Automotive industry in Spain
Encyclopedia
Spain
today is the world's eighth largest producer of automobiles and its car market stands among the largest in Europe. In 2009 LLAMA, the automotive industry was generating the 3.5 per cent of Spain's GDP, giving employment about nine per cent of the working population. Spain had previously become the fifth country of the world to manufacture cars, but in 2008 and 2009 the production decreased.
The reduction tendency started ten years ago, when a government policy was abandoned. The result was the loss of all cars brands and manufacturers, which are now in the hands of foreign companies or closed.
SEAT
SEAT is the sole active Spanish brand with a mass production potential and capability of developing its own models in-house. Today it operates as a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group
, formed in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) and six Spanish banks with Fiat assistance, under a name that stands for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Saloon/Sedan Car Company).
In 1953 the company produced their first model, the SEAT 1400
.
This 44 hp (33 kW) four-door saloon car had a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). When production ceased in 1964 over 98,000 had been made.
Models produced licensed by Fiat
in the 1960s include the 600
, 850
, 1500
and 124. 815,319 of the 800 models were made between 1964 and 1967.
SEAT produced its one millionth car in 1968. By 2003 this figure had risen to more than 14 million.
During the 1970s SEAT produced the 67 hp (50 kW) 1200 model (1975 to 1980) and over 1.5 million 131 models (1974 to1984).
The SEAT 1200 Sport
was a 2-door coupé produced by SEAT from 1975 to 1979. The car was known as the "Bocanegra" because of the shape of its always black plastic nose panel, which embraced the front grille and the headlights and incorporated, by 1970s standards, a prominent front bumper. "Boca negra" means "black mouth" in Spanish.
Other models produced at this time include the 127, 128, 132, 133 and the Ritmo. Fiat
’s assistance ended in 1981 and was replaced by a cooperation agreement with the Volkswagen Group
in 1982.
Up to 1981 most SEAT cars resembled Fiat models. The 1982 Ronda
model was the first car produced by SEAT without assistance from Fiat. SEAT
became a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group
in 1986.
Other cars produced during the 1980s include the Fura
(1981-86), Marbella
(1986-98), Málaga
(1985-92) and Ibiza
.
Three generations of the Ibiza
model were made between 1985 and 2007.
Models produced between 1990 and 2007 include the Arosa
, León
, Córdoba
, Toledo
, Alhambra
and the Altea
.
In 2008 the company introduced the 1.4 litre, 170 hp (127 kW) Bocanegra
(4th generation Ibiza) concept car.
2009 models include the León Mk2
, Córdoba Mk2
, Toledo Mk3
, Alhambra Mk1
, Ibiza Mk4
and Altea
and the new flagship sedan model Exeo
. The Exeo being derived from the Audi A4
, shares the same fundamental powertrain layout and platform.
, produced two luxury models between 1912 and 1923.
They were fitted with either a 3,104cc four-cylinder engine or a 4,521 cc six-cylinder engine. From about 1917 Buick engines were fitted and these cars were called Abadal- Buicks. Approximately 170 Imperia-Abadals were built in Belgium, including a 2,992 cc sports model.
Authi
The Authi Car Company, which was formed in 1965, was the result of a collaboration agreement between Nueva Montana Quijano and the British Motor Corporation.
The company produced the following models: Authi Mini (1968-1975), Authi Mini Cooper (1973-1975), Morris 1100/1300 (1966-1972), Austin Victoria (1972-1975) and the Austin de Luxe (1974-1975).
In 1976 the company was purchased by the SEAT
Car Company.
Barreiros
The company was founded in 1954 as Barreiros Diesel S.A and initially it produced diesel engines.
In 1963 a licensing agreement was reached with Chrysler to build the Dodge Dart in Spain.
Between 1965 and 1977 a total of 17,589 Barreiros Darts were produced. These were based on the Dodge Dart GL, the Dodge Dart
GT (“sporty" version) and the Dodge 3700GT.
A diesel version called the “Barreiros Diesel" was also produced.
