The first efforts of the Kontogouris brothers involved attempts to build a light truck called Hellas in Germany. In 1957, they acquired rights to the production technology of a multi-purpose vehicle developed by Swiss engineer Dr. Wilfried Fahr. In 1961, Kontogouris (Gerasimos, Dimitrios, Leonidas, Petros, Victor-Georgios, and Konstantinos) created their first company (FARCO) in Thessaloniki, Greece, in order to produce a vehicle with a BMW 700flat-2 engine, that they named the FARMOBIL. Ironically, this vehicle was not certified for sale in the Greek market, and nearly all of the vehicles made were exported to several countries around the world. In 1963, the company was acquired by Chrysler and renamed as Chrysler Hellas S.A. - By 1965 (other sources state 1966), Chrysler was planning to produce a version of the Greek vehicle in the United Kingdom via the Rootes company, in which they had acquired a 30% stake in 1964. One prototype was built with a Hillman Imp engine but the vehicle was not put into production.[1][2] In 1967, production of the FARMOBIL ended and Chrysler Hellas S.A. focused on importing vehicles from Chrysler's American and European subsidiaries. Despite all this, Chrysler retained the relationship with the Kontogouris brothers until the late 1970s. Meanwhile, in 1961 ambitious plans were made by the Kontogouris brothers for a new company (to be called NAMCO) with a new factory in Patras, Greece to produce under licence a German-designed (Neckar) three-wheelertruck and other vehicles, but were not materialized.
NAMCO (1972)
NAMCO would resurface in 1972, when a light passenger-utility vehicle called the Pony was introduced in the Thessaloniki International Fair, after an agreement was signed with Citroën. The car, whose original design (Baby-Brousse) was created by a team of French engineers in Côte d'Ivoire on a 2CV platform, had been adopted by Citroën itself as part of "basic world car" project that eventually led to the Citroën FAF (the Pony and other similar cars preceded the FAF and were not derived from it, as is often erroneously reported). Indeed, cars on the same basis were produced around the world from Vietnam to Portugal, but the Pony became by far the most successful.[citation needed] In 1974, NAMCO started business officially and production started in a new plant in Thessaloniki. The Pony (also called Pony-Citroën), helped by a law giving tax breaks for light utility-passenger vehicles, became an instant success, being the cheapest car in the market and, at the same time, an incredibly robust and practical automobile; about half a dozen Greek companies would follow NAMCO's example, with similar contraptions, none of which, though, came close to Pony's success. The car was greatly modernized (including Dyane 6 components) and a large number of versions and facelifts followed, keeping it up to standards. A production number of 30,000 Pony's has often been cited, but it most probably included similar vehicles produced in other countries; a more accurate number of cars produced in Greece should be close to 17,000 units.[3] Following its success in the Greek market, the company made significant exports to many countries around the world (a few were even exported to the U.S.), undoubtedly "helped" by the Citroën logo on the vehicle.
In 1978, NAMCO decided to move into other fields, introducing a series of very advanced 4x4 and 6x6 (3 to 6.5 tonne) multi-purpose trucks featuring a novel Swiss-designed, patented axle/suspension system. A complete lineup was made for many uses, consisting of the Agricar, Milicar, Pyrcar and Multi-trac vehicles. It is somewhat of a mystery why those advanced vehicles had limited success, with only small numbers ordered by Greek state authorities. Similarly, NAMCO designed a number of military vehicles including the Panther (of which only 2 were produced), as well as the Tiger and Aquilles armored vehicles and 4x4's, some of which did not even reach the stage of complete prototype. It has been argued that it was simply the wrong time, since the Greek state favored a state company (ELBO) for its supplies in that period.
The first generation Pony (Pony-Citroën) was produced until 1983; in the meanwhile, the law concerning taxation of similar vehicles had been modified. Plans to manufacture other cars under license were not realized and for a moment it seemed that NAMCO would once more be out of business. But the company would bounce back, introducing a completely new model, the Pony Super, introduced in 1985. The second generation Pony had no connection with Citroën technology and was a much more modern car with Ford engines, coming in a number of versions (950 cc 45hp (34kW), 1100 cc 55hp (41kW), 1300 cc 69hp (51kW) and 1600 cc 54hp (40kW) diesel, in two- and four-door arrangements). It was essentially developed by NAMCO, since Inthelco, a German company also involved in its development, was majority-owned by NAMCO at the time. An ambitious plan was made to export the car to the U.S. with a 1900 cc engine via Inthelco as the Desta at a rate of 20,000 per year. However, the costs and prospects proved to be grossly miscalculated and the plan was abandoned. No matter how improved the new Pony was, it was still a far cry from the needs of the contemporary Greek market made of progressively more affluent and demanding consumers. Only a few hundred Pony Super's were built until 1992.
Once more, though, the company created one more chance for rebirth, as its founders were stubbornly attached to the car-making business. So, although they also diversified into imports and trade of vehicles keeping NAMCO alive, they transformed the company into a technology exporter, offering design and construction of vehicle producing miniplants (as an antidote, they argued, to the giant conglomerates created by globalism) together with the Pony and their 4x4 truck technology. In 1994, the first Pony Supers produced under license in Bulgaria came out of the assembly plant in that country.
NAMCO is still alive today, although a shadow of its former self. Production of the Pony Super and the trucks never "officially" ended, as the company maintains a factory able to resume production. Actually, a "third-generation" Pony (in reality a Pony Super with minor improvements) was introduced in 2003 but never produced. Company focus, nonetheless, as was the case with many similar Greek companies, has decisively shifted towards trade and services.
