Company overview
Bernard Cournil began as a French vehicle improver in the late 1950s. He initially adapted US Jeeps for agricultural use and, by 1960, became a vehicle manufacturer in his own right. Cournil developed the "Tracteur Cournil," an all-wheel drive vehicle designed for central France’s challenging terrain. Production began in 1960, initially using Ferguson engines and later transitioning to Leyland and other engines like Saviem and Indenor. Production reached 850 units by 1972, primarily sold locally. In 1970, the company filed bankruptcy, and his son Alain continued production until 1977. In 1977, the rights were sold to Gevarm (Groupe Gévelot) in France and UMM in Portugal. SIMI acquired the business in 1980, followed by Auverland in 1983/84, briefly marketing it as Autoland. UMM continued production in Portugal until 2004, and the vehicle was also produced under license in Brazil as the JPX Montez from 1992 to 2002.
