Candia (vehicles)
Encyclopedia
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
company producing Agricultural machinery and equipment, based in Herakleion, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. It is representative of a large number of companies in this country (and especially on that island), that produced crude-looking "multi-purpose" light farm vehicles.
A particular family of vehicles that seems to be a characteristic Greek development starting in the mid-1960s, was a rather odd, light farm tractor-truck combination usually on three-wheel chassis, with or without cab. Some were constructed by smaller companies, or even small workshops, but a number of more significant companies evolved, especially in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, including (except for Candia) Record
Record (agricultural vehicles)
Record A.E.B.E. was the name of a Greek company producing agricultural machinery and vehicles, founded in Heraklion, Crete in 1957 and dissolved in 1999....
, Kronos, Knossos, Minos, Minotavros, Talos, Jupiter etc.; other companies included Demetra in Volos
Volos
Volos is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about 326 km north of Athens and 215 km south of Thessaloniki...
, Diana
Diana (agricultural machinery)
Diana is the brand name for agricultural machinery produced by Irene Chrissadakou A.E. a company based in Tavros , Greece. Founded in 1976, it has been one of the most successful in its field, also having managed to survive the crisis in Greek manufacturing industry of the 1980s and 1990s.Diana...
, Standard, Zeus Hellas in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and many others. Engines used included Sachs, Ilo, local models by Mekmotors (Ruggerini licence), Petropoulos
Petropoulos
Petropoulos is today a major importer and distributor of vehicles and heavy machinery, having been, at the same time, one of the "historic" Greek engine and vehicle manufacturers....
, etc. By the early 1980s this kind of vehicle was so widespread, that had become characteristic of the Greek countryside.
Candia was one of the few that became true industrial producers, turning out thousands of vehicles sold throughout the country, in addition to "classic" walking tractors. It built a large number of models, usually with Sachs or Ilo engines, the most popular of which was a rugged three-wheel chassis combining truck and tractor functions.
This type of vehicle was considered obsolete by new buyers, already by the early 1990s, and most companies either closed down or (as in the case of Candia) diverted to other farm equipment.