In 1969 Chrysler Europe took over the company.
From the mid-1970s Barreiros started manufacturing the Chrysler 180 and later the Simca 1307 (called the Chrysler 150 in Spain) and the Simca Horizon.
In 1978, PSA Peugeot Citroën
purchased Chrysler
Europe and former models were renamed; the Chrysler 150 becoming the Talbot
150. Barreiros later produced the Talbot Solara and Talbot Samba
.
Biscuter
In the late 1940s Gabriel Voisin (French) designed a small car called the Biscooter. The license to build the vehicle was obtained by Autonacional S.A.
The first Biscuter car was launched in Spain in 1953 and was called the Series 100 or the Zapatilla (little shoe).
The original models did not have doors, windows or a reverse gear. It was powered by a one cylinder, 197 cc, two-stroke 9 hp (7 kW) engine which supplied power only to the right front wheel.
The Biscúter car was produced for about ten years.
Elizalde
In 1909 Arturo Elizalde Rouvier started a company was called "Sociedad Mercantil J. M. Vallet y Cia" to manufacturer car parts.
A prototype called the Tipo 11 was launched in mid 1914.
In 1915, King Alfonso XIII
owned a 20cv Biada-Elizalde cabriolet Tipo 20.
A 25cv sports version of the Tipo 20 was produced in 1919 as the Reine Victoria (name of the Queen consorts). It is believed to be the first Spanish car to feature four-wheel brakes.
In 1920 the company started production of the four-cylinder, 3,817 cc, Model 29. Variants of this model were built until 1927.
Production of the 8,143 cc straight-eight model, known as the Tipo 48, also began in 1920.
The car had a built in tire pump which could also be used as a vacuum cleaner.
A 5,181 cc straight-eight Gran Sport version of the Tipo 48 model, capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), was also produced.
Production of Elizalde cars ceased in 1928.
ENASA
ENASA sort of (Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A.) was a Spanish truck manufacturing company, incorporated in 1946 having bought the automotive assets of the Spanish arm of Hispano-Suiza
. It produced trucks, buses sport-cars and military armored vehicles under the Pegaso
brand and, for a short while, Sava
brands. Pegaso
built about a hundred high-end Z-102
sports cars in the 1950s. The cars were in many ways advanced for the time, as they had all wheel independent suspension, a five-speed gearbox, very powerful supercharged engines, and were offered with the choice of Touring, Saoutchik, Serra or Enasa's own luxury bodies.
Enasa belonged to the state-owned INI industrial holding. In 1990 Enasa was sold to Iveco
.
Eucort
The Eugenio Cortes SA (company) manufactured cars from 1945 to 1951.Or 1953?
The first Eucort model, which was based on a pre WW2 Germany Dampf Kraft Wagen (DKW)
design, was fitted with 764 cc twin-cylinder two stroke engine.
Four-door sedan and a three door estate versions were available.
In 1950 the company started production of its final model, the two stroke 1,034 cc Victoria.
By the time the company ceased car production in 1951 (1953?) about 1,500 Eucort cars (including taxis) had been built.
Hispano-Suiza
In 1898 Emilio de la Cuadra started a company in Barcelona called “La Cuadra” to produce electric cars. Four years later it was acquired by J. Castro.
He changed the name to “Fábrica Hispano-Suiza de Automóviles” (Spanish-Swiss Car Factory).
By the end of 1903 this company went bankrupt, re-emerging in 1904 as “La Hispano-Suiza Fábrica de Automóviles”.
In 1906 Hispano-Suiza produced two models of 3.8 and 7.4 litres.
Between 1907 and 1914 the company mass-produced a range of cars, plus a number of hand-built racing models, including the Type A (1907), Type 15 (1910) and the four-cylinder 3,620 cc 65 hp Alphonse XIII (1911-14).
In 1911 a factory called “Hispano France” was established just outside Paris
, moving to another location in 1914, when they took the name "Hispano-Suiza”.
