Bravia (automobile)

Bravia–Sociedade Luso-Brasileira de Veículos e Equipamentos, S.A.R.L was a Portuguese vehicle manufacturer. Founded in 1967 by Portuguese Army major João Donas-Botto.

History

In 1967, Portugal tried to acquire military vehicles from the United States, but was denied due to Portugal's intentions of using those outside of NATO's intentions. Looking for an alternative, Minister of the Army Joaquim da Luz Cunha contacted major João Donas-Botto with the intention of producing an alternative. After travelling to the US and meeting with contacts, Donas-Botto founded Bravia SARL.[1]

The Portuguese Estado Novo illegally acquired a V-100 Commando and Donas-Botto brought two Cadillac employees with schematics of the vehicle. With this technical knowledge, Bravia produced its best known product, the wheeled APC Bravia Chaimite.[2][3] The first models would be built in Belém, Lisbon, with hulls being made by Sorefame, and later at Bravia's new factory at Samora Correia.[4]

In 1970, Bravia gets its first export contract by supplying Chaimite APCs to Peru, also managing to sell the military trucks Leopardo 6x6 to the country in 1972. In the same year, Bravia offers both the Leopardo 6x6 and the light vehicle Gazela 4x4 to the Portuguese Army, but eventually the company reacquired those for sale in the civilian market. They also produced the Comando MKIII Armoured Car with the intention of selling it to the National Republican Guard, but these plans fell through with the acquisition of 34 Shorland armoured cars from Northern Ireland.[5] The two prototypes of the Comando still exist.[6]

In the 1980s, despite selling Chaimites to Lebanon in the 1980s and later to Libya and the Philippines, the financial situation of Bravia worsened. In 1985, Portugal chose Cadillac-Gage to modernize its Chaimites instead of Bravia. In 1987, the company entered a Bankruptcy process. The remaining materials from Bravia were taken by the Portuguese Army's OGMEs (General Workshops of Engineering Materials)[5]

Vehicle Models

  • Bravia Elefante 6X6
  • Bravia Leopardo 6X6
  • Bravia Gazela 4X4
  • Bravia Pantera 6X6
  • Bravia Tigre 6X6
  • Bravia Kaiser Jeep M-201 4X4
  • Bravia Comando MK III Armoured Car 4X4
  • Bravia Chaimite Armoured Personnel Carrier 4X4

See also

References

  1. ^ "CHAIMITE V-200 (Parte I) | Operacional" (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  2. ^ Lourenço, Nuno Sá (2014-04-19). "Pensada para a guerra, testada na revolução, esmifrada na paz". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  3. ^ Rodrigues, César (November 2020). "MADE IN PORTUGAL: THE PORTUGUESE DEFENCE INDUSTRY DURING THE COLONIAL WAR (1961-1974)". Revista de Ciências Militares. 8 (2): 104–105 – via Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal.
  4. ^ "Pinhal Novo já instalou Chaimite como monumento ao 25 de Abril - O Setubalense" (in European Portuguese). 2017-04-23. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  5. ^ a b "CHAIMITE V-200 (Parte II - Conclusão) | Operacional" (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  6. ^ ""SHORLAND" DA GUARDA NACIONAL REPUBLICANA & "COMANDO" BRAVIA | Operacional" (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  • Christopher F. Foss, Jane's Tank & Combat Vehicle recognition guide, HarperCollins Publishers, London 2002. ISBN 0-00-712759-6
  • Denis Miller, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trucks and Buses, New Burlington Books, London 1982.
  • Pedro Manuel Monteiro, Berliet, Chaimite e UMM – Os Grandes Veículos Militares Nacionais, Contra a Corrente, Lda., Lisboa 2018. ISBN 9789899901261 (in Portuguese)
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