Candia (vehicles)

Candia is a Greek company producing Agricultural machinery and equipment, based in Herakleion, Crete. It is representative of a large number of companies in this country (and especially on that island), that produced crude-looking "multi-purpose" light farm vehicles. Most of these vehicles were constructed by smaller companies, or even small workshops, and they were rather odd, light farm tractor-truck combinations usually on three-wheel chassis, with or without cab. Some of the more significant companies were concentrated in Crete, including except for "Candia", "Kronos", "Knossos", "Minos","Minotauros", "Talos", "Jupiter" etc.; other companies included "Demetra" in Volos, "Diana", "Standard", "Zeus Hellas" in Athens, and many others. Engines used included "Sachs", "Ilo", local models by "Mekmotors" ("Ruggerini" licence), "Petropoulos", etc. By the early 1980s this kind of vehicle was so widespread, that had become characteristic of the Greek countryside. "Candia" was one of the few that became true industrial producers, turning out thousands of vehicles sold throughout the country. It built a large number of models, usually with "Sachs" or "Ilo" engines, the most popular of which was a rugged three-wheel chassis also used as a tractor. This type of vehicle was considered obsolete by new buyers, already by the early 1990s, and most companies diverted to other farm equipment.

References

* L.S. Skartsis, "Encyclopedia of Greek vehicles and aircraft", Achaikes Ekdoseis/Typorama, Patras, Greece (1995)
* L.S. Skartsis and G.A. Avramidis, "Made in Greece", Typorama, Patras, Greece (2003)