The Stork statuette fitted on top of each car’s radiator was based on the squadron emblem painted on the side of the aircraft used by a WWI French ace, who owned a Hispano-Suiza car.
The Hispano-Suiza H6
range was introduced in 1919. It was mainly built at the Paris factory. A few model built in Spain were called the T41.
About 2,350 of these ultra-luxury models were made up to 1933; the 6,597 cc H6B (1919-32), and H6C (1926-33).
Between 1924 and 1927 about 50 H6Bs were built under license by Skoda
of Czechoslovakia
.
The H6 was one of the first cars to be fitted with power-assisted brakes and originally came with a 6.5 litre engine. An 8 litre engine was fitted to the H6C model.
In 1923 the French part of Hispano-Suiza became known as the Societé Française Hispano-Suiza
.
The 8 litre T56 model was produced from 1928, plus a 3,750 cc T49 model.
Other models produced in Spain the 1920s include the 4.7 litre T30 4.7 (1914-24) and the 3,089 cc T16 (1921-24).
In 1930 Hispano-Suiza took over Ballot
, the French car manufacturer.
The six-cylinder 4,580cc Junior model was produced from about 1930 to 1934. It was replaced by the 5.1 litre 120 hp K6 (1934-37).
The 9,425 cc Type 68, which was produced in 1931, later evolved into an 11,310 cc version. A six-cylinder version, the K6, succeeded the Junior in 1934.
During the 1930s the company produced a range of luxury cars, including the 4.5 litre 95 hp HS26 (1932), the 9.4 litre 210 hp and 11.3 litre 260 hp J12 model (1932-38) The last model produced by the company in Spain was the T6ORL. The car was produced from 1934 to about 1943.
After the Second World War, Hispano-Suiza France was primarily an aerospace firm. from 1955 Their attention turned increasingly to jet engine manufacturing and, in 1968, they became a division of SNECMA
. In 1999, they moved their turbine engines operations to a new factory in Bezons
, outside of Paris, using the original factories for power transmissions and accessory systems for jet engines. In 2005, SNECMA merged with SAGEM
to form SAFRAN
.
In Spain the Hispano-Suiza company sold in 1946 their automotive assets to “Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A” (Enasa
), a Spanish vehicle manufacturing company. Its become Pegaso
brand.
The first model was a three-wheeled two door car that was powered by a 125 cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine.
Other models include the Chiqui, a three wheeler with single wheel at the rear, the Platillo Volante, a four wheel coupé and the M190 with miniature Mercedes 190 body.
, Nissan, Daimler AG, Ford, Renault
, Opel
, PSA Peugeot/Citroën
, Iveco
etc. - as well as suppliers have facilities and plants in Spain today developing and producing vehicles and components, not only for the needs of the internal market but also for exportation purposes, with the contribution of the automobile industry in 2008 rising up to the second place with 17,6% out of the country's total exports.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
today is the world's eighth largest producer of automobiles and its car market stands among the largest in Europe. In 2009 LLAMA, the automotive industry was generating the 3.5 per cent of Spain's GDP, giving employment about nine per cent of the working population. Spain had previously become the fifth country of the world to manufacture cars, but in 2008 and 2009 the production decreased.
The reduction tendency started ten years ago, when a government policy was abandoned. The result was the loss of all cars brands and manufacturers, which are now in the hands of foreign companies or closed.
SEATSEATSEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
SEAT is the sole active Spanish brand with a mass production potential and capability of developing its own models in-house. Today it operates as a subsidiary of the Volkswagen GroupVolkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
, formed in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) and six Spanish banks with Fiat assistance, under a name that stands for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Saloon/Sedan Car Company).
In 1953 the company produced their first model, the SEAT 1400
SEAT 1400
The SEAT 1400 was a rear-wheel drive four door sedan mid-size car launched by the Spanish car maker SEAT between 1953 and 1963, the first model ever produced by SEAT and the first car to be assembled at the firm's new plant located in Barcelona's Zona Franca zone.The car was a rebranded Fiat 1400,...
.
