Product Development and Testing in Latin America

This is a presentation of automotive development and testing in Latin American countries now in the midst of an industrial revolution. It describes problems in testing which stem from shortages of technical personnel in most categories, low levels of man-hour efficiency, and a scarcity of material and equipment. Methods used to solve these problems are given. Existing conditions relating to local content and commonization, and their influence on the techniques and improvisations required in those countries are discussed. The paper also reviews vendor philosophy with respect to the actual need for testing.