Industry Automotive components Founded 2004 | Headquarters Springvale Number of employees 167 | |
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Products Gearboxs and powertrains | ||
Drivetrain System International (abbreviated as DSI), and previously operating as BorgWarner Australia, BTR, and ION was an Australian drivetrain constructor based in Springvale, Victoria with manufacturing facilities in Albury, New South Wales. In 2009, it produced drivetrains for Ford, Chrysler, Geely and SsangYong. The company has also produced gearboxes for the Mahindra Scorpio.
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History
Drivetrain Systems International was formed following the purchase of the Lavington gearbox factory, built in 1971, from the ION Group in 2004. In 1997, the factory produced gearboxes for SsangYong, which became the DSI's largest customer following the cessation of Ford's patronage in 2011.
In 2009, the company entered bankruptcy protection, mostly due to the bankruptcy and halt of production of its main customer, SsangYong. An effect of this was the loss of 230 jobs at the Albury facilities, with 167 jobs remaining. The workers were eligible for the Australian Government's General Employees Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme, however, this will only provide 16 weeks pay, whereas some staff have lost up to 100 weeks pay. The same year, the company was purchased by Chinese car manufacturer Geely for over AU$55 million.
Gearboxes designed by Drivetrain Systems International are currently also manufactured in Geely factories in Hunan, Shandong and Chongqing.
3-speed automatic
The company provided Ford Australia with three-speed automatic transmissions for rear-wheel drive (longitudinal engine) applications.
M51
4-speed automatic
The company provided Ford Australia, and later SsangYong Motor with four-speed automatic transmissions for rear-wheel drive (longitudinal engine) applications.
The M85LE first appeared in the 1989 Ford Falcon (EA II) and Ford Fairlane/LTD (NA/DA), and was progressively updated to the M91LE (1992) and M93LE (1994) in the Australian large Ford range. V8 versions of the Falcon, when released in 1992 used a revised version of the transmission, the M95LE, updated as the M97LE in 1994. The final applications used by Ford (for the M93LE) were the BF III Falcon wagon (2010), FG Falcon LPG (2010), and rear-wheel-drive SY II Territory (2011).
The SsangYong models used the M74LE version of the transmission.
M74LE
M85LE
M91LE
M93LE
Also known as the ION 93-4AT.