Automotive industry in Spain
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In 2015 Spain produced 2.7 million cars which made it the 8th largest automobile producer country in the world and the 2nd largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany. The forecast as of 2016 was to produce a total of 2.8 million vehicles from which about 80% is for export. During the first half of 2016, with exports valued over 24 billion euros over that period, the automotive industry accounted for 18.9% of the total Spanish exports. In 2016, the automotive industry was generating 8.7 percent of Spain's gross domestic product, employing about nine percent of workers in the manufacturing industry. In all, there are 13 car factories located in Spain. which are supported by a thriving local car components industry, including rapidly growing Spanish multinationals such as
Gestamp Automoción Gestamp Automoción, S.A. simply known as Gestamp is a Spanish multinational automotive engineering company. It is one of leading firms in the European automotive industry. History Corporación Gestamp, Spain's largest automotive supplier steel ...
and
Grupo Antolin Grupo Antolín started its business as a mechanics garage for vehicle and agriculture machinery repairs in Burgos, Spain, and was run by Avelino Antolín López and his sons Avelino and José. Nowadays, Grupo Antolín is a manufacturer in the car ...
. More than two million car engines are manufactured in Spain every year. The main manufacturers established in the country are Mercedes-Benz Group AG (manufacturing plant in
Vitoria Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória (b ...
), Ford (its plant located in
Almussafes Almussafes (Spanish: ''Almusafes'') is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of Ribera Baixa in the Valencian Community, Spain. History Almussafes was originally a Muslim hamlet, consisting of several farmhouses and a tower. There was a customs off ...
is Ford's biggest in Europe),
Stellantis Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The comp ...
's
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
(
Figueruelas Figueruelas (population 1,040) is a small town and municipality in the Spain, Spanish Autonomous Region of Aragón, province of Zaragoza (province), Zaragoza. The town is home to a Opel car factory, opened in 1982, which has built five generations ...
), the
PSA Peugeot Citroen The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
side of
Stellantis Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The comp ...
( Vigo) and ( Madrid)-( Villaverde), Renault (with plants in Palencia and Valladolid as well as a transmission plant in Seville),
SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
( Martorell), Volkswagen ( Pamplona). From these production plants, as of 2016 the two biggest by volume are the ones of SEAT in Martorell and PSA in Vigo.


Historical development

Early Spanish manufacturers included the well known luxury car manufacturer
Hispano-Suiza Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...
, originally founded as "La Cuadra" in 1898, and smaller companies such as Elizalde and Ricart. Foreign makers started to set up local assembly plants supplied with imported parts in the 1920s, with Ford Motor Ibérica opening its Cádiz premises in 1920 and
General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
Peninsular in
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...
in 1927. By 1936, the industry had reached a significant volume, and was in continuous growth and modernisation. The devastation of the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939) interrupted this development, and the decade of economic isolation that followed made it very difficult for it to resume. In the mid 1940s, a number of home-grown companies started to emerge, led by Enasa, a state-owned conglomerate built around the remains of Hispano-Suiza, with brands like
Pegaso Pegaso (, "Pegasus") was a Spanish manufacturer of trucks, buses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, to train apprentices, and have a good brand image, some sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the ...
or Sava. Things started to change for the Spanish car industry in the 1960s when an
industrial policy An industrial policy (IP) or industrial strategy of a country is its official strategic effort to encourage the development and growth of all or part of the economy, often focused on all or part of the manufacturing sector. The government takes m ...
was launched with measures which contributed the
Spanish miracle The Spanish miracle ( es, el milagro español) refers to a period of exceptionally rapid development and growth across all major areas of economic activity in Spain during the latter part of the Francoist regime, from 1959 to 1974, in which GD ...
. In the years from 1958 to 1972 the sector grew at a yearly compound rate of 21.7%; in 1946 there were 72,000 private cars in Spain, in 1966 there were 1 million. This growth rate had no equal in the world. The icon of the time was the
SEAT 600 The SEAT 600 is a city car made in Spain by SEAT from May 1957 until August 1973 under licence from Fiat. It helped to start the Spanish miracle (economic boom of 1959–1973) that came at the end of the slow recovery from the Spanish Civil War. ...
car, produced by the Spanish company
SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
. More than 794,000 of them were made between 1957 and 1973, and if at the beginning of this period it was the first car for many Spanish working-class families, at its end it was the first ''second'' one for many more. Later on, in the 1980s the Spanish automotive flagship, SEAT, was sold to the Volkswagen group, but by then the manufacturing cluster had already been consolidated and other international manufacturers were already producing in Spain.


