Ebro trucks

Ebro was a Spanish brand of light and medium trucks and buses, as well as all-wheel-drive utility vehicles and agricultural tractors, based mainly in Barcelona, Madrid, and Ávila.

Ebro parent company, Motor Ibérica, was set up in 1954 to build British-designed Ford trucks under license, Ebro range being based on Ford's Thames Trader. During the late-1960s and early-1970s the company took over four Spanish light vehicle makers: Fadisa, (Romeo vans), Aisa (Avia trucks), Siata (Seat car derived minivans), and Viasa (various Jeep 4x4s and Forward Control utility vehicles), in addition to the Spanish branch of Perkins engines.

This resulted in a real frenzy of badge engineering, as one could see Avia-badged Jeeps, Ebro-badged Alfa-Romeos, and so on. Meanwhile, Ebro introduced tilt-cab Ford 'D'-Series derived models for loads of between l'/2 and 7 tons and gradually added new models until the range covered 2- and 3-axle rigids and articulated types from 3 to 27 tons capacity.

Ebro also entered the agricultural tractor market through a license agreement with Massey-Ferguson, which eventually led to the later becoming Motor Iberica controlling shareholder.

In the 1980, Ebro launched the 'E'-Series trucks range, comprising some six models from 3,500 to 11,200 kg gross, and the 'P'-Series for gross weights of 13,000 to 27,000 kg.

In 1979 Nissan Motors (not Nissan Diesel, the truck arm) had taken a stake in Motor Iberica, and took complete control in 1987. From then on the company was named Nissan Motor Iberica. During a short period, Japanese Kubota tractors were assembled and marketed in Spain as Ebro-Kubota.

Following the Nissan takeover, a "badge slide" from Ebro to Nissan took place. This was not without surprising occurrences, such as Ebro-badged Nissan Patrols that were sold in some European countries.

Currently, Spanish Nissan trucks are produced in the Avila plant.

External links

* [http://www.nissan.es/home/vehicles/lcv/index.html Spanish Nissan trucks webpage]
* [http://www.erichall.eu/ebro.html a webpage relating to an Ebro Comando, clone of the more-famous American Jeep Commando ]