Coachbult.com - DINA - Diesel Nacional



DINA - Diesel Nacional - 1957-present - Ciudad Sahagun, Mexico 1975-present - Monterrey, Mexico

The name DINA stands for Diesel Nacional, a company owned by the Mexican government. Diesel Nacional not only builds trucks, but automobiles, buses, & tractors as well. The company recently purchased a 60 per cent interest in Motores Perkins, a manufacturer of diesel engines. This move gave DINA a virtual monoply of diesel engine manufacturing in Mexico.

DINA began manufacturing trucks in the late 1950's at a new factory in Ciudad Sahagun. The original DINA trucks used a body based on the American Diamond T truck. In addition to this model, many new models have been introduced in the past few years. Until recently, DINA has concentrated their commercial efforts in the line of heavy duty trucks and buses. In the field of buses, they control 65 per. cent of the Mexican market. Their heavy duty trucks account for almost 50 per cent of the Mexican market.

In 1975 DINA entered the fast growing market for smaller pickup trucks. These new pickup trucks were introduced as 1000 and 3000 models, based on International designs. The 1000 model was a 1 ton model, and the 3000 model was capable of carrying 3 tons. These new pickups became extremely popular in a short time. Many luxury options were available to dress up the pickup line. The new DINA 1000 & 3000 series are built in the northern city of Monterrey; they converted the bankrupt Borgward car factory for the exclusive production of the 1000-3000 series. This factory had been vacant since 1971, although it was only three years old at that time. DINA also received the contract to build all of Mexico City's new buses. These buses are totally designed and built by DINA and are ultra modern by current standards. DINA also received a contract to build subway cars 'for Mexico City's modern "Metro". All in all, DINA has expanded rapidly and continues to take a large share of the commercial vehicle market. Being government owned, they receive favorable treatment from all sectors of business.

For more information please read:

Ed Strauss & Karen Strauss - The Bus World Encyclopedia of Buses

G.N. Georgano & G. Marshall Naul - The Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles

Albert Mroz - Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Trucks & Commercial Vehicles

Donald F. Wood - American Buses

Denis Miller - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trucks and Buses

Susan Meikle Mandell - A Historical Survey of Transit Buses in the United States

David Jacobs - American Buses, Greyhound, Trailways and Urban Transportation

William A. Luke & Linda L. Metler - Highway Buses of the 20th Century: A Photo Gallery

William A. Luke & Brian Grams - Buses of Motorcoach Industries 1932-2000 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Greyhound Buses 1914-2000 Photo Archive

William A. Luke - Prevost Buses 1924-2002 Photo Archive