The DINA Avante was the coach that took over from the Olímpico in 1987. It was launched as the D-350 G-7, was based on the Eagle 15, and adapted some of the features of Flxible bodies, the American design that DINA had been building under licence since 1961.
DINA Avante at a glance
| Maker | DINA (Diesel Nacional), Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo |
|---|---|
| Launched | 1987 |
| Original designation | D-350 G-7 |
| Base model | Eagle 15 |
| Body influence | Flxible |
| Later versions | Dina Dorado and Avante Plus |
| Predecessor | DINA Olímpico (323 G1 and G2) |
| Owner from 1989 | Grupo Empresarial G |
| Engines from 1991 | Navistar DTA-360 and DTA-466 |
The Avante and the Dorado have no articles of their own; they are described in the English and Spanish Wikipedia articles on DINA, and this page is based on that company history (one source).
History of the DINA Avante
By the middle of the 1980s the Olímpico had been on sale for more than twenty years, and DINA needed a new intercity coach. The answer came in 1987 with the D-350 G-7, which took the DINA Avante name. The design was based on the Eagle 15, a American coach shell, with some features of the Flxible bodies that DINA knew well from its licensed 311 and 323 models.
The Avante was not a single model but the start of a small family. The company history records that other variations of the same design were released later, the Dina Dorado and the Avante Plus. The Dorado became a familiar name in Mexican coach fleets in its own right, while the Avante Plus added a further version of the same body.
The Avante arrived at a difficult moment for the maker. In 1987 DINA also signed a technological alliance with Navistar International, and two years later the company was acquired by the Consortium G Group, ending its years as a state-owned enterprise. Navistar engines continued to be used, and in 1991 DINA introduced the Navistar DTA-360 and DTA-466 engines to both its truck and bus ranges, so the Avante family carried the company into its private era.
Design and features
- Eagle 15 base: the coach was developed around an American high-deck shell rather than a clean-sheet design.
- Flxible cues: body features from the Flxible buses DINA had built under licence were carried over.
- Model family: the Avante gave rise to the Dorado and Avante Plus versions.
- Navistar power: from 1991 the range used Navistar DTA-360 and DTA-466 engines.
DINA Avante versions
- D-350 G-7 / Avante: the original 1987 coach.
- Dina Dorado: a later variation of the same model, sold as a separate name.
- Avante Plus: the further version of the Avante body.
- Avante with Navistar engines: the 1991 specification with DTA-360 and DTA-466 power.
The Avante replaced the DINA Olímpico, and the later Marcopolo-based coaches are described in the DINA Viaggio article. More vehicles from the maker are in the DINA collection.
Sources
- DINA S.A., English Wikipedia: launch, Eagle 15 base, versions, engines
- Diesel Nacional, Spanish Wikipedia: dates, Dorado and Avante Plus, ownership