This 44 hp (33 kW) four-door saloon car had a top speed of 75 mph (120 km/h). When production ceased in 1964 over 98,000 had been made.
Models produced licensed by Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
in the 1960s include the 600
SEAT 600
The SEAT 600 was a Spanish car made by SEAT from May 1957 to August 1973. It helped to start the economic boom, the Spanish Miracle , that came at the end of the slow recovery from the Spanish Civil War...
, 850
SEAT 850
The SEAT 850 was a car launched in 1966, based upon the Fiat 850. Originally only available with the same 2-door sedan body as used in Italy, two different 4-door versions also appeared in 1967...
, 1500
SEAT 1500
The SEAT 1500 was a Spanish-built 6-seater model of saloon and estate cars, based on the Italian Fiat 1800. The 1500 was the successor to the SEAT 1400 C: it was manufactured between 1963 and 1972, with the five door estate version arriving in 1965...
and 124. 815,319 of the 800 models were made between 1964 and 1967.
SEAT produced its one millionth car in 1968. By 2003 this figure had risen to more than 14 million.
During the 1970s SEAT produced the 67 hp (50 kW) 1200 model (1975 to 1980) and over 1.5 million 131 models (1974 to1984).
The SEAT 1200 Sport
SEAT 1200 Sport
The SEAT 1200 Sport is a 2-door 4-seater coupé presented officially by SEAT in December 1975 and commercially launched from February 1976 to September 1979. Its huge importance for SEAT lied on the fact it was the first model of the Spanish brand entirely developed in its newly-opened Martorell...
was a 2-door coupé produced by SEAT from 1975 to 1979. The car was known as the "Bocanegra" because of the shape of its always black plastic nose panel, which embraced the front grille and the headlights and incorporated, by 1970s standards, a prominent front bumper. "Boca negra" means "black mouth" in Spanish.
Other models produced at this time include the 127, 128, 132, 133 and the Ritmo. Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
’s assistance ended in 1981 and was replaced by a cooperation agreement with the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
in 1982.
Up to 1981 most SEAT cars resembled Fiat models. The 1982 Ronda
SEAT Ronda
The SEAT Ronda is a small family car produced by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1982 to 1986, and styled by Rayton Fissore in collaboration with the Technical Centre in Martorell...
model was the first car produced by SEAT without assistance from Fiat. SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
became a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
in 1986.
Other cars produced during the 1980s include the Fura
SEAT Fura
The SEAT Fura is a supermini produced by Spanish automaker SEAT from 1981 to 1986. The Fura is a rebadged version of the Fiat 127, available in three and five-door hatchback bodystyles....
(1981-86), Marbella
SEAT Marbella
The SEAT Panda was a badge-engineered Fiat Panda produced by SEAT from 1980 to 1986, in the company's Landaben plant in the Spanish city of Pamplona-Navarra and also in the firm's Zona Franca plant in Barcelona...
(1986-98), Málaga
SEAT Málaga
The SEAT Málaga is a four-door saloon produced by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1985 to 1992, named after the city of Málaga in Andalucía, southern Spain....
(1985-92) and Ibiza
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
.
Three generations of the Ibiza
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
model were made between 1985 and 2007.
Models produced between 1990 and 2007 include the Arosa
SEAT Arosa
The SEAT Arosa is a city car from the Spanish automaker SEAT, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, built between 1997 and 2004. The pre-facelift model debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1997, while its facelifted model was presented at the Paris Motor Show in Autumn 2000 and was in...
, León
SEAT León
The SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
, Córdoba
SEAT Córdoba
The first generation SEAT Córdoba was presented at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in the summer of the same year, penned by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and based on the chassis of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 which would spawn the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 the following year.Its 1.4, 1.6, 1.8...
, Toledo
SEAT Toledo
The second generation Toledo was introduced in 1998 and made its debut at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as a four-door notchback sedan. It was more rounded than the previous first generation shape and had a much more fluid design, although both were products of Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio...
