The Tramagal plant celebrates its 50th anniversary, produced more than 200,000 vehicles

The Tramagal plant is commemorating its eventful 50-year history, during which it has produced more than 200,000 vehicles. Today the plant is Fuso's backbone in Europe. In a ceremony attended by Pedro Passos Coelho, the Prime Minister of Portugal,
representatives of Daimler AG and the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), marked the 50th anniversary of the Tramagal plant and honored the facility as the central production location for the international best-seller Fuso Canter in Europe.

"The Tramagal plant is an outstanding example of Daimler Trucks' international footprint. The Portuguese colleagues cooperate very closely with their partner plants in Japan and India. This exemplifies the successful cooperation between Europe and Asia. Thank you very much for this outstanding performance," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG with responsibility for Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses.

"For decades, the employees in Tramagal have shown continued commitment to the plant. In a quite literal sense, the production of our flagship Fuso Canter is in good hands," added Dr. Albert Kirchmann, Head of Daimler Trucks Asia and President and CEO of MFTBC.

Being an important employer in Portugal, Daimler Trucks is aware of its social responsibility towards the region's people. Together with Dr. Bernhard and Dr. Kirchmann, Jorge Rosa, Head of the Tramagal plant, presented a Fuso Canter to the non-profit organization CRIA, which helps handicapped children and families in Portugal.

The Tramagal plant was founded in 1964 as a joint-venture of the family-run Portuguese firm Duarte Ferreira and the former French truck manufacturer Berliet. The plant began with CKD assembly (Completely Knocked Down) for Mitsubishi Fuso in 1980. In the following years, the Tramagal plant assembled the Fuso Canter light-duty truck for the Portuguese market, as well as the medium-duty Fighter truck, the Mitsubishi L 200 pickup truck, the L 300 van, and the Pajero SUV. Ten years later, the business was acquired by the Portuguese import company Mitsubishi Motors Portugal (MMP). In 1996, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation took over the plant and decided to focus production on the Fuso Canter. It became part of Daimler AG in 2004 after the automaker acquired the majority share of Mitsubishi Fuso.

50 years of the Tramagal plant
1964: CKD assembly of the French Berliet truck begins
1980: Cooperation with Mitsubishi Fuso begins; CKD assembly of SUVs, vans, pickup trucks, and the Fuso Canter light truck
1990: The plant is acquired by the Portuguese import company Mitsubishi Motors Portugal (MMP)
1996: The plant is acquired by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation; assembly operations are concentrated on the Fuso Canter
2004: Daimler AG acquires the majority share of Mitsubishi Fuso
2011: Launch of the current eighth generation of the Fuso Canter
2012: Series production of the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid begins
2013: Launch of the new Fuso Canter Euro VI, including the new version with a permissible gross vehicle weight of 8.55-t

Posted in: Assembly/Manufacturing Plant,Commercial Vehicle,Daimler,Dr. Albert Kirchmann,Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard,Europe,Fuso,Fuso Canter,Mitsubishi,Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation,Tramagal Plant,Truck