Sevel Argentina
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Motor vehicles |
| Founded | December 1, 1980 |
| Founder | Jean Paul Parayre & Umberto Agnelli |
| Headquarters | El Palomar, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Sevel Argentina was an automobile company that produced and marketed Fiat, Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, and Citroën automobiles for the Argentinian market until it was dissolved in 1999. The company was created by merging Fiat's and Peugeot's Argentinian operations (SAFRAR and Fiat Concord).
In Europe, Fiat and PSA began a 50/50 joint venture 1978 under the name of Sevel (from Société Européenne de Véhicules Légers or Società Europea Veicoli Leggeri). Two factories, Sevel Sud in Italy and Sevel Nord in France, still produce commercials and MPVs.
The Argentinian manufacturers of Peugeots (SAFRAR, Sociedad Anónima Franco Argentina de Automotores CIF) and Fiats (FIAT Concord S.A.) then merged in December 1980, in response to law No Nº 21.932 ordering the restructuring of the Argentinian automotive industry. The new company formed was also called Sevel, but here the versatile acronym stood for Sociedad Europea de Vehículos para Latinoamérica (European Company for making Vehicles for Latin America).
As part of the rationalization effort, production of passenger vehicles was to take place in Fiat's large El Palomar plant, while commercials, tractors, vans, and heavy vehicles were to be built in Fiat's factory in Ferreyra, Córdoba province. Peugeot's Berazategui (in Buenos Aires) factory was decommissioned and production transferred to El Palomar, but increasing market demand in 1993 meant this plant was reopened.
In September 1981, Peugeot withdrew and the Fiat Group assumed control. Fiat and Peugeot of Argentina separated in 1995, but Sevel kept building the existing products. Fiat, in anticipation of the 1997 end of Sevel's license, built a brand new plant for production of the new Siena. As Fiat's Argentinian operations gradually became autonomous, Sevel moved their entire production to their El Palomar plant. In 1999, PSA took over Peugeot/Citroën production under the name of Peugeot-Citroën de Argentina.
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