Renault Argentina

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Renault Argentina S.A.
Subsidiary
Industry Automotive
Predecessor IKA
Founded 1975; 49 years ago (1975)
Headquarters Buenos Aires, Argentina [1]
Area served
 Argentina
Key people
 Pablo Sibilia (CEO)[2][3]
Products Automobiles, vans, pickup trucks
Revenue Increase ARS12.9 billion (2012)[4]
Total assets Increase ARS4.9 billion (2012)[4]
Owner Renault SAS (96.33%)
RDIC (3.67%)
Number of employees
 3,656 (2012)[4]
Parent Renault
Subsidiaries Centro Automotores S.A. and Centro del Norte S.A. (car dealerships)
Plan Rombo S.A. and Courtage S.A. (automotive financing)[4]
Website renault.com.ar

Renault Argentina is the Argentine subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault.[1] It is one of the oldest Renault operations in the world and is ranked consistently in first place by sales between the local automakers. Renault Argentina was officially established in 1975, but the French company had a long presence in Argentina before that.[5]

History

Early years

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Main article: Industrias Kaiser Argentina
File:Renault 12 argentina 1971.jpg
The Renault 12 (launched in 1971) was one of the most iconic cars produced by Renault Argentina

Renault partnered with Industrias Kaiser Argentina, a company created by Kaiser-Frazer Automobile Corporation and the Argentine government, which had a factory in Santa Isabel, Córdoba and a network of smaller factories around the country. In 1967, Renault took control of Industrias Kaiser Argentina by acquiring a majority stake, renaming it IKA Renault SAICF. In 1970, Renault purchased the remaining company's shares, introducing in 1971 the Renault 12, which would become one of its most popular cars in the Argentine market with more than 444,000 units produced,[6][7] The car was manufactured in the country until 1994.[8]

In 1975, the French automaker renamed its operations again, this time as "Renault Argentina S.A." The firm remained in the Santa Isabel factory that had belonged to IKA.[9]

Market expansion and decline

During the next years, Renault launched a series of successful Argentine-built models such as the Renault 18 and the Renault 11,[9] but at the end of the 1980s it was hit by the country's economic crisis. Renault Argentina was manufacturing 70 vehicles per day with an installed capacity up to 400 and it had an aged, overly large workforce.[10] The French parent company decided to divest from its Argentine operations.[9]

CIADEA

When Carlos Saúl Menem assumed the Argentine presidency, the markets were opened and Renault ceased many of its minor operations in Argentina, improving its economic situation. In 1992, the entrepreneur Manuel Antelo agreed the purchase of a majority stake in Renault Argentina. According to some journalists, the terms of this agreement were very advantageous for Antelo. He only had to pay if the company made profits and also received ARS100 million from Renault. Renault Argentina was renamed Compañia Interamericana de Automóviles SA (American Automobile Company) or CIADEA, S.A. The actual ownership of it was transferred to a holding called Compagnie Financière pour l'Amérique Latine (Financial Company for Latin America) or Cofal, from which Antelo owned two-thirds and the rest was from Renault of France. The holding also took control of the newly established Brazilian operations. Cofal in turn only held 72.3% of CIADEA. The remaining shares were listed on the Buenos Aires stock exchange.[11]

Antelo reorganized the corporate structure, fired workers and installed facility improvements,[10] bringing the level of quality to that of the Renault factories in France.[12] The company introduced the Renault 19 and Renault 9 and became one of the leading automakers.[9]

1994 allegations

In 1994 the Argentine courts began proceedings against Antelo alleging smuggling and defrauding due to a complaint by the Dirección General de Aduanas (National Customs Administration), which accused him of making fraudulent imports and exports of vehicles. The move was related to the exportation of auto parts to Uruguay before returning it to Argentina as Renault Trafic units.

According to the charges, these operations allowed CIADEA to improperly collect exportation refunds and exemption taxes for imported vehicles.[13] In April 1998, the Federal Court dismissed the accusations to Antelo. The Federal Court of Appeal reversed the judgment ordering again prosecutions. In August 2000, a court set a bail of ARS1 million to Antelo and exempted him from going to prison. In February 2006, the case was dismissed.[14]

Return to Renault

In spite of the introduction of the Clio and the Mégane, CIADEA struggled to achieve profitability in the 1990s. In 1997, Antelo sold a majority stake of Cofal to Renault.[15] CIADEA was called again Renault Argentina.[10] The company had mixed results during the next years.[9] From 2001 to 2010, Renault Argentina was in charge of Nissan sales in Argentina.[14]

In 2005, Renault ordered to its stock operations company, Renault Développement Industriel et Commercial (RDIC), to launch a takeover bid for its shares, leaving the stock exchange in 2006.[16]

In 2018, the Santa Isabel factory started to produce in Argentina the Frontier pickup, as part of the global Renault-Nissan alliance that began in March 1999.[17][18] Production required an investment of US$600 million, and 50% of the production would be exported. Despite being produced at Renault factory, the pickup kept its original name and brand.[19]

Two years later Renault Argentina started to manufacture its own pickup model, the Alaskan. This model shared platform and engine (and most components)[20] with the Nissan Frontier.[21][22] Both pickups have been produced in the Santa Isabel factory.[23]

Santa Isabel factory

The Santa Isabel factory is located 10 kilometers away from Córdoba province's capital, in a land area of 238.5 hectares, within which the building covers approximately 400,000 square meters. This industrial facility is divided into several workshops: Drawing and Welding Department, stamping, Assembly Department and Painting Department, supported by the Departments of Industrial Logistics, Engineering and Quality, all dependents on the factory's management. It also has Departments of Human Resources, Logistic, Financial Management, Business, among others.

