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.[citation needed]
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$205.44 million).[2][8]
On 14 December 2009, a Troller made the news when it cleared São Paulo's flooded streets during a news broadcast, at the time, the company played along and tried to find the driver.[9] The T4 received a redesign in 2014.
The Troller plant in Horizonte was closed by the end of 2021, with Ford ending all its production in Brazil.[10][11] The brand and the Technology was not put for sale, just the industrial complex which comprises a land of 120,142 m2 (0.046387 sq mi) with 21,736 km2 (8,392 sq mi) of floor area. The special tax regime, valid until 2025, would also be linked to the factory.[8]
The state owned company expropriated the 129,000 m² of land that was for sale and seems to re-assemble electric hybrid vehicles, six models from three brands, starting in 2025. The investment of R$ 400 million would be for the first phase 255 direct employees. The Plant where the assembly is planned in Horizonte was ceded by Adece to Comexport under a loan-for-use arrangement, where 3 years ago was ex Troller of ex Ford, meaning the forests behind with a total land of 550 000 m² is to be devasted near the water supply.[12]
^ abc"Troller" (in Portuguese). Inova UNICAMP. Archived from the original on 2008-05-01. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
^"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[permanent dead link]
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