. ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Al fa ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁originally ▁producing ▁vehicle ▁bodies , ▁but ▁it ▁soon ▁vent ured ▁into ▁vehicle ▁design ▁and ▁development ▁( it ▁customers ▁included ▁EL BO , ▁for ▁which ▁it ▁developed ▁both ▁bus ▁models ▁and ▁production ▁technology ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁it ▁announced ▁its ▁plans ▁to ▁produce ▁a ▁ 4 - se at ▁city ▁car ▁it ▁had ▁designed ; ▁however , ▁the ▁difficulties ▁for ▁obtain ing ▁production ▁permit ▁and , ▁possibly , ▁the ▁poor ▁prospect s ▁of ▁the ▁car ▁in ▁the ▁Greek ▁market , ▁cancel led ▁its ▁further ▁development . ▁Instead , ▁Al fa ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁bus ▁types , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁air - condition ing ▁and ▁re fr iger ation ▁units ▁for ▁commercial ▁vehicles . ▁ ▁The ▁company ▁went ▁out ▁of ▁business ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁crisis ▁in ▁the ▁bus ▁market ▁in ▁Greece ▁( after ▁imports ▁of ▁used ▁bus es ▁were ▁allowed ), ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁re - f ounded ▁as ▁Trop ical ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁Its ▁main ▁activity ▁switched ▁to ▁design ▁and ▁production ▁of ▁ ▁air - condition ing ▁and ▁re fr iger ation ▁units ▁for ▁commercial ▁vehicles ▁and ▁trains ▁( with ▁significant ▁exports ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁body ▁and ▁special ized ▁vehicle ▁manufact ure . ▁A ▁new ▁chapter ▁in ▁its ▁history ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁though , ▁when ▁it ▁entered ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁power ▁based ▁on ▁renew able ▁energy ▁sources . ▁ ▁H ydro