(first posted 6/1/2015) Brazil’s political history is more than a bit complicated, and often a bit less than democratic, to say the least. Before World War II we had right wing Getulio Vargas in power for quite some time. In order to keep himself in power, Vargas had to please certain segments, especially the armed forces. The results were not always as intended, and one of the more unexpected ones was the presence of Alfa Romeo vehicles in Brazil. And not just their sporty sedans, but trucks too.
To make our generals happy, Vargas was eager to modernize the armed forces and he didn’t really care where the new weapons would be coming from, so he started to flirting with Nazi Germany. When the Great War was all but inevitable, Uncle Sam saw Brazil as a good country to have as an ally, and made efforts to cut short any budding relationship with Germany. An immense US-led program was now on the table, not only to modernize our Armed Forces but our whole industry. In exchange we would trade our cotton, wood, oil, iron and other raw material badly needed in war time.
One point of this plan was a brand new aircraft engine factory, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. This factory was to build licensed Curtiss-Wright airplane engines for both the USAAF and Brazilian Air Force. The name of this state owned factory was Fábrica Nacional de Motores (“FNM”).
It was indeed an awesome plan on the paper, but the dumbness of our politicians can screw up just about everything. Due the lack of competence, we took too long to build the factory, and the first engine produced was in 1946. By this time it was cheaper to buy a war surplus DC3 from Uncle Sam than to produce a pair of radial engines.
In other words, we had a brand new factory that was pretty much good for nothing.
To keep the factory working, it started to build whatever was necessary, from replacement parts for heavy machinery to appliances.
Only in 1949 the FNM found a suitable way to keep itself in business. A contract was firmed with the Italian “Isotta Fraschini” to assemble The “D 7300”, a 7,5 ton diesel-powered truck.
Unfortunately Isotta was in financial trouble by this time, and it sent parts to build no more than 200 vehicles before it went bankrupt. The market for trucks was very good, and the solution to stay in this lucrative business came from another Italian company, Alfa Romeo.
Another contract was signed, and in early 50s and the factory started the production of trucks and buses. The FNM D 9500, based on the Alfa Romeo “Tipo 800” was an immediate hit. It was a 8 plus ton truck, equipped with a 6 cylinder, 130 hp diesel engine.
The truck proved to be very tough, it was rugged and easy to build. The interior was very simple. It had all the characteristics of a pre-war design. The “Tipo 800” was a reliable truck that had been used by the Italian Army in various battle fronts in World War II. In other words, it was exactly what we needed at the time.
The truck was ugly, slow, and smoky, but would accept all kinds of abuse. It earned the affection from Brazilian truckers. They used to say that a overloaded FNM may take a while, but it always got on top of the hill.
FNM produced a whole range of Alfa trucks, including this handsome heavy-duty D-11000, from 1961. By the end of the 50s, FNM had gobbled up more than 50% of the market share for the heavy trucks. The momentum was perfect for the company to try a new venture: the passenger car segment.
In 1960, Brazil was living some kind of good times, Vargas was gone and we had a new democratically elected president, Juscelino Kubitschek. He was a nice guy and the biggest enthusiast of the domestic auto industry. To honor our new president the new FNM car would be called simply “JK”, in his honor. The JK was a license-built Alfa Romeo 2000, which first appeared on the European market in 1957 to replace the venerable 1900.
The car was way above anything we had in Brazil at the time. It had elegant Italian design, a luxurious and roomy interior, and a powerful 4 cylinder, 2 liter engine that was a masterpiece, with aluminum head, hemispherical combustion chambers and dual overhead camshafts producing 95hp, attached to a 5 speed manual transmission. To stop the car, it had four aluminum drum brakes with little fins to help keep it cool.
And in a final “All European” statement, even the wheels were not measured in inches, but in a exclusive 400 mm diameter, wrapped in Pirellis Cinturatos. The car was the first to come equipped with radial tires in Brazil
Of course all those features didn’t come cheap. The JK was the most expensive car in Brazilian market. It was a rare sight on the streets, the first reason for that was the prohibitive price and in second, passenger car was not the main business of FNM, and the productions numbers of the JK were low and not steady.
Interesting fact: since FNM was a state owned company, the Brazilian politicians had some unfair advantages over normal customers. They had better discounts and financial plans and on top of that, they were the first to be served, having the chance to get a JK even before the car hit the showroom of the dealerships.
