Aro

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ARO (short for Auto Romania) was an off-road vehicle manufacturer located near the town of Câmpulung Muscel, Romania.

It started production in 1957 and has manufactured over 360,000 vehicles, 2/3 of which were exported in some 110 countries (before 1989 about 90% of the ARO production was exported).

In September 2003, the Romanian state sold, for a price of 180,000 USD, 68,7% of ARO to an American company called "Cross Lander", owned by John Perez. The contract said that the company had to invest 2 million USD in the company, but, allegedly, none of this investment was done and instead, the industrial equipment of ARO was sold off (according to the privatization contract, he was not allowed to do that).Gândul, ["Cross Lander – amendată de Consiliul Concurenţei cu 6,7 miliarde lei] 10 May 2006

The Romanian state sued in 2006 John Perez for using false documents which helped him to buy the company.Evenimentul Zilei, ["Americanul care a falimentat ARO este urmarit penal"], 25 January 2006

The ARO 244 model was planned to enter the US market as the Cross Lander 244X, but funding ran out in February of 2006 [Autoblog: "R.I.P. Cross Lander U.S.A."].

The company Cross Lander USA Inc fired all its employees, sold its headquarters and closed down in February 2006. România Liberă, ["Firma Cross Lander USA Inc. s-a autodizolvat"] 21 February 2006

ARO went into bankruptcy in June 2006.Cotidianul, ["ARO, oficial in faliment"] 16 June 2006

Models

• ARO IMS
• * IMS-57
• * M59
• * M461
• ARO 24 Series
• *SUVs
• **ARO 243
• **ARO 244
• **ARO 246
• **ARO 328 Maxi-Taxi
• *Light Commercial Vehicles
• **ARO 33 N
• **ARO 35 S
• **ARO 35 M
• **ARO 243
• **ARO 323
• **ARO 324
• **ARO 330
• ARO 10 (also known as the Dacia Duster in some international markets)
• *SUVs
• **ARO 10.1
• **ARO 10.4
• **ARO 10 Spartana
• **ARO 11.4
• *Light Commercial Vehicles
• **ARO 10.2
• **ARO 10.3
• **ARO 10.6 pick-up
• **ARO 10.9
• **ARO 10.0
• **ARO 11.9

References

• [Crosslander USA Official Press Release]