Can a stylish SUV made in Brazil take on the Jeep Wrangler in the rainforest and Sao Paulo's tony suburbs?

摘要

Automakers eyeing the flourishing Brazilian car market should take a look at what's going on in a quiet business park in the industrial town of Joinville. The story of a tiny Brazilian company, TAC, and its so-called urban vehicle, the Stark, holds some useful lessons for companies aiming to develop a promising product. Even before the roughly $50,000 car rolls off the assembly line next year, TAC has won prizes for innovation, including a gold in this year's IDEA/Brazil awards, sponsored by BusinessWeek. Adolfo Cesar dos Santos founded TAC in 2002 after an industry group in the southeastern state of Santa Catarina challenged companies to create a vehicle using local technology and manufacturing expertise. A mechanical engineer by training and a keen off-road driver, dos Santos decided to make his hobby his business.