AMSTERDAM — It may have once been a purely local brand, but customers all over the world are now enjoying the benefits of AkzoNobel’s Wanda vehicle refinishes brand, which is celebrating its 85^th anniversary.

The Wanda story began in the early 20^th century when young Brazilian Roque Montesano had dreams of owning his own paint factory. He promised his wife that if he realized his ambition, he’d name his brand after their daughter. The rest is history.

Now available in more than 40 countries on five continents, Wanda has a global reputation, built on its renowned color accuracy, ease of use, quality and value. And it’s fitting that the woman who was the original inspiration for the brand, Wanda Montesano Ferrara, has been involved in the anniversary celebrations.

“I followed in my father’s footsteps to become an entrepreneur and am very proud to look back, see everything that the Wanda brand has achieved and celebrate these 85 years of moments and memories,” she said.

Rakshit Punetha, Global Brand Manager for Wanda, added, “Our Wanda brand is synonymous with tradition, evolving technology and quality and has become a preferred choice for market professionals around the world. It’s not only a great example of our passion for paint, it also highlights the huge sense of pride we take from continuing to show the same commitment to customers that Roque first demonstrated all those years ago.”

Although it’s spiritual home is Brazil, Wanda is now manufactured in Europe and Asia, as well as at AkzoNobel’s plant in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo. It’s now available in countries as widespread as the United States, Spain, Russia, India, Italy, Australia, Poland, China and New Zealand.

Now at the forefront of high-performance automotive refinishing, Wanda is very much part of the digital age, as it’s compatible with a range of AkzoNobel’s advanced color search tools, such as MIXIT, ColorPro and Automatchic Vision.

For more details, visit www.wandarefinish.com.