The DINA Paradiso was one of two coach models that DINA built with Marcopolo of Brazil from 1992. The arrangement gave the Mexican firm a modern long-distance body at a time when its own production capacity was fully committed, and the coach was exported from 1993.
DINA Paradiso at a glance
| Maker | DINA (Diesel Nacional), Ciudad Sahagún, Hidalgo |
|---|---|
| Partner | Marcopolo S.A., Brazil |
| Agreement signed | 1992 |
| Term | ten years |
| Models covered | Marcopolo Paradiso and Viaggio |
| Market | Mexico |
| Exports | from 1993 to Central and South America |
| Body type | long-distance coach |
| Related model | DINA Viaggio |
The Paradiso has no article of its own; it is 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 Paradiso
The early 1990s were a period of change for DINA. The company had passed into private ownership, and in 1991 it introduced Navistar DTA-360 and DTA-466 engines to its truck and bus ranges. Demand for new buses soon exceeded what the Sahagún plant could build, so in 1992 DINA turned to a commercial and technological agreement with Marcopolo S.A., then the leading bus builder in South America.
Under the agreement Marcopolo supplied buses in semi-knocked-down form, together with the know-how needed to meet the new orders. The result was the manufacture of bodies for the Marcopolo Paradiso and Viaggio models for the Mexican market, with a term of ten years. For DINA this meant a modern coach body without developing one in-house, and for Marcopolo it opened the Mexican market.
The arrangement worked well enough to travel. In 1993 DINA began exporting the Paradiso and Viaggio, built in Mexico, to Central and South America. The two names stayed in the DINA range for the rest of the decade, and by then the company was also assembling trucks in Argentina through its DIMEX subsidiary.
Design and features
- Marcopolo body: the coach used a Brazilian long-distance body design rather than a DINA design.
- Semi-knocked-down supply: Marcopolo delivered bodies and technology for local assembly.
- Ten-year term: the 1992 agreement covered a decade of production for Mexico.
- Export model: from 1993 the Mexican-built coaches were sold in Central and South America.
DINA Paradiso versions
- DINA Paradiso: the coach model described here.
- DINA Viaggio: the sister body covered by the same agreement.
- Export specification: coaches built for Central and South American markets from 1993.
The Paradiso shared its agreement with the DINA Viaggio, and the earlier coaches from the maker are in the DINA Avante article. More vehicles are in the DINA collection.
Video: DINA Paradiso coach on sale
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- DINA S.A., English Wikipedia: Marcopolo agreement, models, exports
- Diesel Nacional, Spanish Wikipedia: dates, semi-knocked-down supply
