| Troller Veículos Especiais | |
| Type: | Subsidiary |
| Foundation: | 1995 |
| Founder: | Charlie Guth de Grange |
| Location: | Horizonte, Ceará, Brazil |
| Area Served: | Latin America and Caribbean |
| Key People: | Rogério Farias,[1] Mário Araújo Alencar Araripe, Demetrio Fleck (General Manager), Lyle Watters (President and CEO) |
| Industry: | Automotive |
| Products: | Troller T4 |
| Num Employees: | 470 (January, 2021) |
| Parent: | Ford Brasil (2007–2021) |
| Owner: | Ford |
Troller Veículos Especiais S/A (Troller) was a Brazilian off-road vehicle manufacturer. Founded in 1995 in Horizonte, Ceará, it became a subsidiary of Ford in 2007.[2] The Troller T4 was a flagship vehicle, which had featured successfully in several rally races around the world, including the Dakar Rally
The name Troller is a Brazilian adaptation of the English word Troll, which refers to a character of the Scandinavian legends that dwells forests and caves of Norway.[3]
Troller started in 1995, by Rogério Farias. In April 1996, the first prototype was built.[4]
In 1997, the company was bought by the entrepreneur Mário Araripe, who formed a partnership with Rogério Farias; the first gasoline-powered T4 was built.[5] The mass-production of the vehicle started in 1999, when a factory was built in the municipality of Horizonte.
In 2005, a manufacturing plant opened in Angola to build the T4 for the African market.[6] In January 2007, Ford do Brasil announced Troller's acquisition for .[2] [7]
On 14 December 2009, a Troller made the news when it cleared São Paulo's flooded streets during a news broadcast, at the time, the company played along and tried to find the driver. The T4 received a redesign in 2014.
The Troller plant in Horizonte was closed by the end of 2021, with Ford ending all its production in Brazil.[8] [9] The brand and the Technology was not put for sale, just the industrial complex which comprises a land of 120142abbr=onNaNabbr=on with 21736abbr=onNaNabbr=on of floor area. The special tax regime, valid until 2025, would also be linked to the factory.
The state owned company expropriated the 129,000 m² of land that was for sale and seems to re-assemble electric hybrid vehicles, six models from three brands, starting in 2025. The investment of R$ 400 million would be for the first phase 255 direct employees. The Plant where the assembly is planned in Horizonte was ceded by Adece to Comexport under a loan-for-use arrangement, where 3 years ago was ex Troller of ex Ford, meaning the forests behind with a total land of 550 000 m² is to be devasted near the water supply.[10]