PTV was a trademark of '' Automóviles Utilitarios S. A.'' a

microcar Microcar is a term often used for the smallest size of cars, with three or four wheels and often an engine smaller than . Specific types of microcars include bubble cars, cycle cars, invacar, quadricycles and voiturettes. Microcars are oft ...

manufacturer based in Manresa, near

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

, Spain. The PTV brand was at one time the second biggest volume microcar sold in Spain, beaten only by the

Biscúter Biscúter (Spanish spelling for the pronunciation of BiScooter) is a microcar manufactured in Spain, by Auto Nacional, SA, from 1953 until 1960, total of all versions around 10,000 units. Background Raw material shortages and general economic di ...

. Compared to the Biscúter it was more luxurious, offering proper doors, two-tone paint, chrome trim and 12 inch wheels. The first prototype was finished in 1956, powered by an in-house developed rear mounted 250 cc engine giving and a top speed of . This engine was later replaced by a 350 cc unit. However, when Fiat licensed their Fiat 600 for construction in Spain as the SEAT 600, sales dropped and the company reformed as AUSA Center SA - a constructor and supplier of industrial machinery and light vehicles, with branches in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...

Spain, Perpignan France,

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...

England, Hamm Germany,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

Canada and

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

China.

History

The story begins with vehicles that the brothers Tachó developed in 1950 ''La Ballena'' (The Whale) and in 1953 ''The Coca'' that were both marketed under the Tachó brand name. Guillem and Antoni Tachó were joined by Maurici Josep Vila Perramón and together they founded the company Automóviles Utilitarios, S.A. on May 4, 1956. The trade-mark PTV comes From Tachó-Perramón vehículo plus a distinctive number. The PTV 250 was the first model produced. in 1956. It was an attractive 2-seater convertible (2 + 1 according to the advertising brochure) with a rear-mounted 250 cc single-cylinder,11

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

(c. 8 KWmotor, and capable of speeds up to 75 km /h (about 45 mph). There were two versions: either with or without doors. A total of 1100 units were produced un to 1961, which ranks as the fourth (by volume) micro-car sold in Spain, after the

, the

Goggomobil Goggomobil was a series of microcars produced by Hans Glas GmbH in the Bavarian town Dingolfing between 1955 and 1969. Glas produced three models on the Goggomobil platform: the Goggomobil T sedan, the Goggomobil TS coupé, and the Goggomobil ...

and

Isetta The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became k ...

. Prices ranged between 44,500 and 55,000 Ptas. They were mostly marketed in Spain with some units exported to

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Specification of the PTV 250

*Motor: single-cylinder two-stroke transverse pistons. Bore x stroke: 66 x 72 mm. Displacement: 247 cc. Compression ratio 6,2:1. Carburetor Tachó monocoque of 22 mm. bore Power: 11 hp at 4,500 rpm. Coil ignition, 12 v. battery with 130 amps per dynamo. *Transmission: rear wheel drive, 3 speeds and reverse. Multi-disc clutch in oil bath. *Frame: Front Suspension: Independent with hydraulic shock absorbers and rear Panhard torsion bar, with hydraulic dampers. Brakes: Hydraulic Drum brakes on all four wheels. Steering: Helical Screw centrally mounted. Wheels: steel hub 12" tires 400 x 12. *Body: Simple sheet over steel tubular frame. 2 seats with the fuel tank of 18 liters. Wheelbase: 1,800 mm. Front track: 1,000 mm. Rear track: 1,000 mm. Dimensions (length x width x height): 2,950 x 1,320 x 1,250 mm. Weight: 330 kg. *'Maximum speed: 75 km / h Average consumption: 4.5 L/100 km (45 mph / 52 miles per US gallon).

Specification of the PTV 400

*Motor: two-cylinder two-stroke transverse pistons. Bore x stroke: 66 x 58 mm. Displacement: 396.83 cc. 6.5:1 compression ratio. Tachó Carburetor 22 mm bore plus rotary supercharger. Power: 19 hp at 4,500 rpm. Coil ignition. battery 12 V with 130 A for dynamo. *Transmission: Rear drive, 4 speed and reverse. Multi-disc clutch in oil bath. *Frame: front independent suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers and rear Panhard torsion bars, with hydraulic dampers. Brakes: Hydraulic Drums on all four wheels steering: helical screw central mounted. Wheels: steel hubs 12 "tires 520 x 12. *Body: monocoque sheet metal on steel tubular frame, 2 seater with the fuel tank of 18 liters. Wheelbase: 1940 mm. Front track: 1,090 mm. Rear track: 1,115 mm. Dimensions (length x width x height): 3,260 x 1,380 x 1,170 mm. Weight: 470 kg. *Maximum speed: 110 km / h and average consumption: 5 L/100 km. (c. 70 mph at 47 Miles per US Gallon)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ptv (Car) Microcars Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Spain Companies based in Barcelona