Automeccanica

Automeccanica was a Greek automobile producing company. Founded in 1981, it was one of the companies that produced the "passenger-uitlity" type of vehicle popular in Greece at the time for tax categorization reasons. Its creators were former executives of "Autokinitobiomihania Ellados" (meaning 'Greek Car Industry') a company founded in 1975 to also produce vehicles of this type – it assembled Italian Fissore models based on Fiat products, as well as other Fiat models and variants. Automeccanica followed a different path, building (not just assembling) the "Zebra" model, a passenger-utility car based on the "Daihatsu Charade", as well as assembling the "Charade" itself. In 1985, when the law favoring the "Zebra"-type vehicles changed, Automeccanica started licence production of the Soviet Lada Niva model, while it developed its own cabrio-version of the car. In 1988 it acquired its former "father" company, "Autokinitobiomihania Ellados" and the latter's factory in Thiva. Automeccanica went out of the car-construction business in 1995.

References

* K. Bitsikokos, "Affordable cars made in Greece", "Auto Bild (Hellas)", issue 22, Feb 29, 2008