Amazonas Motos Especiais

Amazonas Motos Especiais, commonly known as Amazonas or AME, was a Brazilian manufacturer of motorcycles and, for a short period, automobiles and kit cars. The company began motorcycle production in 1978, operating plants in São Paulo and Manaus. Its emergence reflected the conditions of Brazil's vehicle market at the time, where import restrictions and limited access to purpose-built high-capacity motorcycle engines encouraged local manufacturers to adapt components already available in the country. Amazonas became best known for its large cruiser-style motorcycles. The principal model was the Amazonas 1600, a substantial machine powered by an air-cooled, four-cylinder boxer engine supplied by Volkswagen do Brasil. The use of a Volkswagen automotive engine gave the motorcycle an unusual mechanical identity and enabled the company to compete in a segment visually and conceptually similar to heavyweight American motorcycles, including Harley-Davidson-style cruisers. A sidecar option was added to the range in 1982. The company also exported motorcycles to the United States, Europe, and Japan, although its overall production remained very small by international motorcycle-industry standards. Ownership changed in 1986. From 1987, Amazonas expanded beyond motorcycles into automobiles and kit cars. At the São Paulo International Motor Show in March 1987, it presented a replica of the Porsche 550. The car used a tubular chassis, a fiberglass open body, and a rear-mid-mounted Volkswagen engine. Planned output was approximately 10 to 16 vehicles per month, with 1.6-, 1.8-, and 2.16-liter engine configurations mentioned in contemporary descriptions. The project was short-lived: production ended during 1987 after Porsche granted licensing rights to Chamonix NG Cars. Motorcycle and automobile production ended in 1988. Total historical output is generally described as approximately 700 motorcycles and only a few cars, making Amazonas a low-volume specialist manufacturer rather than a mass-market producer. The brand was later revived in 2006 with new motorcycle models developed in cooperation with China's Loncin Corporation, whose Brazilian operations were based in Manaus. The relaunch included smaller-displacement motorcycles and scooters, such as the Amazonas 250, Amazonas 110, Amazonas 125, and Amazonas 150. No motorcycle is reported to have left the assembly line after 2009. The end of the Loncin partnership was followed by the company's bankruptcy, and Amazonas subsequently became defunct. Its historical significance rests primarily on the Amazonas 1600 and its distinctive attempt to create a Brazilian heavyweight motorcycle from a locally available Volkswagen automotive powertrain. The brand is also remembered for its brief move into replica sports cars and for demonstrating the difficulties faced by small Brazilian vehicle manufacturers operating at low production volumes.

Amazonas Motos Especiais was established as a Brazilian vehicle manufacturer in 1978, initially concentrating on motorcycles. Production took place in São Paulo and Manaus, and the company exported vehicles beyond Brazil to the United States, Europe, and Japan. Its principal engineering concept was the use of an air-cooled, four-cylinder boxer engine from Volkswagen do Brasil. The 1,600 cc automotive engine was installed in a large motorcycle, creating an unusual combination of car-derived power and motorcycle packaging. The resulting Amazonas 1600 was the company's defining product. It belonged to the heavyweight cruiser tradition and was described as similar in general concept to Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but its Brazilian origin and Volkswagen powertrain gave it a distinctive identity. The motorcycle was produced from 1978 to 1988, and a sidecar option was offered from 1982. Despite its unusual design and export reach, Amazonas remained a small manufacturer; total historical production is estimated at approximately 700 motorcycles. A change of ownership occurred in 1986. Beginning in 1987, the company attempted to diversify into automobiles and kit cars. Its most notable automotive project was a replica of the Porsche 550, shown at the São Paulo International Motor Show in March 1987. The replica used a tubular frame, an open fiberglass body, and a Volkswagen engine mounted behind the seats in a mid-engine layout. Engines with displacements of 1.6, 1.8, and 2.16 liters were identified for the project, and planned output was reported at 10 to 16 cars per month. The model did not become an enduring production line: its manufacture ended in the same year after Porsche granted licensing rights to Chamonix NG Cars. Amazonas ended its original production activities in 1988. The company had produced only a few automobiles in addition to its motorcycles, leaving little evidence of a large-scale commercial operation. In 2006, the brand resumed activities with new products and a collaboration with Loncin Corporation of China. The revived range moved toward smaller motorcycles and scooters, including the Amazonas 250, Amazonas 110, Amazonas 125, and Amazonas 150. The models were associated with the company's Manaus operations and represented a substantially different market approach from the earlier Amazonas 1600. The revival was brief. No motorcycle is reported to have left the assembly line after 2009, following the end of the Loncin partnership. The company then went bankrupt and ceased operating. Amazonas is now chiefly significant as an example of Brazilian specialist vehicle manufacturing: its large Volkswagen-powered motorcycle addressed the country's demand for a heavyweight machine using locally accessible technology, while its short-lived automobile program illustrated the challenges of low-volume replica-car production. Exact details concerning the founders, senior management, ownership structure, factory capacity, sales, and precise bankruptcy date are not sufficiently established in the available reference material.