Spanish brands


Present Spanish brands


GTA Spano


Hurtan Hurtan Desarrollos S.L., also known as Hurtan Automóviles, is a Spanish automobile company, founded in 1991 by Juan Hurtado González.IFR Aspid


SEAT

SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
is the sole active Spanish mass production car company (today operating as a
subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
of Volkswagen) that develops its own models in-house. It was founded in 1950 by the state owned Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) and six Spanish banks with
FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
assistance, under the name 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 Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
in the 1960s include the 600, 850,
1500 Year 1500 (Roman numerals, MD) was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The year 1500 was not a leap year in the Proleptic Gregorian calendar. The year was seen as being especially important by many Christians in Europe, ...
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 to 1984). The
SEAT 1200 Sport The SEAT 1200 Sport is a two-door, four-seater coupé developed by the Spanish car maker SEAT. First presented in December 1975, and sold commercially from February 1976 to September 1979, it was the first car developed entirely in the company's n ...
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 Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
’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 Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
models. The 1982 Ronda model was the first car produced by SEAT without assistance from
FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
.
SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
became a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 1986. Other cars produced during the 1980s include the
Fura Fura may refer to: * Mount Fura (Mt Darwin) site of capital of Monomotapa kingdom in Zimbabwe * Fura (food), Nigerian millet dough balls eaten with nono * Fura (rapper), Indian rapper * SEAT Fura supermini car produced by Spanish automaker SEAT, ...
(1981–86), Marbella (1986–98),
Málaga Málaga (, ) is a municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 578,460 in 2020, it is the second-most populous city in Andalusia after Seville and the sixth most pop ...
(1985–92) and
Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...
. The Marbella was a re-badged Fiat Panda, while the
Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont. Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
styled Ibiza (launched in 1984) was the company's first new product after the split from
FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
. The Malaga was the saloon version of the Ibiza, but the Ibiza was far more popular. Models produced between 1990 and 2007 include the Arosa, León, Córdoba,
Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Orur ...
,
Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the ...
and the
Altea Altea (, ) is a city and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain, on the section of Mediterranean coast called the Costa Blanca. At present, the economy of Altea is based on tourism, which started to grow in the 1950s because of i ...
. In 2008 the company introduced the 1.4-litre, 170 hp (127 kW) Bocanegra (4th generation Ibiza) concept car. The Ibiza was in its fourth generation by 2008. The Toledo, launched in 1991, was SEAT's first large family car since its split from
FIAT Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
. The Cordoba, which ran between 1993 and 2008, was the saloon version of the second and third generation Ibiza hatchbacks, and was slightly more popular than the earlier Malaga. The Alhambra was SEAT's first MPV, launched in 1996 and based on the Volkswagen Sharan and Ford Galaxy. The Leon, launched in 1999, was a small family hatchback aimed at the likes of the Ford Focus and Opel Astra. SEAT's replacement for the long-running Marbella was the SEAT Arosa, launched in 1997; it formed the basis of the Volkswagen Lupo which was launched over a year later. 2009 models include the León Mk2, Córdoba Mk2, Toledo Mk3, Alhambra Mk1, Ibiza Mk4 and
Altea Altea (, ) is a city and municipality located in the Valencian Community, Spain, on the section of Mediterranean coast called the Costa Blanca. At present, the economy of Altea is based on tourism, which started to grow in the 1950s because of i ...
and the new flagship sedan model Exeo. The Exeo being derived from the Audi A4, shares the same fundamental powertrain layout and platform. Until the mid 1980s, SEAT cars were rarely seen outside Spain, but have since become popular in many export markets, including Britain, where sales began in the autumn of 1985. Just under 6,000 SEATs were sold in Britain in 1986, the company's first full year of trading there, exceeding 10,000 sales in 1988 and exceeding 20,000 a year by 2000, peaking at more than 45,000 in 2013.


Sunred


Tauro Sport Auto Tauro Sport Auto is a Spanish manufacturer of luxury sports cars based in Valladolid, founded in 2010, when a group of Spanish businessmen joined with a British manufacturer of racing cars to create the company. Their most popular model is the ...


Tramontana


Historic Spanish brands


Abadal

Francisco Abadal, who used to work for
Hispano-Suiza Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...
, 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 of Pamplona, Spain, was founded in 1965 as a result of a collaboration between BMC (the British Motor Corporation) and NMQ ( Nueva Montaña Quijano). BMC needed a way to sell their cars in Spain, which at the time had str ...

