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30 May 2018 | AutoData FACTORIES » HONDA T he Honda plant in Itirapina, a little over 200 kilometers from São Paulo, oc- cupies a peculiar place in the history of the Brazilian automotive industry even though not a single car has left its assembly lines. First the unit found itself at the center of a truly sui generis (unique) picture: absolutely ready, the manufactu- rer decided to postpone its inauguration indefinitely as a reflection of the market crisis that was approaching - and the fact was confirmed. Now, when the news of its start of ope- ration finally arrives, another turnaround: instead of playing a complementary pro- ductive role to the Sumaré factory, also in the interior of São Paulo, Itirapina will be not only the main one but the only Honda factory in the country. THE DOUBLE BECOMES HALF In August of 2013 Honda announced that it would build a new factory in the country, investment of R$ 1 billion. The city chosen was Itirapina, which in Tupi means Morro Pelado (Naked Hill), denomination of the station inaugurated in 1885 by Com- panhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro and from which the city developed. In 2013, the planwas to double Honda’s production capacity in Brazil: the 120 thou- sand units/year of theoretical capacity in Sumaré, where Civic, City and Fit had By Marcos Rozen. Bruno de Oliveira contributed. Moving to Morro Pelado Honda surprises again regarding the factory in Itirapina, SP: the unit, ready but closed, will be the center of all its production of vehicles in the country. Disclousure/Honda been produced so far, would have been reinforced by an additional 120 thousand units /year from Itirapina. And everything went well, very well: a ceremony inNovember of 2013 and accele- ratedworks, partlyhelped by the lack of rain in the region at the time. InApril 2015 Honda received symbolically from the construction company the key to the unit marking the closure of the civilworks. Machinerycoming through and the inauguration scheduled for December 2015, or almost two years after the actual start of construction.