In 2006, the 50th anniversary of its inauguration, Renault organised a commemorative parade where participated all the vehicles produced at the plant since 1956.[5]

Produced models

List of vehicles by the company (models previously produced by Industrias Kaiser Argentina only count since 1975 then "Renault Argentina" was established)

Current models

Name Type Origin Produced Image
Kangoo [n1 1] Van  FRA 1999–present 100px
Logan [n1 2] Subcompact  ROM 2016–present [24][25] 100px
Sandero Subcompact  ROM 2016–present [24] 100px
Stepway [n1 3] Crossover  ROM 2019–present [25] 100px
Renault Alaskan [n1 4] Pickup truck  JPN 2020–present 100px

Past models

Name Type Origin Produced Image
4 [n1 5] Economy /
Van		  FRA 1975–86 100px
Torino [n1 6] Mid-size  USA
 ARG		 1969–81 IKA Torino 380 coupé.jpg
6 [n1 5] C-segment  FRA 1975–84 100px
12 [n1 5] Mid-size /
Station wagon		  FRA 1970–93 R12TL.JPG
18 D-segment /
Station wagon		  FRA 1981–93 R18 American av.jpg
Fuego Sport compact  FRA 1982–91 100px
11 C-segment  FRA 1984–93 WhiteRenault11GTLfront.jpg
Trafic Van  FRA 1986–2002 100px
9 C-segment  FRA 1987–96 100px
21 D-segment  FRA 1988–97 100px
19 C-segment  FRA 1992–99 100px
Mégane C-segment  FRA 1997–2008 100px
Clio B-segment  FRA 1996–2016 100px
Symbol Subcompact  FRA 2008–13 [28] Renault Symbol front wdebut Moscow autoshow 2008 27 08.jpg
Fluence Sedan  FRA 2010–18 100px
Notes
  1. ↑ The second generation was based on the Dacia Dokker and produced since 2018.
  2. ↑ Rebranded Dacia model.
  3. ↑ Originally a version of the Sandero model, the Stepway is marketed as a separate model from the Sandero in Latin America.[26]
  4. ↑ The model is part of the Renault-Nissan alliance.[17][27]
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Previously manufactured by IKA under license of Renault.
  6. ↑ Previously manufactured by IKA, based on the 1965 AMC's Rambler American and redesigned by Pininfarina.

Imported models

Notes
  1. ↑ Marketed in Europe under Renault subsidiary Dacia brand.[29]

Motorsport

Renault Argentina manages a sporting division called Renault Sport Argentina. The division participates in Super TC2000, TC2000, Turismo Nacional and organises the local Formula Renault championship.[30] In TC2000, Renault achieved a great success with the Argentine-built Renault Fuego during the 1980s and 1990s.[31] Renault Sport Argentina also formed the Renault Duster Team to participate at the 2013 Dakar Rally with two units.[32]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Pablo Sibilla: “Vamos a cambiar el perfil de Renault Argentina", La Nación, 7 Jan 2022
  3. ↑ Pablo Sibilla, CEO de Renault: "Argentina es compleja, pero hay muchos países complejos en el mundo" on Forbes, 7 Aug 2021
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ A 25 años del adiós al Renault 12: una historia de éxito y anécdotas, Infobae, 25 Nov 2019
  7. ↑ El Renault 12 argentino cumple 50 años on Autoweb, 13 May 2021
  8. ↑ ¿Por qué el Renault 12 fue un ícono del rombo en Argentina? by René Villegas on Motorweb, 19 Mar 2022
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Majul. pp. 121−123.
  13. ↑ Majul. pp. 117−121.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Nissan and Renault cement ties on BBC News – 30 October, 2001
  18. ↑ Una década cumple la alianza Renault-Nissan; unión fue firmada el 27 de marzo de 1999 on Portafolio.co
  19. ↑ Nissan comenzó a fabricar la pick-up Frontier en la Argentina on Parabrisas, 30 Jul 2018
  20. ↑ Lanzamiento: Renault Alaskan on Motor1
  21. ↑ Lanzamiento: Renault Alaskan en Argentina on Cars Magazine, 27 Nov 2020
  22. ↑ Las 7 diferencias entre las Nissan Frontier y Renault Alaskan on Motor1, 14 Jun 2017
  23. ↑ Renault Alaskan: ¿más cara que Frontier, pero más fácil de adquirirla? by Dylan Bucchianeri on Parabrisas, 17 Aug 2021
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Los Renault Sandero y Logan ahora también se producen en Córdoba by Carlos Cristófalo on Motor1, 6 December 2016
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Renault fabricará el Logan, Sandero y Sandero Stepway en Argentina by Ezequiel Las Heras on Autocosmos, 11 Mar 2015
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Adiós al Renault Symbol on Motor1, 6 Nov 2013
  29. ↑ Lanzamiento: Renault Duster by Carlos Cristófalo on Motor1, 11 Oct 2011
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

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