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 A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...
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 (using the body of the Argentinian Dodge Polara/Coronado). 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 () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...
purchased
Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automoti ...
Europe and former models were renamed; the
Chrysler 150 150 may refer to: *150 (number), a natural number *AD 150, a year in the 2nd century AD *150 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *150 Regiment RLC *Combined Task Force 150 * 150 Nuwa, a main-belt asteroid See also * List of highways numbered 150 Th ...
becoming the
Talbot Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot ...
150. Barreiros later produced the
Talbot Solara Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot ...
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 Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...
. It produced trucks, buses sport-cars and military armored vehicles under the
Pegaso Pegaso (, "Pegasus") was a Spanish manufacturer of trucks, buses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, to train apprentices, and have a good brand image, some sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the ...
brand and, for a short while, Sava brands.
Pegaso Pegaso (, "Pegasus") was a Spanish manufacturer of trucks, buses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, to train apprentices, and have a good brand image, some sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the ...
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
Fiat S.p.A. Fiat S.p.A., or ''Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino'' (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin), was an Italian holding company whose original and core activities were in the automotive industry, and that was succeeded by Fiat Chrysler Automobi ...
-
Iveco IVECO, an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles. The name IVECO first appeared in 1975 after a merger o ...
.


Eucort Eucort (Eusebio Cortés SA) 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-stro ...

The Eugenio Cortes SA (company) manufactured cars from 1945 to 1953. The first Eucort model, which was based on a pre World War II 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 1953 about 1,500 Eucort cars (including taxis) had been built.


Hispano-Suiza Hispano-Suiza () is a Spanish automotive–engineering company. It was founded in 1904 by Marc Birkigt and Damian Mateu as an automobile manufacturer and eventually had several factories in Spain and France that produced luxury cars, aircraft en ...

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 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 World War I French ace, who owned a Hispano-Suiza car. The
Hispano-Suiza H6 The Hispano-Suiza H6 is a luxury car that was produced by Hispano-Suiza, mostly in France. Introduced at the 1919 Paris Motor Show,Ultimatecarpage.com – Hispano Suiza H6C Monza the H6 was produced until 1933. Roughly 2,350 H6, H6B, and H6C cars ...
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 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 HS26 (1932), the 9.4-litre and 11.3-litre 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 Bezons () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Population Transport An extension of the tramway line T2 to Pont de Bezons opened in 2012. With Bezons not served by any stations o ...
, 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 Safran S.A. is a French multinational company that designs, develops and manufactures aircraft engines, rocket engines as well as various aerospace and defense-related equipment or their components. It was formed by a merger between SNECMA and ...
. 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. It has become
Pegaso Pegaso (, "Pegasus") was a Spanish manufacturer of trucks, buses, tractors, armored vehicles, and, for a while, to train apprentices, and have a good brand image, some sports cars. The parent company, Enasa, was created in 1946 and based in the ...
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 The Mercedes-Benz W201 was the internal designation for the Mercedes 190 series sedans, a range of front-engine, rear drive, five passenger, four-door sedans manufactured over a single generation, from 1982 to 1993 as the company's first compac ...
body.


Bus manufacturing Bus manufacturing, a sector of the automotive industry, manufactures buses and coaches. History Bus manufacturing had its earliest origins in carriage building. Other bus manufacturers had their origins in truck manufacturing. Historically, ch ...

Spain has the largest number of independent coachbuilders in Europe, producing bespoke models for the international market. Contrary to the large European bus manufacturers, who build their buses as standard models on an integral chassis, most Spanish manufacturers build a bodywork on a chassis supplied by a third party, allowing for a large variety of designs. As of December 2017, active coachbuilders include: * Ayats * Beulas * Burilla * Car-bus.net * Castrosua * Ferqui * Indcar * Integralia *
Irizar file:Irizar i4.jpg, Irizar i4LE in Madrid Irizar Group is a Spain, Spanish-based manufacturer of luxury buses and coach (vehicle), coaches. Established in 1889, the company is located in Ormaiztegi in the Basque Country (autonomous community) ...
*
Nogebus Nogebus is a Spain-based bus manufacturing, coachbuilder. The company builds bus and coach (vehicle), coach bodies on various possible chassis. Their products are sold throughout all of Western Europe. The company, originally named Noge, collapsed ...
* Obradors * Sunsundegui * Unvi * Vectia


