Automotive industry in Argentina

The automotive industry in Argentina is the third largest in Latin America, driving 3% of Argentina’s GDP, 9% of industrial production, and 11% of exports in 2024. With a dozen global multinationals and over 200 auto parts companies operating in the country, Argentina's automotive sector is a sophisticated and technologically advanced industry. Automakers rely on Argentina as a regional production hub for Latin America and in 2024 exported over USD $9 billion in passenger vehicles, light and heavy commercial vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, and parts primarily to Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Central America. Given the popularity of light-duty trucks among Argentine consumers, Argentina is the world's fourth largest producer of pickup trucks; top pickup brands produced in Argentina include the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Frontier, and Volkswagen Amarok.

Argentine capital returned to the automotive sector in scale in 2025 when Prestige Auto, backed by local entrepreneur Pablo Peralta, acquired the local brand operations of Mercedes-Benz Argentina, including a plant at Virrey del Pino, La Matanza Partido in Buenos Aires province focused on Sprinter van production as well as a commercial organization that markets and services high-end vehicles imported from Germany. Local capital also participates within niches such as motorcycle assembly (e.g., Grupo Simpa, Grupo La Emilia, Grupo Corven), small-scale electric vehicle assembly (e.g., Coradir, Sero Motors, VOLT Motors) and specialty producers (e.g., Helvetica and Crespi.

Motor vehicle and auto parts manufacturers are major employers in a country that has struggled to create registered private sector employment. In 2024, over 27,000 Argentines were employed by motor vehicle manufacturers, with an additional 43,000 employed by auto parts companies and 4,000 employed by motorcycle manufacturers.

Three major industrial associations represent Argentine automotive manufacturers. The Asociación de Fábricas de Automotores (ADEFA) was founded in 1961 to represent motor vehicle manufacturers and is a member of the International Automobile Manufacturers Association (OICA) based in Paris. Auto parts manufacturers are represented by the Asociación de Fábricas Argentinas de Componentes (AFAC), which was founded in 1939. Motorcycle manufacturers and importers are represented by the Cámara de Fabricantes de Motovehículos de la Argentina, formed in 2013 when three separate industry sub-organizations merged into a single entity.

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