The Launch
In 1982 Ford of Brazil launched the pickup based on the Ford Corcel II. It was the second such vehicle in the segment, then after the Fiat Fiorino (known at the time as the City), pickup derived from the Fiat 147. The name Pampa alludes to a horse, that has the body all threshed. The Pampa had the comfort of a car in the cabin but the robustness of a utility vehicle with a more superior load capacity than its smaller competitor. It had the front of a Corcel II and a loading bay inspired by the much larger US-style F-1000 pickup of the time. The difference between the Fiat pickup and the Ford is that the former used the same independent back suspension of Fiat 147 whereas the Ford had a rigid rear axle and adopted semi-elliptical springs in place of coil springs, more suitable for carrying heavy loads. Due to its success, other brands soon followed suit in launching their own derivatives, Volkswagen with the Saveiro (appearing in the same year, it was derived from the Volkswagen Gol hatchback) and Chevrolet with Chevy 500 (derived from the Chevette) in 1983.
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