, Alhambra
SEAT Alhambra
The SEAT Alhambra is a large 7-seat MPV by the Volkswagen Group, sold under the SEAT brand.The Alhambra already spans two generations since 1996, and both of them are built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal...
and the Altea
SEAT Altea
The SEAT Altea is a compact MPV produced by Spanish automaker SEAT, S.A. and named after Altea, Spain. The vehicle was designed by the Italian Walter de'Silva and launched in 2004 as the first example of SEAT's new corporate look...
.
In 2008 the company introduced the 1.4 litre, 170 hp (127 kW) Bocanegra
SEAT Bocanegra
-SEAT Bocanegra concept car:The SEAT Bocanegra is a three-door supermini concept car, built by the Spanish automaker SEAT and designed by former Lamborghini designer Luc Donckerwolke who at the moment had been assigned SEAT's design director....
(4th generation Ibiza) concept car.
2009 models include the León Mk2
SEAT León
The SEAT León is a small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A. since October 1998.The two León generations are, or have been built upon two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform, and they also share many other components with...
, Córdoba Mk2
SEAT Córdoba
The first generation SEAT Córdoba was presented at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show and launched in the summer of the same year, penned by Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and based on the chassis of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 which would spawn the Volkswagen Polo Mk3 the following year.Its 1.4, 1.6, 1.8...
, Toledo Mk3
SEAT Toledo
The second generation Toledo was introduced in 1998 and made its debut at the 1998 Paris Motor Show as a four-door notchback sedan. It was more rounded than the previous first generation shape and had a much more fluid design, although both were products of Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio...
, Alhambra Mk1
SEAT Alhambra
The SEAT Alhambra is a large 7-seat MPV by the Volkswagen Group, sold under the SEAT brand.The Alhambra already spans two generations since 1996, and both of them are built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal...
, Ibiza Mk4
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....
and Altea
SEAT Altea
The SEAT Altea is a compact MPV produced by Spanish automaker SEAT, S.A. and named after Altea, Spain. The vehicle was designed by the Italian Walter de'Silva and launched in 2004 as the first example of SEAT's new corporate look...
and the new flagship sedan model Exeo
SEAT Exeo
The SEAT Exeo is a five-seat large family car, and flagship model, built by the Spanish car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group subsidiary SEAT, S.A., with factory production commencing in December 2008....
. The Exeo being derived from the Audi A4
Audi A4
The first generation Audi A4 debuted in 1994, with production starting November 1994. It was built on the Volkswagen Group B5 platform, which it shared with the fourth generation Volkswagen Passat . It had a front-mounted longitudinal engine and front-wheel drive...
, shares the same fundamental powertrain layout and platform.
Abadal
Francisco Abadal, who used to work for Hispano-SuizaHispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
, produced two luxury models between 1912 and 1923.
They were fitted with either a 3,104cc four-cylinder engine or a 4,521 cc six-cylinder engine. From about 1917 Buick engines were fitted and these cars were called Abadal- Buicks. Approximately 170 Imperia-Abadals were built in Belgium, including a 2,992 cc sports model.
AuthiAuthiThe Authi car company of Pamplona, Spain, was founded in 1965 as a result of a collaboration between BMC and NMQ ....
The Authi Car Company, which was formed in 1965, was the result of a collaboration agreement between Nueva Montana Quijano and the British Motor Corporation.The company produced the following models: Authi Mini (1968-1975), Authi Mini Cooper (1973-1975), Morris 1100/1300 (1966-1972), Austin Victoria (1972-1975) and the Austin de Luxe (1974-1975).
In 1976 the company was purchased by the SEAT
SEAT
SEAT, S.A. is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded on May 9, 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria , a state-owned industrial holding company....
Car Company.
BarreirosBarreiros (manufacturer)Barreiros was a Spanish manufacturer of engines, trucks, buses, tractors and automobiles.-Barreiros Diesel:The company was founded in 1954 as Barreiros Diesel S.A. by Eduardo Barreiros and based in Madrid...