New era
The company had announced plans to restart production in 2015, introducing a "new generation Pony".[4] The new Pony was to be powered either by a PCM (Peugeot-Citroën Moteurs) or FIAT (1360 cc) engine, and retained the main body design of the previous generation Pony. The company had made several announcements, including claims about discussions with companies in Asia, Africa, and South America who had expressed interest in license production of the new model. However, none of the above has been materialized to date.
Models
Company: Farco
Farmobil advanced multi-purpose vehicle (designed by Dr. W. Fahr), 1961-1967.
Company: NAMCO (initial planned establishment)
Three-wheeler truck, (Neckar licence), 1961: production planned to have started by mid-1960s but not materialized.
Company: NAMCO (proper operation)
Pony-Citroën light passenger-utility automobile (Citroën licence), 1974-1983: produced in a large number of variants and several facelifts and improvements.
Agricar agricultural 4x4 and 6x6 truck, 1978-(theoretically to date).
Milicar military 4x4 and 6x6 truck based on the Agricar, 1978-(theoretically to date).
Pyrcar 4x4 fire-fighting vehicle based on the Agricar, 1978-(theoretically to date).
Multi-Trac, 4x4 multi-purpose vehicle based on the Agricar, 1978-(theoretically to date).
Panther light military 4x4 vehicle, introduced 1980 (similar to the French Lohr Fardier but actually a different design): only 2 were produced.
Tiger 4x4 armored wheeled military vehicle, proposed 1982: designed, but prototype not completed.
Aquilles armoured wheeled fighting vehicle, based on the Milicar, proposed 1982: design not completed.
4x4 jeep-type military vehicle, proposed 1985: design not completed.
Licence built variant of Daihatsu Wildcat, proposed 1985: not built.
Pony Super series, completely redesigned passenger-utility automobile, 1985-(theoretically to date): built in a large number of variants and models with different engines.
The Citroën 2CV is an economy car produced by the French company Citroën from 1948 to 1990. Introduced at the 1948 Paris Salon de l'Automobile, it has an air-cooled engine that is mounted in the front and drives the front wheels.
Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland in 2005, and then by Renault in 2012. In 2018 Renault Trucks Defense, ACMAT and Panhard combined under a single brand, Arquus.
The Paykan, is the first Iranian-made car produced by Iran Khodro between 1967 and 2005. The car, formerly called "Iran National", is a licensed version of the British Rootes Arrow and was very popular in Iran from its introduction until its discontinuation.
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Berliet was a French manufacturer of automobiles, buses, trucks and military vehicles among other vehicles based in Vénissieux, outside of Lyon, France. Founded in 1899, and apart from a five-year period from 1944 to 1949 when it was put into 'administration sequestre' it was in private ownership until 1967 when it then became part of Citroën, and subsequently acquired by Renault in 1974 and merged with Saviem into a new Renault Trucks company in 1978. The Berliet marque was phased out by 1980.
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The Citroën Méhari is a lightweight recreational and utility vehicle, manufactured and marketed by French carmaker Citroën over 18 years in a single generation. Built in front-wheel (1968–1988) and four-wheel drive (1980–1983) variants, it features ABS plastic bodywork with optional/removable doors and foldable, stowable, fabric convertible top.
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Hellenic Vehicle Industry is a Greek vehicle manufacturer based in Thessaloniki.
Balkania was the trade name of 'K. Zacharopoulos A.B.E.E.' a Greek industrial and trading company based in Athens that produced 4x4 jeep-type vehicles and 4x4 trucks. Since 1945, K. Zacharopoulos had been involved in vehicle repair and rebuilding. The Balkania company was founded in 1954 and since 1972 it imported Romanian and Indian vehicles. In 1975 it designed and introduced its own Autotractor model, a 4x4 multi-purpose truck with a Mercedes-Benz 3200 cc Diesel engine, metal cabin and a payload of 1,500 kg (3,307 lb). In 1979 the model was redesigned, with a modern synthetic cabin. It was produced, as some similar Greek vehicles, until a change of a favorable categorization for agricultural vehicles in 1984 limited its prospects. The vehicle was modestly successful, as it exhibited certain quality problems.
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Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) trucks were mutually coherent ranges of military trucks, made in large numbers, in several classes and numerous versions, by Canada's branches of the U.S. 'Big Three' auto-makers during World War II, compliant to British Army specifications, primarily intended for use in the armies of the British Commonwealth allies, but also serving in other units of the British Empire.
A basic utility vehicle (BUV) is a simple rugged vehicle designed for use in the developing world. A slew of such vehicles were developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s; most only reached limited production and market penetration, as used Western vehicles often proved cheaper. In Southeast Asia, these are often referred to as Asian utility vehicles (AUV). They have also been called basic transportation vehicles (BTV).
The Baby-Brousse is a Citroën 2CV-based utility vehicle, initially privately built, that later spawned the FAF series of vehicles.
The Pony Super is a light utility vehicle that was produced between 1985 and 1992 by the Greek manufacturer NAMCO as a successor to the first generation Pony-Citroën model. The Pony Super, a type of Baby-Brousse, evolved from the earlier Pony-Citroën model with certain modifications and improvements.
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References
L.S. Skartsis and G.A. Avramidis, Made in Greece, Typorama, Patras, Greece (2003).
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