Paula,
The reason why I find it strange the word Entrepreneur on a Alter II version (search via google and then wikipedia):
History The UMM 4x4 design is derived from a prototype created by the French engineering firm Cournil, called Entrepreneur. The Cournil Entrepreneur's building rights were acquired by the Portuguese company União Metalo-Mecânica, part of the Mocar group and were renamed as UMM.
They became known for their reliability, especially when in a Paris-Dakar rally the team was able to finish with all the cars that started. Many UMMs are still in use by utilities in Spain, Portugal, Cape Verde (in use by the national army) and France and also by the "Guarda Nacional Republicana" (Portuguese Gendarmerie), fire service and military, although the majority of their customers were private individuals. Around 700 UMMs are still in service in the Republic of the Congo (Zaire). They are also popular in France and Angola.
UMM stopped building the UMM Alter II for private customers in 1994, but kept on taking large orders from military and utility services until 1996. Custom orders are no longer accepted. It is suspected that more than 10.000 UMMs were made.
The most famous UMM is probably the one that transported Pope John Paul II in one of his visits to Portugal.
An updated version was announced in 2000[citation needed], powered by a 2.1 L Turbo Diesel engine. This engine was less noisy and had more torque at low speed. Several options were available, including air conditioning and GPS. Price was meant to be lower to a Land Rover Defender with similar finishings. However, the company had no capital to invest in its development.
Recently the distribuition of spare parts for the UMM vehicles was outsourced to the company Europeças, Europeças.
[edit] Vehicle ModelsUMM 4x4 Cournil (19771979)
UMM 4x4 (19791984)
UMM Alter 4x4 (1985)
UMM Alter II (19861994) ...This is Paula's UMM - but check with VIN (vehicle identification number - on chassis)
UMM Alter 2000 (20002004)
Notable Versions
UMM Alter Papamobile
UMM Alter A4 11 (To be called Alter III - Only three prototypes were made, only one is road legal)
Trivia
The UMM Alter is named after a well-known Portuguese horse breed.
Most of the known Portuguese off-road drivers started their careers driving UMMs
2 - Glad you making it a family car as it goes everywhere and doesnt require high maintenance like most cars - no electronics playing around etc..etc...
3 - fabrication year sometimes doesnt mean registration year - as of exported UMM's I am pretty sure that at least a "year gap" happens, but normally that doesnt "show" on any document - unless you have access to other type of documentation in your country, and the Vehicle agency shares with the tax payer "Everything". I am SHOCKED you have to pay 150 euros PER MONTH!!! to have a vehicle "sitting on the road". In England we have a "form" called SORN - the individual can declare "off the road" any vehicle he wants - obvious if the vehicle is found on public roads is simply DESTROYED and you pay no more no less than £5000- but there is no "ripping off" the tax payer...JESUS!! paying 150 per month! Thats a daylight robbery! I believe if you actually do what I have suggested on 3rd place we can actually cross check the real year of the car - and who knows "SOMEONE" might help you out with a declaration from UMM themselves statting the year of fabrication and then you will be saving money and saying to yourself..."Ah going on UMM Forum in Portugal after all isnt a WASTE OF TIME!"
Now an advice do not give your complete chassis number to anyone not even me (we dont like clonned UMM's)
Do the visual check on the chassis and see if it matches the documents in your possession - thats important, otherwise you and me will be wasting our time.
I will give you an example, just show here or via PM the "partial" long number of the chassis and avoid typing the last digits:
like for example TW4B11D1L0003XXXXXXX the type of composition of the chassis serial number will tell a lot of things,
Like:
- If it is an Alter I or Alter II or even Cournil
- If it has got a 4 or 5 speed gearbox
- Year of fabrication
- If it is a normal aspirated engine of turbo version
- chassis type like "cabin crew" or 100" or like yours comercial etc.
Paula, you want to save money and keep a very unsual and unique vehicle thats why you got a lovely UMM, but to do all that read carefuly and in no rush, specially the wikipedia extract then you will know a few more things.
Then after physically check on the chassis that number let us know either myself or someone else will help out telling exactly the year and if you have the "right stuff".
Now im gonna do some work!
Good luck.
Carlos Pires