IAME Justicialista

The Institec Justicialista was a line of cars produced by the government of Argentina via IAME (Industrias Aeronáuticas y Mecánicas del Estado) from 1954 to 1955 as an early attempt to form an Argentine automotive industry. It used a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout with a two-stroke two-cylinder engine derived from a German DKW design[1] and a conventional metal body. Due to the insistence of General Juan Domingo Perón to have a sports car version made,[2] a fiberglass two-seat version was available as a coupé or roadster, powered by a 1.5-liter air-cooled Porsche flat-four engine and a Porsche four-speed gearbox driving the front wheels.[3]

Institec Justicialista
Overview
ManufacturerIAME (Industrias Aeronáutica y Mecánicas del Estado)
Production1953–1955
AssemblyCórdoba, Argentina
Body and chassis
Body styleSedan
Coupé
Roadster
LayoutFront-engine, front-wheel-drive
RelatedRastrojero
Rastrojero Conosur
Dimensions
Wheelbase2400 mm
Length4295 mm
Curb weight850 kg

When General Perón was overthrown in 1955, the project was abandoned, leading to the gradual disappearance of the Justicialista. It was later briefly revived as the short lived Wartburg-powered Graciela. Overall, the line was sparingly produced and had few sales, but was considered important because of its symbolic value to Argentina.[4]

Development
Detail of the vehicle's rear, with a "Justicialista" badge and a shield representing the Peronist Party

Through a decree dated 30 November 1949 and signed by the President of the Argentine Nation, Juan Domingo Perón, the factory processing IAME Navy aircraft was retooled for automobile production, as suggested by the Minister of Aviation, Brigadier Juan Ignacio San Martin.

In order to shorten development times, a DKW was imported and its technology was adapted. The original DKW two-cylinder engine had insufficient power for the sedan. Magellan Raúl proposed a two-stroke V engine akin to those manufactured by Puch. Magellan's engine, the "M-800", was an original design with four cylinders, two combustion chambers, and a displacement of 800 cc.

The car's bodywork, penned by the IAME aeronautical designers, was inspired by 1951 Chevrolets.

For sports car models, fiberglass (then a brand-new technology) was used to reduce weight. After several prototypes were developed, a hardtop 2+2 version was released, of which 167 units were manufactured before production ceased.

Production

Like other domestically produced cars, the Justicialista was made available to the middle and working class.[4] It was manufactured in the IAME complex in the city of Cordoba. The assembly lines were manned by workers who had military and technical training. The factory managers employed a military management approach, which rendered the factories as extensions of the barracks.[4]

Models
  • Justicialista 800 Sedan (M800-powered)
  • Justicialista Gran Turismo
  • Justicialista Gran Sport
  • Justicialista van (Wartburg-powered)
  • Justicialista truck
  • Justicialista "Graciela" sedan (Wartburg-powered)
  • Gauchita
  • Sport (a closed construction prototype; during the military coup, it was on display at the Paris Motor Show and never returned to Argentina)

End of production

In the nearly two years of manufacture, 2300 cars were produced between the Chatito, the vans, and the sedans. It is difficult to identify the breakdown of this figure. However, there are sources that were able to determine the number of manufactured vehicles for some models; for example, it was found that the 1954 IAME Justicialista had a production run of 200 cars, which were built in 1954 until 1955.[5]

The new leadership imposed by the de facto national government gave the assembly plant to the national car distributor Porsche; it was renamed Teramo. The layout of the Justicialista was changed, with the engine moved to the rear, resulting in the Puntero.

Technical

Engine (M800)

Transmission
  • Multiple-disc clutch in oil bath
  • Three-speed gearbox
  • Helical-gear differential
  • Floating-axis means

Chassis
  • Chassis with rails for built in welded sheet drawer
  • Independent front transverse leaf spring suspension with hairpin springs
  • Independent rear torsion bar suspension, cross laminated with eight 5 mm thick sheets
  • Double-action telescopic shock absorbers
  • Hydraulic foot brake and mechanical handbrake
  • Rack and pinion steering
  • 3,25 x 16 disc wheel with pressed steel wheels 3.25 x 16
  • 5.00 x 16 tires

Measurements
  • 1200 mm front track
  • 1250 mm rear track
  • 5 m radio address
  • 200 mm minimum above the floor light
  • 35 L fuel capacity
  • Naphtha consumption 7.8 L/100 km
  • 120 km/h top speed

See also

References
  1. A to Z of sports cars, 1945–1990 By Mike Lawrence
  2. EMI Institec Gran Sport (Peronist), Argentina Spanish magazine article dated September 25, 2008, translated March 16, 2010
  3. Michael Sedgwick. The Motor car 1946-56. p. 264. ISBN 0-7134-1271-2. The Grand Sport of 1953 was a flashy glassfibre roadster in which a 1,488-cc flat-four Porsche engine was arranged to drive the front wheels. Also of Porsche make was the four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox with overdrive top
  4. Brennan, James (1994). The Labor Wars in Cordoba, 1955-1976: Ideology, Work, and Labor Politics in an Argentine Industrial Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. 28. ISBN 0674508513.
  5. "FWD Argentinian 356: 1954 IAME Justicialista Project". The best vintage and classic cars for sale online | Bring a Trailer. 2015-03-23. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  • The history of the IAME factory
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