For the first four years of production the car received only cosmetics changes. In 1964 our country got another “punch in the stomach”, a military coup brought down the president and the generals took over . In order to erase any remembrance of the dead democracy, the “JK” nameplate was dropped and the car became simply FNM 2000. And it received its first revised front end design, where the big triangular Alfa grille gave place to a slim, more aerodynamic one.
In 1966 came the sports version named T.I.M.B, Turismo Internacional Modelo Brasil (seems like “TI” would have done the job), with dual carburators and 8.25 compression ratio, producing 140hp. and the car got a pair of disc brakes in the front.
In 1968 Alfa Romeo took over FNM and it became a private company, but the nameplate was unchanged. For 1969 the engine got slightly bigger, going to 2132 cc and the name of the car was now FNM 2150.
In 1970 the 2150 hit its biggest production number with 1200 units, but the market was a lot different from the year the FNM was unveiled. The car was still charming and wasn’t the most expensive anymore, but there were some tough players in the arena like the Chevy Opala and Dodge Dart.
By 1972, the Brazilian Alfa Romeo started a project of a new car to replace the 2150, the Alfa 2300. In 1973 FIAT bought 43% of the Alfa Romeo shares and in the same year the last FNM 2150 was produced.
In 1974 was the debut of the 2300, the car was based stylistically on the European “Alfetta Sedan”, a bulky, square design that had none of the “sex appeal” of its predecessor. Under the skin, it was the same old FNM/Alfa 2000 platform, engine and chassis, with the engine displacement increased some.
When FIAT assumed 100% control of Brazilian Alfa Romeo in 1976, everybody was sure the 2300 would be discontinued, but despite the weak sales numbers, they kept the car in production until 1987. I could share more thoughts about the 2300, but I don’t think it is necessary. The 2300 never left a remarkable impression on the market and only good thing I can remember about the car is for being a good engine donor for the JKs.
Let’s go back to the truck business. The FNM brand was still strong in the minds of the Brazilian truckers. That was the reason for Alfa Romeo to keep the FNM logo on the trucks after 1968.
In 1972 a new truck was unveiled, the FNM 180 and FNM 210, with a new design and more powerful engines with 180hp and 215hp . It carried along the good reputation of the older FNM, it was reliable and affordable.
The “180” had an FNM logo until 1977 when it received FIAT emblems. And even after that, FIAT was reluctant to let the FNM name plate to go away.
Despite all that confusion of brands, the truck was truly a Alfa Romeo product and it was replaced in only in 1979 with a 100% FIAT truck, the “new 190”.
Brazil always had strong ties with Italy; in the 19th and 20th centuries, countless Italian families migrated to Brazil in search of a better life. During WW II as part of the agreement between Brazil and US, we had to send troops to Europe to fight the Nazis, and Italy was the battle ground. We never saw Italy as an enemy, but as country in need of liberation.
For years we had the good feeling of having in Brazil a “true to the core” Italian auto maker like Alfa Romeo. Ok, we have FIAT as the biggest car maker in the country nowadays… but they only produce boring cars. We used to see pictures in magazines of the red racing Alfas, with that huge triangular grille element and guess what? We had that too, right here…
Ok… it was mostly a four door sedan Alfa, but it was good enough for us. It was ours.
I had no idea that Alfa had a “parallel universe”, kind of like the US Big Three in Australia. Very interesting article and those sedans are gorgeous! Thanks for the research.
\Fascinating ! .
-Nate
“We never saw Italy as an enemy, but as country in need of liberation.”
Certainly true by the fall of 1943, after Mussolini was deposed & Italy signed an armistice with the Allies. Italian troops & aviators fought alongside the Allies afterwards, while Germany treated Italy as occupied territory. Italy had the good sense to know when the jig was up.
Alfa was one of several Axis licensees of the Daimler-Benz 601 V12 aircraft engine; the R.A. 1000 was used by the Macchi C.202 & Reggiane Re.2001, both respected by Allied pilots.
Italy was totally unprepared to go to war. When they invaded Albania in 1940, one Italian General quipped they “could be stopped by a well equipped fire brigade.”
Many have argued that the delay in the launch of Operation Barbarossa was caused by Hitler having to save Il Duce’s fat butt in the Balkans. Those six weeks could have been decisive.
