- ARO
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For other uses, see Aro (disambiguation).
ARO S.A. 
Former type Joint-stock company Industry Automotive Founded 1957 Defunct 2006 Headquarters Câmpulung-Muscel, Argeş, Romania Products Off-road vehicles Website ARO.ro ARO (short for Auto Romania) was a Romanian off-road vehicle manufacturer located in Câmpulung-Muscel. The first ARO vehicles were produced in 1957, and the last in 2003. For a short while, Daihatsu-powered AROs were produced in Spain and Portugal under the brands Hisparo and Portaro, respectively. In Italy, Volkswagen-powered AROs were produced by ARO-Ciemme and sold under ACM brand.[1]
Production of ARO vehicles have restarted under the aegis of a Czech company called Auto Max Czech (AMC).[2]
Contents
History
ARO M461
ARO 240 (1975 stamp)
ARO 10 4x4The beginning
ARO manufactured over 380,000 vehicles, 2/3 of which were exported to some 110 countries on five continents (before 1989 about 90% of the ARO production was exported).[3] AROs were also produced in Brazil, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Production started in 1957 with the IMS-57, which was the first model of the IMS Series, produced under a GAZ-69 license. In 1959 the IMS-57 model was replaced by the M59, followed by a new model in 1964 called the M461. Though its styling and design were based on its predecessors', the M461 had clearly distinguishable features also boasting fit and finish improvements and redesigned mechanics.
In 1972 ARO successfully launched a ground-up redesign as their new family of models, the 24 Series which eventually included many models and configurations. The ARO 24 Series got a "little brother" in 1980, the 10 Series, also produced in many body trims with different engines and in both 4x2 and 4x4 variants.
Privatization
ARO 244 (1977)
ARO 24 in Colombia, 2010
ARO 324 Pick-up
Cross-country ARO 10 Super Rally in Dracula Rally Raid, 2008In 1998 an American businessman, John Perez, offered franchise agreements to US auto dealers. Some 200 dealers paid $75,000 each for franchise rights, for a total of $15 million dollars. These rights were offered by a company called East European Imports. The ARO was offered as a Warsaw pact surplus military vehicle. After the franchises were sold, dealers were pressured to send cashiers checks or wire transfers to start receiving vehicles that were allegedly being held in a port in Florida. Dealers refused and insisted to pay upon delivery which eventually led to East European Imports closing its doors.
In September 2003 the Romanian state sold 68.7% of ARO to Cross Lander, a company owned by John Perez, for $180,000 US. The contract stipulated that the company had to invest $2 million US, which allegedly never took place. Instead, all of ARO's production tooling and equipment were sold off; this was an action which violated the privatization contract. The Romanian state sued John Perez in 2006 for falsifying documents in order to acquire the company.[4]
The ARO 244 model was planned to enter the US market as the Cross Lander 244X, but funding ran out in February 2006.[5] The company Cross Lander USA Inc fired all its employees, sold its headquarters and closed down in February 2006.[6]
ARO went into bankruptcy in June 2006.[7]
Amrom
The company Amrom Automotive 2006 was negotiating with ARO creditors to purchase the company from bankruptcy, and plans to resume production of the ARO line of vehicles under the ARO name at the Câmpulung factory.
Models
ARO IMS Series
Produced between 1957–1975.
Main article: ARO IMSARO 24 Series
Produced between 1972–2003.
Main article: ARO 24 SeriesARO 10 Series
Produced between 1980–2003.
Main article: ARO 10References
- ^ ARO 10 Versions at Romanian Cars
- ^ "ARO 4x4 AMC - The most expanded working terrain vehicle". Aro4x4.cz. INET-SERVIS.CZ (Hradec Králové). http://www.aro4x4.cz/english/index.php. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ ARO at autoevolution.com
- ^ Evenimentul Zilei, "Americanul care a falimentat ARO este urmarit penal", 25 January 2006
- ^ Paukert, Chris (February 26, 2006). "R.I.P. Cross Lander U.S.A.". Autoblog.com. Edmund's Inside Line. http://www.autoblog.com/2006/02/26/cross-lander-wont-make-it-to-america-after-all/.
- ^ România Liberă, "Firma Cross Lander USA Inc. s-a autodizolvat" 21 February 2006
- ^ Cotidianul, "ARO, oficial in faliment" 16 June 2006
Further reading
External links
- Official website (archived)
- ARO 4x4 AMC
- Photogallery
Categories:- Motor vehicle manufacturers of Romania
- Companies of Romania
- Argeș County
- Romanian brands
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