The company was founded in 1954 as Barreiros Diesel S.A and initially it produced diesel engines.In 1963 a licensing agreement was reached with Chrysler to build the Dodge Dart in Spain.
Between 1965 and 1977 a total of 17,589 Barreiros Darts were produced. These were based on the Dodge Dart GL, the Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960-1976 in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a...
GT (“sporty" version) and the Dodge 3700GT.
A diesel version called the “Barreiros Diesel" was also produced.
In 1969 Chrysler Europe took over the company.
From the mid-1970s Barreiros started manufacturing the Chrysler 180 and later the Simca 1307 (called the Chrysler 150 in Spain) and the Simca Horizon.
In 1978, PSA Peugeot Citroën
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
purchased Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
Europe and former models were renamed; the Chrysler 150 becoming the Talbot
Talbot
Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...
150. Barreiros later produced the Talbot Solara and Talbot Samba
Talbot Samba
The Talbot Samba is a supermini car manufactured by the PSA Group in the former Simca factory in Poissy, France, and marketed under the short-lived modern-day Talbot brand. Based on the Peugeot 104, it was the only Talbot not inherited from Chrysler Europe, engineered by PSA alone. It was also the...
.
BiscuterBiscúterBiscúter was a microcar manufactured in Spain during the mid-20th century.-Background:...
In the late 1940s Gabriel Voisin (French) designed a small car called the Biscooter. The license to build the vehicle was obtained by Autonacional S.A.The first Biscuter car was launched in Spain in 1953 and was called the Series 100 or the Zapatilla (little shoe).
The original models did not have doors, windows or a reverse gear. It was powered by a one cylinder, 197 cc, two-stroke 9 hp (7 kW) engine which supplied power only to the right front wheel.
The Biscúter car was produced for about ten years.
ElizaldeElizalde (automobile)-Automobile manufacturer:Arturo Elizalde Rouvier opened a garage in Barcelona in 1909, and used it to manufacture automobile parts. He and his brother-in-law, Rafael Biada Navarro, were co-managers of the company they had formed with J. M. Vallet y Arnau, under the name "Sociedad Mercantil J. M....
In 1909 Arturo Elizalde Rouvier started a company was called "Sociedad Mercantil J. M. Vallet y Cia" to manufacturer car parts.A prototype called the Tipo 11 was launched in mid 1914.
In 1915, King Alfonso XIII
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfonso XIII was King of Spain from 1886 until 1931. His mother, Maria Christina of Austria, was appointed regent during his minority...
owned a 20cv Biada-Elizalde cabriolet Tipo 20.
A 25cv sports version of the Tipo 20 was produced in 1919 as the Reine Victoria (name of the Queen consorts). It is believed to be the first Spanish car to feature four-wheel brakes.
In 1920 the company started production of the four-cylinder, 3,817 cc, Model 29. Variants of this model were built until 1927.
Production of the 8,143 cc straight-eight model, known as the Tipo 48, also began in 1920.
The car had a built in tire pump which could also be used as a vacuum cleaner.
A 5,181 cc straight-eight Gran Sport version of the Tipo 48 model, capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), was also produced.
Production of Elizalde cars ceased in 1928.
ENASAEnasaENASA was a Spanish vehicle manufacturing company, incorporated in 1946 having bought the automotive assets of the Spanish arm of Hispano-Suiza. It produced trucks, buses and military armored vehicles under the Pegaso and, for a short while, Sava brands. Enasa belonged to the state-owned INI...
