Solana | |
Type: | Private |
Location: | Mexico City, Mexico |
Key People: | Joaquín Solana |
Industry: | Design Automotive |
Products: | Automobiles |
Homepage: | Solana Sports Cars |
Solana is a Mexican cottage manufacturer of sports, racing, and kids' automobiles based in Mexico City. The family run company has operated since 1936, with a total production of fewer than fifty cars; the majority of them one-offs. The family is heavily involved in motor sports; the most prominent member was Moisés Solana, who raced family-built cars and later in Formula One.
Operating since 1936, the company had built a total of forty-two cars until 2003.[1] Many of the early cars were actually meant for children, using small single-cylinder engines. Others were single-seater racing specials. The Deportivo Series II has been available since 1998, after having first been shown at a concours in Huixquilucan (Dos Ríos), in May 1996. This car, built on a tubular space frame, utilizes a 1.8 litre Datsun engine. It was built by Joaquín and Javier Solana and inspired by a 1954 special built by Javier for the Carrera Panamericana.[2] The carburetted engine only has 600NaN0, which is supposedly enough for a 195km/h top speed.[3]
Solana's logo is a circled "S" with a squared segment on top, containing the "Solana" name. It is colored black and gold. Some cars have a round logo with an "S" in it instead.