OOC: The lore is a tad edgy but hey its 1970s latin america
In the early 1970s, one of few latin american car companies was blooming. A relatively small production company up to that point, Solariego, managed to get their hands on government subsidies to start the production of their new car. The “Copihue”.
Solariego Copihue
Picture taken in Chile, 1970
Story and pictures
Most of the technology in the car was purchased from European companies. The car was powered by a 4 liter v8, making 238 hp, and giving the Copihue a 0 to 60 of 7.62 seconds. Fitted with a hydropneumatic suspension, Solariego took pride in the seamless ride its new flagship had. What the company did have at home was access to one of the most diverse selection of leathers and premium materials in the world, a fact that was heavily emphasized in the publicity runs of the Copihue. “The most diverse and prestigious selection of interior materials in the globe.”
The car, initially meant for the Latin American market, was exported to the US. Interiors were made in specification of the client, and the company fought heavily to match the British and American luxury titans by providing the most premium of customer services. And while it didn’t reach the popularity of its competitors, the uniqueness bought some prestige of its own. Oftentimes, the rich clientele that bought the Copihue found themselves owning a car not seen anywhere else, and in the unlikely case that two Copihues encountered each other, the milliard of customization options offered to the client meant that no 2 cars were alike. The relatively inexpensive (For a luxury car) price of the Copihue allowed it to cement itself as an entry level luxury vehicle, one that even the upper middle class could afford.
One while looking at a Copihue will start to wonder, what is it with the empty space between the 2 back seats, the overpowered engine and the extremely large boot. That’s where the ugly part of its heritage rears its head. The 1970s in Latin america was a period of dictators, and every government needs a quick, spacious and imposing vehicle. The space between the 2 back seats housed weapons, medical equipment and other on the field supplies. The extra weight added by bullet proofing the vehicle made a much better use of the 4 liter V8 and the large boot could easily store a body… or two. The car was used across multiple regimes in the continent, whether it was transporting a key military figure, performing an assasination, or kidnapping political opponents, the Copihue proved to be a valuable tool for any dictator.