ENASA sort of (Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A.) was a Spanish truck manufacturing company, incorporated in 1946 having bought the automotive assets of the Spanish arm of Hispano-SuizaHispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
. It produced trucks, buses sport-cars and military armored vehicles under the Pegaso
Pegaso
Pegaso was a Spanish make of trucks, omnibuses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the old Hispano-Suiza factory, under the direction of the renowned automotive engineer Wifredo Ricart...
brand and, for a short while, Sava
Sava (Spain)
Sociedad Anónima de Vehículos Automoviles was a Spanish producer of light and medium commercial vehicles, based in Valladolid.They started in 1957 with a 3-wheeled vehicle, but soon switched to make a Barreiros engined light truck...
brands. Pegaso
Pegaso
Pegaso was a Spanish make of trucks, omnibuses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the old Hispano-Suiza factory, under the direction of the renowned automotive engineer Wifredo Ricart...
built about a hundred high-end Z-102
Pegaso Z-102
The Pegaso Z-102 was a sports car coupé produced in Spain between 1951 and 1958.-Background:Pegaso was an established company noted for its trucks and motor coaches, but also produced sports cars for seven years...
sports cars in the 1950s. The cars were in many ways advanced for the time, as they had all wheel independent suspension, a five-speed gearbox, very powerful supercharged engines, and were offered with the choice of Touring, Saoutchik, Serra or Enasa's own luxury bodies.
Enasa belonged to the state-owned INI industrial holding. In 1990 Enasa was sold to Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
.
EucortEucortEucort was a Spanish automobile manufacturer based at Barcelona from 1945 till 1953.An attempt at creating a "popular car", the first Eucort was based on a prewar DKW design. It featured a 764 cc twin-cylinder two stroke engine. Output of was claimed for this model. DKW inspriation was...
The Eugenio Cortes SA (company) manufactured cars from 1945 to 1951.Or 1953?The first Eucort model, which was based on a pre WW2 Germany Dampf Kraft Wagen (DKW)
DKW
DKW is a historic German car and motorcycle marque. The name derives from Dampf-Kraft-Wagen .In 1916, the Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen founded a factory in Zschopau, Saxony, Germany, to produce steam fittings. In the same year, he attempted to produce a steam-driven car, called the DKW...
design, was fitted with 764 cc twin-cylinder two stroke engine.
Four-door sedan and a three door estate versions were available.
In 1950 the company started production of its final model, the two stroke 1,034 cc Victoria.
By the time the company ceased car production in 1951 (1953?) about 1,500 Eucort cars (including taxis) had been built.
Hispano-SuizaHispano-SuizaHispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
In 1898 Emilio de la Cuadra started a company in Barcelona called “La Cuadra” to produce electric cars. Four years later it was acquired by J. Castro.He changed the name to “Fábrica Hispano-Suiza de Automóviles” (Spanish-Swiss Car Factory).
By the end of 1903 this company went bankrupt, re-emerging in 1904 as “La Hispano-Suiza Fábrica de Automóviles”.
In 1906 Hispano-Suiza produced two models of 3.8 and 7.4 litres.
Between 1907 and 1914 the company mass-produced a range of cars, plus a number of hand-built racing models, including the Type A (1907), Type 15 (1910) and the four-cylinder 3,620 cc 65 hp Alphonse XIII (1911-14).
In 1911 a factory called “Hispano France” was established just outside Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, moving to another location in 1914, when they took the name "Hispano-Suiza”.
The Stork statuette fitted on top of each car’s radiator was based on the squadron emblem painted on the side of the aircraft used by a WWI French ace, who owned a Hispano-Suiza car.
The Hispano-Suiza H6
Hispano-Suiza H6
The Hispano-Suiza H6 was a luxury automobile from the 1920s. Introduced at the 1919 Paris Motor Show, the H6 was produced until 1933. Roughly 2,350 H6, H6B, and H6C cars were produced in total....
range was introduced in 1919. It was mainly built at the Paris factory. A few model built in Spain were called the T41.
About 2,350 of these ultra-luxury models were made up to 1933; the 6,597 cc H6B (1919-32), and H6C (1926-33).
Between 1924 and 1927 about 50 H6Bs were built under license by Skoda
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
.
The H6 was one of the first cars to be fitted with power-assisted brakes and originally came with a 6.5 litre engine. An 8 litre engine was fitted to the H6C model.
In 1923 the French part of Hispano-Suiza became known as the Societé Française Hispano-Suiza
SAFRAN
Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...
.
