The Jeep Ebro is the Spanish branch of the Jeep story. Vehicles were built under licence by VIASA, Vehículos Industriales y Agrícolas, in Zaragoza; when Motor Ibérica absorbed that company the products were sold under the Viasa-Ebro or Ebro badge, and the Jeepster Commando became the Ebro Comando.
Jeep Ebro at a glance
| Brand | Ebro, of Motor Ibérica S.A. |
|---|---|
| Company formed | 1954, after the Ford factories in Spain were nationalised |
| Headquarters | Barcelona, from 1923 under Ford; Zona Franca from 1967 |
| Jeep production | VIASA, Zaragoza, under licence |
| Known Jeep model | Jeepster Commando, sold as the Ebro Comando |
| Badging | Viasa-Ebro or Ebro after the absorption |
| Range | off-roaders, vans, trucks, buses, tractors and construction machinery |
| Later owner | Nissan Motor Ibérica |
| Brand revived | 2023, as Ebro-EV Motors |
There is no English Wikipedia article on Ebro; this page is based on the Spanish one alone and covers the Spanish Jeeps rather than every Ebro product.
History of the Jeep Ebro
From Ford to Motor Ibérica
Ford opened its first Spanish agency in 1907 and founded a Spanish subsidiary in Cádiz in 1920; in 1923 the factory moved to Barcelona, and in 1929 the company was renamed Ford Motor Ibérica. The civil war stopped vehicle production and the works were bombed, and after the war import restrictions made manufacturing almost impossible: petrol was rationed, electricity was available for only part of the day and there were no tyres to sell. In 1953, with SEAT and FASA-Renault starting production under the regime’s patronage, Ford gave up its Spanish presence and sold its share in 1954; the fully nationalised company became Motor Ibérica S.A. and registered the Ebro brand for its tractors and trucks, named after the river as Ford’s Thames was named after its own.
Building Jeeps in Zaragoza
The Ebro range grew to cover off-road vehicles, vans, trucks, buses, agricultural machinery and construction equipment, and the group came to include AISA, Viasa, several foundries and sales companies abroad. VIASA, Vehículos Industriales y Agrícolas, built Jeep vehicles under licence in Zaragoza, among them the Jeepster Commando. Once Motor Ibérica absorbed the company, the vehicles were sold as Viasa-Ebro or simply Ebro, so the Commando became the Ebro Comando; the same process produced a long spell of badge engineering in which Jeeps were sold as Avia and Alfa Romeos as Ebro. The Barcelona business later became Nissan Motor Ibérica, the Spanish subsidiary of Nissan.
The brand today
Ebro as a car brand disappeared with the Nissan takeover, but the name was revived in 2023 as Ebro-EV Motors, which began assembling vehicles in November of the following year in cooperation with the Chinese maker Chery.
Design and features
- Licensed Jeeps: VIASA built Jeep vehicles in Zaragoza, including the Jeepster Commando.
- Ebro Comando: the Spanish name for the Jeepster Commando after the takeover.
- Badge engineering: the same vehicles were sold as Ebro, Viasa-Ebro and even Avia.
- Wide range: the brand covered trucks, vans, buses, tractors and construction machinery.
Jeep Ebro versions
- Viasa Jeep: Jeep vehicles assembled under licence in Zaragoza.
- Ebro Comando: the Jeepster Commando sold under the Ebro badge.
- Ebro trucks and tractors: the core of the range, from the Ebro 38 tractor of 1955 onwards.
- Ebro-EV Motors (2023–): the revived brand, assembling with Chery.
The Ebro Comando is the Spanish version of the Jeepster Commando; other licensed and local versions of Jeep models include the IKA Estanciera in Argentina. More models are in the Jeep collection.
Video: Jeep ebro viasa campeador 1979,
Video by Mexan Mx on YouTube.
Sources
- Ebro (Motor Ibérica), Spanish Wikipedia: company history, VIASA, Jeep production, Ebro Comando
