Kaiser industries Old cars from Argentina

Kaiser industries was an Argentinean based company organized with American capitals and head managers, developed by local working force. On January 19th 1955, Kaiser would become the first American capital automobile company production based in Argentina. IKA had been born. IKA was the monument to modernity within the auto industry in Argentina.

The fact that IKA was a joint venture of Argentine and American capitals and companies is one key factor to understanding and reconstructing this company’s history and products. The technological patents and model licenses beheld by the American executives must be considered as key factors to understanding the modernity of the products offered by this company as well as the resemblance with some of the most successful and massive American vehicles that can be found to be produced in Argentina under different model names or even with several slight alterations regarding the original standards.

In this order of things we can point out the importance and success the Argentine version of the Willys Station Wagon, the worldly famous Estanciera truck. This vehicle together with the 1956 Jeep produced in Santa Isabel, were milestones for IKA’s production and penetration in the Argentine market. Specially designed for rural purposes, the Estanciera enters the market, an icon regarding goods delivery and long distance transport in which traditional automobile commodities and velocity converge with the dimensions requested by transportation companies for shipping the products. At the same time this outstanding vehicle was extremely suitable for the rocky Argentinean roads.

At that time Kasier industries in the States were the main owners of Jeep Willys, they had two different models in terms of propulsion system, a normal one and a small series with front differential and double traction. The post war Estanciera version of the Willys Station Wagon that had been created after the Second World War conceived for the American field was received in Argentina as a "luxury limousine type of car", big, comfortable, imponent… Of course this is a metaphoric way of describing the impact this vehicle had on the Argentine culture.

This IKA model jeep featured a "Tornado" engine motor. A model specially designed for utility vehicles. (which was to be redesigned and improved latter on to adapt it to the Argentine Torino model)

This interesting model was produced until 1970; throughout that short period and according to the statistic information available there were produced around 50,100 Estancieras.

If you are intersted in the Estanciera, and want more information, please email me, best wishes, Bob Frassinetti

Kaiser Industries Argentina
Old Cars only from Argentina