The 8 litre T56 model was produced from 1928, plus a 3,750 cc T49 model.
Other models produced in Spain the 1920s include the 4.7 litre T30 4.7 (1914-24) and the 3,089 cc T16 (1921-24).
In 1930 Hispano-Suiza took over Ballot
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
, the French car manufacturer.
The six-cylinder 4,580cc Junior model was produced from about 1930 to 1934. It was replaced by the 5.1 litre 120 hp K6 (1934-37).
The 9,425 cc Type 68, which was produced in 1931, later evolved into an 11,310 cc version. A six-cylinder version, the K6, succeeded the Junior in 1934.
During the 1930s the company produced a range of luxury cars, including the 4.5 litre 95 hp HS26 (1932), the 9.4 litre 210 hp and 11.3 litre 260 hp J12 model (1932-38) The last model produced by the company in Spain was the T6ORL. The car was produced from 1934 to about 1943.
After the Second World War, Hispano-Suiza France was primarily an aerospace firm. from 1955 Their attention turned increasingly to jet engine manufacturing and, in 1968, they became a division of SNECMA
Snecma
Snecma is a major French manufacturer of engines for commercial and military aircraft, and for space vehicles. The name is an acronym for Société Nationale d'Étude et de Construction de Moteurs d'Aviation .In 2005, the Snecma group, which included Snecma ,...
. In 1999, they moved their turbine engines operations to a new factory in Bezons
Bezons
Bezons is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.-Transport:Bezons is currently served by no station of the Paris Métro, RER, or suburban rail network. The closest station to Bezons is Houilles – Carrières-sur-Seine station on Paris...
, outside of Paris, using the original factories for power transmissions and accessory systems for jet engines. In 2005, SNECMA merged with SAGEM
SAGEM
SAGEM was a major French company involved in defence electronics, consumer electronics and communication systems.In 2005, Sagem merged with SNECMA to form SAFRAN...
to form SAFRAN
SAFRAN
Safran is a French conglomerate involved in defense, aerospace propulsion and equipment, and security. It is the result of a merger between the propulsion and aerospace equipment group SNECMA and the defense conglomerate SAGEM. Its headquarters are located in Paris.The name Safran, literally...
.
In Spain the Hispano-Suiza company sold in 1946 their automotive assets to “Empresa Nacional de Autocamiones S.A” (Enasa
Enasa
ENASA was a Spanish vehicle manufacturing company, incorporated in 1946 having bought the automotive assets of the Spanish arm of Hispano-Suiza. It produced trucks, buses and military armored vehicles under the Pegaso and, for a short while, Sava brands. Enasa belonged to the state-owned INI...
), a Spanish vehicle manufacturing company. Its become Pegaso
Pegaso
Pegaso was a Spanish make of trucks, omnibuses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the old Hispano-Suiza factory, under the direction of the renowned automotive engineer Wifredo Ricart...
brand.
Kapi
Automóviles y Autoscooter Kapi produced cars from 1950 to 1955.The first model was a three-wheeled two door car that was powered by a 125 cc single-cylinder two-stroke engine.
Other models include the Chiqui, a three wheeler with single wheel at the rear, the Platillo Volante, a four wheel coupé and the M190 with miniature Mercedes 190 body.
Multinational subsidiaries
Many foreign car and truck makers - like VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
, Nissan, Daimler AG, Ford, Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, Opel
Opel
Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...
, PSA Peugeot/Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën
PSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. Headquartered in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe and the number eight in the world.-History:In December 1974 Peugeot S.A....
, Iveco
Iveco
Iveco, an acronym for Industrial Vehicle Corporation, originally an alliance of European commercial vehicle manufacturers such as Fiat , Unic and Magirus. Iveco is now an Italian truck, bus, and diesel engine manufacturer, based in Turin...
etc. - as well as suppliers have facilities and plants in Spain today developing and producing vehicles and components, not only for the needs of the internal market but also for exportation purposes, with the contribution of the automobile industry in 2008 rising up to the second place with 17,6% out of the country's total exports.