Rio de Janeiro, 1908.

The Grand National Exposition takes place at Praia Vermelha beach, to commemorate the Centennial of the Opening of the Ports to Friendly Nations, an opening that represented the first step for the conquest of Brazil’s Independence from Portugal.

Balls, banquets and car parades through the city were offered to distinguished guests of the Brazilian Government. José Maria da Silva Paranhos, Baron of Rio Branco, then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afonso Pena’s Government, was officialy in charge of the reception of authorities and their retinues.

With the assistance of the Brazilian Consul in Berlin, four PROTOS, model 17/35 PS Landaulet, were bought to complete the fleet of official cars to be used during the event. The performance at the New York-Paris race and the preference of that car by the Kaiser were decisive in selecting this purchase.

Ordered to Motoren-Fabric PROTOS GmbH in April 1, 1908, the cars were destined one for the Presidency of the Republic, one for the Ministry of War and the other two for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The cars arrived in Brazil accompanied by a technician hired by the factory to teach chaffeurs how to drive them and how to perform their maintenance.

The four six passenger cars that arrived had bodywork in wood, mudguards in steel, hind top, upholstery and running boards in leather. Four cylinder engines in line in two cast-iron blocks with three-bearing cast manganese-bronze crankcase; manual starter, 80 km/hour maximum speed, and 3,3 l/km gasoline consumption.

The car was a complete success in Rio de Janeiro, still accostumed to streetcars pulled by donkeys, to carriages and horses. After the commemorations, Baron of Rio Branco used the PROTOS belonging to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until his death in february 1912.