Now more than half the line-up used either transverse or longitudinal FWD
1981 Madero
Finally, in 1981 also the Madero name was brought back, this time in a re-badged Chapeau. For those curious, a Madero in spanish means either a random piece if wood, or a baseball bat, however it is also a last name (as Rivera, Villa) and within Mexico it is the last name of a revolutionary and president from early 1910s.
Development
In the early 80s, there was a lot of preference for more smaller cars, and ADM saw the opportunity to try and enter this market. The choosen car was the Chapeau from ADM of Europe. The exterior was pretty much the same, only a few details were added to comply with regulations, such as bumpers and side reflectors. Instead of the 1.2L series B engine from the original Chapeau or the modern Series A, the engine was taken from the Sanda Archer hatchback, a 1.4L series B engine that meet US emission regulations. With 70hp, it was most powerfull than the Sanda Majime and any version of the european Chapeau, both sharing the same platform.
Mandatory front bumpers
Equipment was spartan, and it is better described as 4 seats with wheels. That said, it’s low price and decent fuel economy help ADM in sales in the small niche market, as well as pump up it’s corporate fuel economy figures.
More bumpers, the rear fog light was removed and the ADM logo swaped for the Amerian version as well as the name
Price and stats
Price in 1981 US dlls
1981 Villa - $2,629.02
