also produced Pampas tractors, a fiberglass-bodied two-door sedan called the Justicialista, the Graciela four-door sedan, Dinborg trucks, Puma motorcycles and a varient of the Borgward Isabela. IAME invested 72 million pesos (US$ 4 million) in IKA constituting 20% of the initial capital, however, much of that "investment" was marketing services rather than pesos. IAME was still producing vehicles like the Rastrojero into the 1970s. The company ceased to exist in 1979.

Kaiser Industries , Argentina, interested read on ....



Franco Cipolla is an outstanding writer who takes us and transport us back to the 1950s to the time were Kaiser industries were a trade sign in Cordoba, Argentina. His book tells the story behind one of the most controversial and important car companies in Argentina. Kaiser industries were the melting port for a new production system in the car industry in Argentina, as well as a turning point in terms of woker's organizations. Historians, politicians, vintage car collectors. to them all, this book is a great input. Great accuracy, fantastic pictures, a superb narration filled with anecdotes and fine information.



Hereby a short summery on Cipolla's lattest book:



Kaiser industries are an Argentinean based company organized with American capitals and head managers, developed by local working force. On Jan 19th1955, Kaiser would become the first American capital automobile company production based in Argentina. IKA was born. They now needed a location, and this problem was solved as soon as the Nores Martinez family donated some 30 hectares for the plant to be constructed at. The key to understanding this is that this wealthy family still owned all the area's land, so its property's value would rise inmediatly due to the strategic location. Soon IKA would develop at a fantastic rate coming to use over 225 hectares. IKA was the monument to modernity within the auto industry in Argentina. A battalion of expertise engineers from cities all over the world came to Argentina to work on the development of IKA, featuring Latin America's finest top technology applied into industries. Tide bonds with the US assured IKA a constant flow of technology and machinery of great quality. In just a matter of 13 months an empire of car production was built, and it didn't just impacted as competition, but it also reflected its energetic production into related industries. Jeep was it's first and foremost important asset, allowing IKA that first and necessary jump to success. On April 27th 1956, the first fully Argentinean made Jeep was roaming and rolling. such was the success that only 145 days after the first IKA Jeep entered the market, they had produced over 1,000 Jeeps! It's important to point out that throughout these first years, it's wasn't just a matter of production, but also IKA aimed to produced as much as they could in a local basis, unlike other competitors who imported almost everything and then unassembled it in Argentina. IKA was the mouthful of fresh air the Argentinean industry needed to take off. Just to picture out IKA's relevance within the local market, in throughout it's 12 years of production over 20,000 workers depended on IKA for their work. But it wasn't just about a job. That was -and still is to all those who lived back then- not the only input from IKA to the Cordoba community, for the American-Argentinean company focused also on specialized education: Academia Arguello, Anglo Argentine School of Alta Gracia, IKA Technical Institute. IKA played a central role also in broader cultural aspects, such as holding Art biennials; sports through means of the Inter Industrial Championships and group-home Don Orione. All these broad cultural and social activities were specially designed and carried on throughout the times were James McCloud was chairman. It was a two way street for IKA and the Argentineans and it proved to work perfectly. In 1959 IKA becomes IKA Renault, as a result of a joint venture between the American-Argentine company and the French one to produce the French model cars. Soon in 1962, an other joint model venture would take place between IKA and American Motors Corporation from Detroit; the first Ramblers were produced in Argentina back then.



Among the models produced by IKA throughout it's history are these: In 1956 2,400 Jeep and Pick-up Jeep were produced. By 1957 the Estanciera and in 1958 Kaiser Carabela, the first grand tourism car fully made in la Argentina. For it's 10 year anniversary the Santa Isabel plant was producing IKA's finest line of broad models: four Renault: Dauphine, Gordini, R4L y R4F; six utility models: Jeep, Pick-up, Jeep Estanciera (also taxi version), Jeep truck, Jeep Gladiator (500, 1000 kilos) - simple and double traction- and Charge. Plus four Rambler models: Classic Custom, Classic de Luxe, Classic cross-country and Ambassador 990. By 1966 they were producing the outstanding Torino model (coupe and sedan). This was an integral IKA designed and developed model.



One of IKA's keys to success was what they called combined escalating steps, meaning that each task needed to improve production locally was linked to other minor industries and companies working together but separately in order to combine efforts and perspectives for a broader and bigger production goal.



In short, IKA Argentina was one of the many international Kaiser companies who worked by the theme "together we build", being active community members as well as cultural guides and focal points.





Please feel free to email me any comments,etc, thank you for reading, Bob Frassinetti. Art Dealer and journalist, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I read with pleasure all new comments and insights on such an amazing and interesting subject as the history of IKA, Kaiser, and Renault. These insightful comments and information are always a great asset for present and future historical works on such interesting matter, even more if they are shared with such passion and commitment. Inaccuracies and errors are elements with which those of us who work on historical reconstruction have to live with, learn of and correct our early work in order to provide a fullfilling and faithful image of a past long gone. This is part of any historical reconstruction, and in this line of thought it would be fabulous if Dr. Jorge R Hayzus, former membber of IKA directory would be interested in being contacted and interviewed upon.



For as a brilliant British historian once said (Prof Eric Hobsbawm) "I believe that without the distinction between what is and what is not, there can be no history... How we assemble and interpret our chosen sample of verifiable data (which may include not only what happened but what people thought about it) is an other matter" On History, 1997.





Estimados lectores del Classiccar forum,



Leo con mucho interes los comentarios vertidos en este espacio con tanto cariño y detalle sobre un tema que es evidente nos apaciona a todos los que aqui participamos.

Desde ya que valoramos grandemente este tipo de aprotes, especialmente teniendo en cuenta la dinamica intrínseca al trabajo de reconstrucción histórica en donde es el propio planteo de avances de investigación, preguntas y dudas lo que nos permite avanzar en una reconstrucción lo mas fiel posible de un tiempo ya pasado.

Somos concientes que las impresiciones y los errores en este tipo de avances son un "mal necesario" un trampolin desde el cual el error puede presentarse como puerta de entrada a nuevas y más precisas respuestas y lineas de analisis.

Es en este sentido que los aportes fidedignos de un actor directo de aquel entonces son de gran valor histórico y social, asi, nos interesaria muchisimo que la posibilidad de entrevistar al Dr. Jorge R Hayzus, para enriquecer nuestra vision del periodo, asi como brindar un espacio de expresión a quienes tienen mucho que decir.

Porque como un emerito profesor Britanico -Eric Hobsbawm- dijo: "Creo que sin la distinción entre lo que es y lo que no es, no hay historia posible... Cómo ensamblamos e interpretamos la informacion que hemos recabado (la cual puede incluir no sólo lo que ocurrió sino también lo que las personas pensaron sobre estos hechos) eso es otro asunto" On History, 1997.



Please feel free to contact me, thank you. Bob Frassinetti. Buenos Aires, Argentina.