JPX (Brazilian company)

Founded in 1992 by the businessman Eike Batista and headquartered in Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, JPX produced an adapted version of the French Auverland sport utility vehicle.

[1] Batista's inexperience in the automaking industry and a series of mistakes led to the closing of the company in 2002, being the first failed venture of the billionaire, once the eighth-richest man in the world.

[1][2] Batista's aim was to develop a utility vehicle to serve his mining company activities, as well as the Armed Forces and the general public.

[1] Based on the Auverland A-3 used by the French Army, the company produced a car model, the JPX Montez, available in the SUV and pickup versions.

[3] JPX sales were lower than expected: the projection was of 400 units sold/month, but the demand was of 200 units/month;[1] most of them were issued to the army, park rangers and fire departments.