Renault Geely do Brasil

Renault Geely do Brasil (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ʁeˈno d͡ʒiˈli du bɾaˈziw]), formerly Renault do Brasil or Renault do Brasil Automoveis, is the Brazilian subsidiary of the French car manufacturer Renault and Chinese manufacturer Geely. It was established in 1997, and is Brazil's fifth largest automaker by sales. In 2012, Brazil was the second largest market for Renault.

History

Renault has been present in Brazil since the 1960s, initially through a partnership with the American company Willys Overland, which produced under license cars of the French automaker. At the end of 1961, Willys introduced the Interlagos, a copy of the Alpine A110, producing also other models, like the Dauphine and the Dauphine Gordini, until 1968. That year Willys Overland sold its operations to Ford do Brasil, which inherited the "project M". This project, developed by the Renault and Willys partnership, resulted in the launch of the Ford Corcel, a car whose style can be considered, roughly, an Americanized version of the Renault 12 with a CH1 engine.

In the 1970s, Brazil ended car imports and Renault did not return until 1992, when the company's Argentinean and Brazilian operations were taken by the holding company COFAL SA. In 1997, Renault retook the control of its operations in Argentina and Brazil. In Brazil, Renault formed the subsidiary Renault do Brasil Automoveis. In 1998, it opened the Ayrton Senna manufacturing complex in São José dos Pinhais, Curitiba.