Renault Argentina S.A.

A Clio model in front of the Renault Argentina factory in Santa Isabel, Córdoba
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor	IKA
Founded	1975; 51 years ago (1975)
Headquarters	Buenos Aires , Argentina[1]
Area served	Argentina
Key people	Pablo Sibilia (CEO)[2][3]
Products	Automobiles,vans,pickup trucks
Revenue	ARS12.9billion (2012)[4]
Total assets	ARS4.9 billion (2012)[4]
Owner	Renault SAS (96.33%) RDIC (3.67%)
Number of employees	3,656 (2012)[4]
Parent	Renault
Subsidiaries	Centro Automotores S.A. and Centro del Norte S.A. (car dealerships) Plan Rombo S.A. and Courtage S.A. (automotive financing)[4]
Website	renault.com.ar

Renault Argentina is the Argentinesubsidiary of the French car manufacturerRenault.^[1] It is one of the oldest Renault operations in the world and is ranked consistently in first place by sales between the local automakers.Renault Argentina was officially established in 1975, but the French company had a long presence in Argentina before that.^[5]

Renault partnered with Industrias Kaiser Argentina, a company created byKaiser-Frazer Automobile Corporation and the Argentine government, which had a factory inSanta Isabel,Córdoba and a network of smaller factories around the country. In 1967, Renault took control of Industrias Kaiser Argentina by acquiring a majority stake, renaming itIKA Renault SAICF. In 1970, Renault purchased the remaining company's shares, introducing in 1971 theRenault 12, which would become one of its most popular cars in the Argentine market with more than 444,000 units produced.^[6][7] That car was manufactured in the country until 1994.^[8]

In 1975, the French automaker renamed its operations again, this time as "Renault Argentina S.A." The firm remained in the Santa Isabel factory that had belonged to IKA.^[9]

During the next years, Renault launched a series of successful Argentine-built models such as theRenault 18 and theRenault 11,^[9] but at the end of the 1980s it was hit by the country's economic crisis. Renault Argentina was manufacturing 70 vehicles per day with an installed capacity up to 400 and it had an aged, overly large workforce.^[10] The French parent company decided to divest from its Argentine operations.^[9]

WhenCarlos Saúl Menem assumed the Argentine presidency, the markets were opened and Renault ceased many of its minor operations in Argentina, improving its economic situation. In 1992, the entrepreneur Manuel Antelo agreed the purchase of a majority stake in Renault Argentina. According to some journalists, the terms of this agreement were very advantageous for Antelo. He only had to pay if the company made profits and also received ARS100 million from Renault. Renault Argentina was renamedCompañia Interamericana de Automóviles SA (American Automobile Company) or CIADEA, S.A. The actual ownership of it was transferred to a holding calledCompagnie Financière pour l'Amérique Latine (Financial Company for Latin America) or Cofal, from which Antelo owned two-thirds and the rest was from Renault of France. The holding also took control of the newly established Brazilian operations. Cofal in turn only held 72.3% of CIADEA. The remaining shares were listed on the Buenos Aires stock exchange.^[11]

Antelo reorganized the corporate structure, fired workers and installed facility improvements,^[10] bringing the level of quality to that of the Renault factories in France.^[12] The company introduced the Renault 19 and Renault 9 and became one of the leading automakers.^[9]

In 1994 the Argentine courts began proceedings against Antelo allegingsmuggling anddefrauding due to a complaint by the Dirección General de Aduanas (NationalCustoms Administration), which accused him of making fraudulent imports and exports of vehicles. The move was related to the exportation of auto parts to Uruguay before returning it to Argentina asRenault Trafic units.