Could be. Speaking of which, I read there were Italian contingents in Barbarossa, who fared badly because their equipment was as ineffective against Soviet weapons as against British. Only exception I know of was the excellent but scarce Beretta 38 submachine gun, prized even by the Waffen SS.
At least Italy has had less to live down than the other former Axis powers. Korea is still after Japan over “comfort women.”
Italian troops unfairly get the blame for the Italian Army’s general ineffectiveness during WWII, but it was mostly due to poor equipment and even poorer leadership.
Great article. Never heard of FNM, and I never knew Alfa did trucks. Nice job
Thanks Rubens, great article!
It is fascinating to me to see how different countries develop an affection for a particular brand. I had been reading an article on modern Fiat-Chrysler, and how it has Brazil has traditionally been a strong market for Fiat. At the time, I wondered about the history of that relationship, and now I know.
Hi , if you like to discover umpublished carmaker`s alliances, see once domestic AMC Kaiser in Argentina produced a strange bulky Alfa Romeo around 1958 under the Italian`s license ,with the name Ika Bergantin , that just looked a fat Renault Dauphine but was a true Alfa Romeo disguised in Kaiser`s brand .
As an Alfisti, you’re article was like a trip back in time, and a history lesson all in one.
Great insight, about some Alfa history going on in South America. I knew Alfa Romeo made diesel engines and cars… but never knew about their commercial truck line in works with FNM.
Nice work, Rubens.
The 2300 might not have been the prettiest thing under the sun, but in 1974 it was the best car made in Brazil, with all round disk brakes, 5 speed and a 100 liter fuel tank, or at least that’s what the press said, but I believe they were right, I remember riding in it and the “feel” was of an “imported from Europe” automobile, nervous and tight.
The 2000 was indeed prettier, and I never quite understood why it sold in such small numbers in Italy, where it’s basically forgotten. I find the wheel covers especially appealing, among the nicest ever, very unusual and elegant.
Thank you so much for this article, Rubens. As a former (and son of an) alfisti, its great to have this part of the serpent’s lair explained.
I saw a pic of a FNM once and couldnt figure out what it was so that mystery is cleared up, nice to hear they were good.
Never knew Alfa Romeo made trucks
Fantastic article Rubens; I knew nothing about FNM, or Alfa trucks but now I feel much more enlightened!
Excellent article!
The front and back of the JK sedan look a LOT like the Willys Itamaraty from the same years. They’re clearly not the same car, but someone must have been (ahem) ‘admiring’ someone else’s work. Both started in Brazil in 1960 but the Alfa 2000 was already made in Italy in 1957. So Willys must have been the ‘admirer’.
The Itamaraty appeared first in 1966, and it’s underpinnings were the Aeros from the early fifties; it was a much taller and bulkier car.
It’s pretty common to mistake these two cars. A couple months ago, one of our associates came to me and said: “Rubens, I found a JK with “For sale” sign on it.
We rushed there in hope for a good bargain, but the car was an Aero Willys
Thank you, Rubens. I really enjoyed reading the article. I’d love either of those sedans today – is there a local parts industry supporting these or were the numbers produced just too small to warrant it?. I also wonder about the invisibility of the 2000, 2600 and Six sedans these days.
The production numbers for the Alfas were too small to create a restoration parts industry. In other hand, we have like a dozen really good “hard to find parts” dealers. With a little patient and a lot of money, one can have a preety good Alfa now a days.
Loved the article and pictures of the cars.
FMN’s emblem has what looks like a king slinging a baby on the upper right. I’m sure that’s not what it is, but the badge itself is fascinating, just like the cars.
Ha! I hadn’t seen that the first time, but you’re right. I assume it’s a dragon bisected by the script, breathing fire, but the portion above the script does look *just* like a baby-slinging king. Good find.
It’s derived from the Alfa logo. It’s a snake eating a man. Tasteful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscione
In a country of so few haves and so many have nots, it seems odd to me that Brasil would build such a high end car. To use so many resources to do so would seem to risk alienating the masses of people from it. Then to tie it directly to a politician seems almost suicidal.
The Alfa really was an advanced vehicle. It is too bad FNM didn’t develop it on it’s own into something unique. The 2.0 liter executive class came on strong around Europe in the early sixties among a new generation who wanted a new take on luxury from what their fathers drove. One could imagine such a thing happening around the modern architecture of Brasilia. Embraer eventually became an independent player in small planes worldwide by learning from license production, it is a shame nothing similar happened at FNM.
