Troller Veículos Especiais

Troller Veículos Especiais S/A (Troller) was a Brazilian off-road vehicle manufacturer. Founded in 1995 in Horizonte, Ceará, it became a subsidiary of Ford in 2007.[2] The Troller T4 was a flagship vehicle, which had featured successfully in several rally races around the world, including the Dakar Rally.

"Troller" redirects here. For the German/Italian wine grape, see Troller (grape). For a fishing vessel known as a "troller", see Trolling (fishing).
Troller Veículos Especiais
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
Founded1995
FounderCharlie Guth de Grange
Defunct2021 (2021)
HeadquartersHorizonte, Ceará, Brazil
Area served
Latin America and Caribbean
Key people
Rogério Farias,[1] Mário Araújo Alencar Araripe, Demetrio Fleck (General Manager), Lyle Watters (President and CEO)
ProductsTroller T4
OwnerFord
Number of employees
470 (January, 2021)
ParentFord Brasil
(2007–2021)
Websitetroller.com.br

Etymology

The name Troller is a Brazilian adaptation of the English word Troll, which refers to a character of the Scandinavian legends that dwells forests and caves of Norway.[3]

History
Troller Conceito TR-X exhibited in 2012

Troller started in 1995, by Rogério Farias. In April 1996, the first prototype was built.[4]

In 1997, the company was bought by the entrepreneur Mário Araripe, who formed a partnership with Rogério Farias; the first gasoline-powered T4 was built.[4][5] The mass-production of the vehicle started in 1999, when a factory was built in the municipality of Horizonte.[4]

In 2005, a manufacturing plant opened in Angola to build the T4 for the African market.[6] In January 2007, Ford do Brasil announced Troller's acquisition for R$400 million (2007)[7] (US$205.44 million).[2][8]

On 14 December 2009, a Troller made the news when it cleared São Paulo's flooded streets during a news broadcast, at the time, the company played along and tried to find the driver.[9] The T4 received a redesign in 2014.

The Troller plant in Horizonte was closed by the end of 2021, with Ford ending all its production in Brazil.[10][11] The brand and the Technology was not put for sale, just the industrial complex which comprises a land of 120,142 km2 (46,387 sq mi) with 21,736 km2 (8,392 sq mi) of floor area. The special tax regime, valid until 2025, would also be linked to the factory.[8]

Models

See also
  • TAC Stark - another Brazilian four-wheel drive vehicle.

References
  1. "Rogerio Farias".
  2. "Ford to boost Brazilian operation". BBC. 2007-01-04. Retrieved 2007-01-06.
  3. "SOBRE A TROLLER". Troller. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  4. "Troller" (in Portuguese). Inova UNICAMP. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  5. "História" (SWF) (in Portuguese). Troller. Retrieved 2008-07-14. This vehicle is not to be mistaken with the Jeep Wrangler TJ, an off-road vehicle produced by Chrysler
  6. "Troller vai exportar tecnologia" (in Portuguese). Carro e Cia. 2004-10-28. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  7. "Fora de linha, últimos Troller T4 são vendidos por até R$ 280.000". 11 October 2021.
  8. "Fora de linha, últimos Troller T4 são vendidos por até R$ 280.000". Quatro Rodas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  9. Este Troller é seu? [Is this Troller yours?] (YouTube Video) (in Portuguese), December 22, 2009, retrieved February 8, 2022
  10. "Ford Advances South America Restructuring ceased Manufacturing In Brazil, Serve Customers With New Lineup" (Press release). Ford Media Center. 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
  11. "Ford finished Production in Brazil". Financial Times. 12 January 2021.
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