Force Motors Ltd, is a multinational automotive company based in Pune, India. It is one of the flagship company of Dr. Abhay Firodia Group, being an Indian automotive manufacturer Force Motors has been a well known brand in making commercial and sport-utility vehicles but the brand is much more than that.
The company was known as Bajaj Tempo Motors in early days because it was originated as a joint venture between Bach Raj Trading Ltd. and Germany’s Tempo. The company became the India’s largest van maker and later on they became the biggest engine manufacturer for Mercedes-Bens and BMW. Lets have a look about the unknown story of this legendary brand and how they become biggest player of engine manufacturer for luxurious brand.
Force Motors is Making Engines for BMW and MERCEDES engines in INDIA, for merecedes they are assembling engines from last 20 years and for BMW they are doing this from last 4 years and they have also got into the buisness with Rolls-Royce power limited to make they diesel based v10 and v12s in INDIA.
1. History
The company originates with the Bach Raj Trading which was established in 1945 and started making 3-wheel auto rickshaw and small trucks in 1951. In 1958 the company had a joint venture with Tempo of Germany and was named as Bajaj Tempo Motors with majority of shares belonging to Tempo Group.
In 1968, the company was taken over by Firodia Group and in 1971 the German based company Daimler-Benz retained the company’s shares. The company made their first diesel light commercial vehicle named Tempo Matador in 1987 and started the production of Tempo Traveller which was the most successful product of the company and this vehicle we get to see today as Force Traveller.
In 1997 the company setup a dedicated assembly line for the production of Traveller and for testing the engine for Mercedes cars that are to be made in India and this facility was designed under the specifications of Daimler-Benz. In 2005, the company was renamed as Force Motors.
2. Daimler-Mercedes Connection
In 1997 Daimler-Benz started the manufacturing of axle, steering column for their Mercedes cars and SUV that are to be manufactured in India. This made Force Motors to showed up the case for manufacturing their cars engines in early stages. The company excelled in making engines for Mercedes-Benz cars in India. The number of engines and axles supplied till date are 1,16,500 and 1,01,255 respectively. The Mercedes Engine made are :
- CLA Class – 4 Cylinder
- C Class – 4 Cylinder
- E Class – 4 Cylinder
- S Class – 6 Cylinder V-Type
- GLA Class – 4 Cylinder
- GLE/GLS Class – 6 Cylinder V-Type
You heard it right, V-Type engines are made in India. Force Motors engineers develop and test the engine here itself in India for the German automotive.
3. BMW VENTURE
In 2014, Force Motors inaugurated its Chennai Plant, which will test and produce engines for BMW cars and SUVs made in India. It can produce up to 20,000 engines as well as front and rear axles per year. The engine ranged from 3-cylinder to 6-cylinder blocks. The BMW engines produced by Force Motors are :
- 3 Series – 4 Cylinder
- 5 Series – 4 Cylinder
- 7 Series – 6 Cylinder
- X1 / X7 – 4 Cylinder
- X3 – 4 and 6 Cylinder
- X5 – 6 Cylinder
4. Rolls- Royce Agreement
In March 2018, Force Motors signs an agreement with Rolls-Royce Power System AG to setup a business friendly joint venture to make and supply worldwide their famous 1600 MTU vehicles engines which are to be manufactured for diesel locomotives and power generated rail applications.
Force Motors has a nationwide presence and achieved a great success. They developed a culture of learning, innovating with the German brands where mentoring goes hand by hand.
Did you ever thought that an auto-rickshaw producing company will make engines for two automotive giants player in India. Tell us your thoughts in the comment below.