• 2009

  Motorcycle assembly stops

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  Motorcycle production reportedly stops after the Loncin partnership ends; the company later goes bankrupt.

• 2006

  Brand relaunch with Loncin

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  Amazonas resumes activities with new models developed in cooperation with Loncin Corporation in Manaus.

• 1988

  Original production ends

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  Production of motorcycles and automobiles ends after approximately 700 motorcycles and a few cars have been produced.

• 1987

  Porsche 550 replica presented

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  The company presents a Porsche 550 replica at the São Paulo International Motor Show, using a tubular frame, fiberglass body, and Volkswagen engine.

• 1986

  Ownership changes

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  Amazonas undergoes a change of ownership before expanding into automobiles and kit cars.

• 1982

  Sidecar introduced

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  A sidecar becomes available for the Amazonas motorcycle range.

• 1978

  Motorcycle production begins

  [1]Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org

  Amazonas begins motorcycle production at plants in São Paulo and Manaus, launching its locally manufactured heavyweight motorcycle program.

A Brazilian specialist manufacturer of locally produced heavyweight motorcycles and later low-volume automobiles, positioned around unusual large-capacity designs and adapted Volkswagen powertrains.

• Heavyweight cruiser motorcycle · 1978

  Amazonas 1600

  The Amazonas 1600 was the company's signature motorcycle and was produced from 1978 to 1988. It used a 1,600 cc, air-cooled, four-cylinder boxer engine from Volkswagen do Brasil rather than a conventional motorcycle engine. Its large dimensions and cruiser-oriented design placed it in a heavyweight category comparable in broad concept with Harley-Davidson-style motorcycles. A sidecar was available from 1982. The model remains the product most closely identified with Amazonas.

• Motorcycle · 2006

  Amazonas 250

  The Amazonas 250 was part of the smaller-displacement range introduced during the company's 2006 relaunch in cooperation with Loncin. It represented a move away from the earlier Volkswagen-powered heavyweight concept toward more conventional, accessible motorcycles for the Brazilian market. The model was produced during the revived operating period, which ended around 2009.

• Scooter · 2006

  Amazonas 110

  The Amazonas 110 was one of the compact two-wheeled models associated with the 2006 relaunch. It broadened the revived brand's range beyond heavyweight motorcycles and targeted the practical, small-displacement end of the market. Production ended when the post-relaunch operation ceased.

• Scooter · 2006

  Amazonas 125

  The Amazonas 125 was introduced as part of the company's smaller-displacement relaunch range developed with Loncin. It served as a compact urban-oriented offering and reflected the brand's attempt to re-enter the motorcycle market with products different from the original Amazonas 1600. It was discontinued with the end of the revived business.

• Scooter · 2008

  Amazonas 150

  The Amazonas 150 was added to the revived product family in 2008. Like the other later models, it was a smaller-displacement product associated with the Loncin collaboration rather than the original Volkswagen-powered engineering program. Its production did not continue beyond the company's final operating period.

• Kit car and replica automobile · 1987

  Porsche 550 replica

  Amazonas presented a Porsche 550 replica at the São Paulo International Motor Show in March 1987. The car used a tubular frame, an open fiberglass body, and a Volkswagen engine mounted behind the seats in a mid-engine configuration. Proposed engine displacements included 1.6, 1.8, and 2.16 liters. The project was short-lived and ended in 1987 after Porsche granted the relevant license to Chamonix NG Cars.

• 2006

  Relaunch through a Loncin collaborationStrategy

  Background

  After the original production period ended in 1988, Amazonas returned to the market with a new product strategy focused on smaller motorcycles and scooters.

  Action taken

  The company resumed activities in cooperation with China's Loncin Corporation and introduced models including the Amazonas 250, 110, 125, and later 150.

  Aftermath

  The partnership ended before 2009, after which motorcycle assembly stopped and the company went bankrupt.

  Source

• 1987

  Diversification into replica automobilesProduct launch

  Background

  After a change of ownership in 1986, Amazonas expanded beyond motorcycles as it sought to produce automobiles and kit cars.

  Action taken

  The company presented a Porsche 550 replica at the São Paulo International Motor Show, using a tubular chassis, fiberglass body, and Volkswagen engine.

  Aftermath

  The model's production ended later in 1987 after Porsche granted licensing rights to Chamonix NG Cars.

  Source

1. 1Amazonas Motos Especiaisen.wikipedia.org