4×4 ATW CHICO 1980s Donegal Made all-terrain vehicle restoration | Season 1 – Episode 18
Wheels Apr 30, 2021
In 1981 a German company, Auto-Montan-Werke (ATW), began producing an all-terrain-vehicle known as the Chico in Buncrana, Co Donegal. The first 12-18 months was spent altering the Messerschmitt-designed prototype so that it could be mass-produced, primarily as a truck for developing countries. In the early stages they had planned to employ 250 people with hopes for significant expansion in the future.
Nicknamed the “Buncrana Beetle” the vehicle consisted essentially of a cab and a flatbed rear. These were joined by a bearing in the centre that allowed the front wheels to tilt from side to side without affecting the back wheels, and vice versa. This enabled all four wheels to have better contact with the ground, particularly on rough terrain.
It was powered by 35HP two cylinder Deutz F2l511 engine and had a top speed 65km / h. It could carry a maximum weight of 2,400 kilos. The truck could be fitted with a hydraulic drive at the front and back, a winch at the front and even with propeller so that it could (with a modified bottom) be used on water.
The CHICO could handle shallow rivers very well, partly due to the fact that the exhaust was at the same height as the headlamps. The high ground clearance also helped as a result it could go into water of up to 70 cms depth. In fact one of the test vehicles produced was taken out on Lough Swilly next to the factory in Donegal.
The CHICO was also approved as a tractor / agricultural tractor as it was felt that some of its multiple uses would make it attractive to the small Irish farmer. This was helped by the option of a three-point hitch / connection. It was said you “Could plough or spray with it, and later bring milk churns to the creamery, fodder to cattle in remote outlying areas, and later bring the family to town, and all with slight modifications!”
Sean P. O’Sullivan of Limerick acquired a badly deteriorated CHICO in recent years. His intention was a complete restoration as he had done this for other similarly aged and neglected vehicles. Starting the restoration the flatbed was stripped and the rear of the cab removed. He fully repaired the engine to the point of full operation. He also did a complete repair and re-spray of the body work. It is now fully operational and looking like new.
The ATW project in Donegal in the 80s never lived up to expectations. While it was hoped that in the region of 1,000 would be employed, the numbers at work never went above the 100 mark. The company eventually closed in 1985, having produced between 130 and 150 CHICO’s. This was not a result of any deficiencies in product quality. It was launched just at a downturn in the market when the intended customers, public utilities, local authorities and the farming sector were suffering from declining budgets.
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Sources of information:
John Rogan – johnnyg1955, Flickr
Sean F. O’Sullivan
‘Industrial policy and development in late industrialising countries’ A Case Study of the Motor Industry by Paul Gerard Brown https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/147604547.pdf