According to the charges, these operations allowed CIADEA to improperly collect exportation refunds and exemption taxes for imported vehicles.^[13] In April 1998, the Federal Court dismissed the accusations to Antelo. The Federal Court of Appeal reversed the judgment ordering again prosecutions. In August 2000, a court set a bail of ARS1 million to Antelo and exempted him from going to prison. In February 2006, the case was dismissed.^[14]

In spite of the introduction of theClio and theMégane, CIADEA struggled to achieve profitability in the 1990s. In 1997, Antelo sold a majority stake of Cofal to Renault.^[15] CIADEA was called again Renault Argentina.^[10] The company had mixed results during the next years.^[9] From 2001 to 2010, Renault Argentina was in charge ofNissan sales in Argentina.^[14]

In 2005, Renault ordered to its stock operations company, Renault Développement Industriel et Commercial (RDIC), to launch a takeover bid for its shares, leaving the stock exchange in 2006.^[16]

In 2018, the Santa Isabel factory started to produce in Argentina theFrontierpickup, as part of the globalRenault-Nissan alliance that began in March 1999.^[17][18] Production required an investment of US$600 million, and 50% of the production would be exported. Despite being produced at Renault factory, the pickup kept its original name and brand.^[19]

Two years later Renault Argentina started to manufacture its own pickup model, theAlaskan. This model shared platform and engine (and most components)^[20] with the Nissan Frontier.^[21][22] Both pickups have been produced in the Santa Isabel factory.^[23]

The Santa Isabel factory is located 10 kilometers away fromCórdoba province'scapital, in a land area of 238.5 hectares, within which the building covers approximately 400,000 square meters. This industrial facility is divided into several workshops: Drawing and Welding Department, stamping, Assembly Department and Painting Department, supported by the Departments of Industrial Logistics, Engineering and Quality, all dependents on the factory's management. It also has Departments of Human Resources, Logistic, Financial Management, Business, among others.

In 2006, the 50th anniversary of its inauguration, Renault organised a commemorative parade where participated all the vehicles produced at the plant since 1956.^[5]

List of vehicles by the company (models previously produced byIndustrias Kaiser Argentina only count since 1975 then "Renault Argentina" was established)

Name	Type	Origin	Produced	Image
Kangoo[n1 1]	Van	FRA	1999–present
Logan[n1 2]	Subcompact	ROM	2016–present[24][25]
Sandero	Subcompact	ROM	2016–present[24]
Stepway[n1 3]	Crossover	ROM	2019–present[25]
Renault Alaskan[n1 4]	Pickup truck	JPN	2020–present

Name	Type	Origin	Produced	Image
4[n1 5]	Economy / Van	FRA	1975–86
Torino[n1 6]	Mid-size	USA ARG	1969–81
6[n1 5]	C-segment	FRA	1975–84
12[n1 5]	Mid-size / Station wagon	FRA	1970–93
18	D-segment / Station wagon	FRA	1981–93
Fuego	Sport compact	FRA	1982–91
11	C-segment	FRA	1984–93
Trafic	Van	FRA	1986–2002
9	C-segment	FRA	1987–96
21	D-segment	FRA	1988–97
19	C-segment	FRA	1992–99
Mégane	C-segment	FRA	1997–2008
Clio	B-segment	FRA	1996–2016
Symbol	Subcompact	FRA	2008–13[28]
Fluence	Sedan	FRA	2010–18

Notes

• Duster (2011–present)^{[n2 1]}
• Duster Oroch
• Kwid
• Koleos
• Twingo
• 5
• 30
• 25
• Captur

Notes

Renault Argentina manages a sporting division called Renault Sport Argentina. The division participates in Super TC2000, TC2000, Turismo Nacional and organises the local Formula Renault championship.^[30] In TC2000, Renault achieved a great success with the Argentine-builtRenault Fuego during the 1980s and 1990s.^[31] Renault Sport Argentina also formed the Renault Duster Team to participate at the 2013Dakar Rally with two units.^[32]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRenault Argentina.

• Official website

• Argentine subsidiaries of foreign companies
• Manufacturing companies based in Buenos Aires
• Car manufacturers of Argentina
• Renault

• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• CS1 French-language sources (fr)
• CS1 Brazilian Portuguese-language sources (pt-br)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Commons category link from Wikidata