Thanks for the informative write-up.
“In a country of so few haves and so many have nots, it seems odd to me that Brasil would build such a high end car. To use so many resources to do so would seem to risk alienating the masses of people from it. Then to tie it directly to a politician seems almost suicidal.”
Exactly. That’s a perfect description of Brazilian ways to do things. The odd nation, the “could have been world player”…
“could have been a world player”
It is literally becoming that with the recent World Cup and the upcoming Olympics. Brazil has come a long way since 1960, with a growing middle class. Who knew that journey was traveled in some cool old Alfas.
Since you mention the World Cup, 7 x 1 was very symptomatic indeed!
Fascinating, and all new to me!
I enjoyed the story very much. It could use some proofreading, editors – I’m guessing Brother LaHood is on hiatus?
More stories from South America would be great. It’s interesting to see US and European makers mixing it up in a very different market from the US.
Great coverage on a subject of which i know little. Two fun facts :
The first FNM truck was a license-built Isotta Fraschini D80, which IIRC was itself a license-built MAN truck (the engine was for sure, but i think even the rest of the truck was. I can’t find it now, but i remember seeing a picture of an identical Man truck.) it’s also interesting to note that Isotta Fraschini was once one of those super-luxury brands that competed with Rolls-Royce, Duesenberg and Hispano-Suiza. In fact, they were the first to offer a straight-eight engine, a synchronized transmission and four-wheel brakes on a production car. When demand for this kind of vehicles tanked, they switched over to trucks and aero, industrial and marine engines to survive.
A batch of around 1000 Alfa 2300s was “silently” imported in Europe by the german Alfa Romeo importer, who tried to sell them in a few markets (Germany and the Netherlands for sure, maybe others) as the Alfa Romeo 2300 Rio. For some reason (low demand ? internal conflicts ? who knows), the cars sat for four years in a railway yard, exposed to the elements, before finding a new owner. They are now highly sought after by the kind of Alfa collector who already has one of everything. Here’s one shown during the Alfa Romeo centenary exhibition :
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4077/4798053499_458b33502a_b.jpg
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4142/4798684542_cc91d940b4_b.jpg
That 2300 Rio should be part of the stunning Alfa Blue Team private collection.
But for the general public it was a “known fact” that the 2300 was being exported to Europe, because an advertising campaign on television – it showed it being driven on winding roads in Bavaria and what else…I did see one in Berlin around 1985. Compared to what was being offered in Brazil at that time, the 2300 was a class in itself – the Galaxie/Landau getting already long on its tooth, same could be said of Darts and Opalas, but the 2300 looked fresh and convincing.
Love those early 2000’s with the tall grille. It looks the most elegant that way–after the center grille was cut down, the look is more common. Still an attractive car for the whole run though. Nice history of the manufacturer also!
Great write up. I never get bored reading about Brazil’s alternate universe auto industry. There’s been lots of information about VW’s, but this is the first I have read about Brazil built Alfa’s.
Interesting read and great pictures !
The white Fiat 190H tractor is wearing the wide i-badge. For Iveco, founded in 1975. These days Iveco is one of the world’s leading van-, truck- and bus builders. Fiat was by far the biggest and also the leading company in the Fiat/OM/Unic/Lancia/Magirus-Deutz merger, what would become Iveco.
Here’s another renowned name with the i-badge on the grille, a Magirus-Deutz 4×2 tractor. It clearly has the same (sleeper) cab as the Fiat above.
Later on all trucks were simply called Iveco, without mentioning the truck makers of yore.
Thanks for this fascinating article. This information is all new to me, and I took the liberty of sharing it to facebook – I have friends there both in the US and Europe who are truckers and truck fans.
Pedant’s Corner – isn’t “Alfisti” plural?
I ask this as someone who has had to listen to bitter complaints from Italians forced to buy a single “panini” in the UK.
Yep. Singular : Alfista, plural : Alfisti.
No mistaking the early trucks with the huge F N M letters on the grille 🙂
Stunning beauty in the white skirt. All Alfas are beautiful, the one she’s leaning on is no exception. Just of matter of time and place. What dreams are made of.
Heard there were actually plans between Alfa Romeo and Brazil for the latter to receive locally built verisons of the Alfa Romeo Alfasud.