Ebro trucks

Ebro trucks was a Spanish brand of light and medium trucks and buses, as well as all-wheel-drive utility vehicles and agricultural tractors, based in Barcelona, Madrid, Ávila and also Cordoba.

Ebro parent company, Motor Ibérica, was set up in 1954 to build British-designed Ford trucks under license, Ebro range being based on Ford's Thames Trader. During the late-1960s and early-1970s the company took over four Spanish light vehicle makers: Fadisa, (Alfa Romeo Romeo vans), Aisa (Avia trucks), Siata (SEAT car derived minivans), and es (various Jeep 4x4s and Forward Control utility vehicles), in addition to the Spanish branch of Perkins engines.

This resulted in a real frenzy of badge engineering, as one could see Avia-badged Jeeps, Ebro-badged Alfa-Romeos, and so on. Meanwhile, Ebro introduced tilt-cab Ford 'D'-Series derived models for loads of between l'/2 and 7 tons and gradually added new models until the range covered 2- and 3-axle rigids and articulated types from 3 to 27 tons capacity.

Ebro also entered the agricultural tractor market through a license agreement with Massey-Ferguson, which eventually led to the later becoming the controlling shareholder in Motor Ibérica.

In the 1980s, Ebro launched the 'E'-Series trucks range, comprising some six models from 3,500 to 11,200 kg gross, and the 'P'-Series for gross weights of 13,000 to 27,000 kg. The lighter Avia range also continued in production.

In 1979 Nissan Motors (not Nissan Diesel, the truck arm) had taken a 34% stake in Motor Ibérica, a stake which had increased to 53% by the autumn of 1982. Nissan then took complete control in 1987, following Spain's accession to the EEC. From then on the company was named Nissan Motor Ibérica. During a short period, Japanese Kubota tractors were assembled and marketed in Spain as Ebro-Kubota.

Following the Nissan takeover, a "badge slide" from Ebro to Nissan took place. This was not without surprising occurrences, such as Ebro-badged Nissan Patrols that were sold in some European countries.

Currently, Spanish Nissan trucks are produced in the Avila plant.

• EBRO 470 tractor in Syria.JPG

  Ebro 470 tractor

• Ebro 6067 (1).jpg

  Ebro 6067 tractor

• FurgonetaEBRO.jpg

  EBRO F-108

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  Ebro Jeep Comando

• EBRO C-153 (1966) 20140921 400.jpg

  Ebro C-153 truck

External links

• Spanish Nissan trucks webpage
• a webpage relating to an Ebro Comando, clone of the more-famous American Jeep Commando