Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus

In 1979, Volkswagenwerk AG acquired a 67% percent stake in Chrysler Motors do Brasil Ltda (:pt). In January 1980, it increased its shareholding to 100%, therefore giving it the right to rename the company to Volkswagen Caminhões Ltda.

The first Volkswagen Truck - the 1981 13.130

Volkswagen Caminhões Ltda. released their first trucks in February/March 1981; the Volkswagen 11.130 and the Volkswagen 13.130, both had a reworked version of Volkswagen's Mk1 LT cabin, and were powered by MWM Motores Diesel Ltda (MWM) diesel engines on Chrysler engineered platforms which were inherited from the takeover.[3]

From 1987 to 1996, Volkswagen Trucks and Buses were built with Ford components as part of the AutoLatina venture, and were built in Ford's Ipiranga complex in Brazil.

Once the AutoLatina marriage fell through, Volkswagen Group had no factory for its trucks and their parts, so the Resende plant was built in 1995.[3]

1996, Resende was the official start for Volkswagen Trucks and Buses, developing their own parts and platforms. The Modular Consortium was introduced for the first time in Resende.[4]

The Modular Consortium is the group of main suppliers that make the parts, and assembles them for Volkswagen Truck and Bus on site in the Resende factory.[4]

Volkswagen Groups involvement is only in supplying the factory and inspection at the end of production; Volkswagen pays only a small amount of wages, as each partner of the Modular Consortium pays the workers.[3]

The Modular Consortium comprises these companies:

• Maxion Sistemas Automotivos Ltda. manufacture the chassis parts such as Air Reservoir, Fuel Tank and Frame[4]
• ArvinMeritor manufacture the Suspension and Axle parts such as Springs and Hubs and Drums[4]
• Remon S.A. manufacture the Tires and Wheels[4]
• Aethra Resende manages the Body Shop[4]
• PowerTrain manages the engine preparation and assembly[4]
• Carese manages the Paint Shop[4]
• Kromberg and Schubert (usually referred to as KROSCHU) manufactures the Cab Trim components such as Seats and Instrument Panel[4]

Most of the early sales of the Truck and Bus chassis' operations were mainly within South America; with the exception of small exportations to China and the Middle East.

Prior to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles' new role of managing the Truck and Bus operation; in 1994 Volkswagen imported to Germany a 7 tonne truck: the Volkswagen L80. Due to the European Union Gas Emissions EU4 standards; exports discontinued in late 2000.[3]

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles took over the Brazilian Trucks and Buses operation in 2000 from Volkswagen do Brasil; Volkswagen's Brazilian subsidiary. This signaled the start of a new era for the Volkswagen Group in producing its own Heavy Truck and Bus chassis range, which covers the gross combination mass (GCM) of 5 tonnes to 57 tonnes category.

Since Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles have taken control; the company has been looking at expanding Truck and Bus sales to other markets outside of South America, South Africa and Middle East regions.

All Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus vehicles are built in the Resende, Brazil factory and sent in semi knocked down (SKD) kits to Uitenhage in South Africa and Puebla in Mexico.[3]

Planned future markets for export are ASEAN and Eastern Europe countries.

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus released the new Volkswagen Constellation range in September 2005, with a gross combination mass from 13 tonnes to 57 tonnes.[3]

• The Resende plant was built in 153 days at a cost of US$250 million[4]
• The Resende plant adheres to International Organization for Standardization ISO TS and ISO 14001[4]
• Resende plant produces 240 vehicles per day in two working shifts and employs 4,500 workers.[4][5]
• Volkswagen Trucks and Buses are sold in over 35 countries around the world. Some of the countries are Argentina,[4] Peru, Chile,[4] Uruguay,[4] Bolivia, Colombia,[4] Venezuela,[4] Paraguay,[4] Ecuador,[4] Dominican Republic,[4] Côte d'Ivoire,[4] Nigeria[4] and Saudi Arabia.[4][6]
• Most of the Volkswagen truck and Bus growth has been in the last eight years
• All the 2007 Volkswagen truck range are capable of operating in minus 20 °C and plus 45 °C; Middle East specified trucks can stand 55 degrees Celsius.
• Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus are assembled at the MAN Automotive Concessionaires Corporation plant in Quezon City, Philippines since March 2014.

Established in 2002 10 km from Resende the assembly plant, the BMB Mode Center is responsible for modifications to the truck and bus range that cannot be done on the production line.

BMB Mode Center build:

• For bus range: low entry buses and articulated buses.
• For truck range: 4x4, 8x4 & 8x2 conversions as well as an armored truck & finally exterior design modifications.

The BMB division moved in June 2006 to the new location 150 m outside the Resende Plant. The new location has 30,000 square metres of land; it cost Brazilian R$7 million to build.[7]

A Constellation pace truck leading the field at the 2006 Curitiba round of the Brazilian Fórmula Truck championship

Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus competes in the Brazilian Fórmula Truck championship, with four drivers.[11] The Volkswagen Constellation 18.310 Titan tractor unit is used;[11] they are driven by Renato Martins,[11] Felipe Giaffone,[11] Walmir Benavides[11] and Débora Rodrigues.[11] Furthermore, an additional Constellation is used as the official pace truck,[11] driven by Ana Lúcia Lopes.[11]

• Volkswagen Meteor
• Volkswagen Constellation
• Volkswagen Delivery
• Volkswagen Volksbus
• Volkswagen Titan

• 
  Volkswagen L80 1995—2000
• 
  Volkswagen 18.310 Titan Tractor 2001—2005[12]
• 
  Volkswagen Constellation 19.320 Titan Tractor
• 
  Constellation Brazilian Fórmula Truck in a round at Interlagos in 2006
• 
  Volkswagen Delivery 8.150
• 
  Volkswagen Worker 26-260E (6x4)
• 
  Volksbus 17.260 EOT 2005 CAIO—present
• 
  Volksbus 17.240 with a Marcopolo body
• 
  Volksbus 17.230 EOD with a Marcopolo body
• 
  Volksbus 18.280 OT sugarcane-Diesel

official sites

• MAN Latin America international portal Archived 2018-01-26 at the Wayback Machine
• Volkswagen Trucks and Buses Nigeria official website
• Volkswagen Brazil Truck and Bus (in Portuguese) official website
• MAN Volkswagen Truck and Bus Brazil press site
• Resende (Brazil) Plant Sustainability site
• BMB Mode Center (VW Trucks and Buses modification branch) (in Portuguese)
• Volkswagen Heavy Trucks in Mexico (in Spanish)

unaffiliated sites

• South African Constellation and Volksbus specifications
• Volkswagen Trucks in Colombia