Multinational subsidiaries

Many foreign car and truck makers - like Volkswagen,
Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
, Daimler AG, Ford, Renault,
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
, PSA Peugeot/Citroën,
Iveco IVECO, an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation, is an Italian multinational transport vehicle manufacturing company. It designs and builds light, medium, and heavy commercial vehicles. The name IVECO first appeared in 1975 after a merger o ...
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. Ford opened a factory at Valencia in 1976 to build its new European supermini, the
Fiesta ''Fiesta'' (Spanish for "religious feast", "festival", or "party") may refer to: Events *Fiesta San Antonio, a 10-day event held every April in San Antonio, Texas *St. Peter's Fiesta, a five-day festival in Gloucester, Massachusetts *Fiestas d ...
, which is still being built there 40 years and several incarnations later, although it has also been built in Britain and Germany. The Escort and Orion were also built there in the 1980s and 1990s, as was the Ka from 1996 until 2008, when production of its successor was switched to the
Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A. (, , ; originally FIAT, it, Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino, lit=Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer, formerly part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and since 2021 a subsidiary ...
factory in Poland. The Escort's successor, the Focus was produced at the Valencia plant from 1998 until 2011, since when all European production of the third generation Focus has been concentrated in Germany. The C-Max version of the third generation Focus, however, was built there from 2010 until 2014. The factory also hosted production of a Mazda model, the Mazda 2, from 2002 to 2007, as part of Ford's venture with the Japanese carmaker.
Nissan , trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
has been building cars in Spain at its Barcelona factory since 1983. The first model to be produced there was the
Patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. Etymology Fro ...
four-wheel drive. It built several model ranges for the passenger car and commercial vehicle markets, the most recent addition being the
Pulsar A pulsar (from ''pulsating radio source'') is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed only when a beam of emission is pointing toward Ea ...
family hatchback in 2014. Nissan also built rebadged vans for LDV and rebadged SUV's for
Ford of Europe Ford of Europe GmbH is a subsidiary company of Ford Motor Company founded in 1967 in Cork (city), Cork, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with headquarters in Cologne, Germany. History Ford of Europe was founded in 1967 by the merger of Ford of Bri ...
in Barcelona. Nissan also built pickup trucks there for itself as well as partners Renault and Mercedes-Benz. Nissan closed the Barcelona plant at the end of 2021. Renault set up a production facility at Valladolid in 1951, producing some of its
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
made products for the Spanish market. The Spanish production of some Renault models originally took place under the
FASA-Renault FASA-Renault was a Spanish automobile manufacturer which produced Renault and Renault-based vehicles from 1951 to 2000. Since 2000 until the present, its factories are part of Renault España. History The company was established in 1951 in Vallad ...
banner, and from 1974 to 1984 the company actually built its own saloon version of the hugely successful
Renault 5 The Renault 5 is a four-passenger, three or five-door, front-engine, front-wheel drive hatchback supermini manufactured and marketed by the French automaker Renault over two generations: 1972–1985 (also called R5) and 1984–1996 (also called S ...
hatchback, which was known as the
Renault 7 The Renault 7 (or "R7") is a 4-door saloon version of the Renault 5 supermini, produced and sold in Spain by Renault's subsidiary, FASA-Renault from 1974 to 1984. It was very similar to the R5 hatchback (which had been launched two years earlier ...
, and was only built at the Valladolid plant. Nearly 160,000 R7's were sold, most of them on the Spanish market. The Spanish operations were rebranded Renault Espana from 2000. General Motors Europe opened a new factory at Zaragoza in 1982, for production of its new Corsa supermini - which was imported to the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Nova. Production of the
Opel Kadett The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel from 1936 until 1940 and then from 1962 until 1991 (the Cabrio continued until 1993), when it was succeeded by the Opel Astra. Kadett I (1936–1940) ...
/ Vauxhall Astra also commenced at Zaragoza in 1986. The Meriva was built there between its launch in 2003–2017. GM sold Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Peugeot Citroën in 2017. PSA Peugeot Citroën then merged with
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) was an Italian-American multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles, commercial vehicles, auto parts and production systems. The Italian holding company Exor was the largest ...
to form
Stellantis Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automotive manufacturing corporation formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group. The comp ...
in 2021. Volkswagen has concentrated production of its
Polo Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
supermini at SEAT's Pamplona plant since it bought the company in 1986. All versions of the SEAT Ibiza produced since 1993 have featured the same floorpan and engines as the Volkswagen Polo of that generation.


See also

* Economy of Spain *
AFA (automobile) The AFA was a Spanish automobile manufactured between 1943 and 1944. Little is known about the marque other than that a few (1 or 2) 5 cv 4-cylinder cabriolets were built by Juan Aymerich Casanovas in Barcelona. AFA is for Aymerich Fábrica de Aut ...
a 1943 car


References

{{Automotive industry by country