Graham Arnold provides a fascinating account of how a one-man, nail-making workshop in a northern Spanish village grew into a prosperous iron and steel industry. It would one day play a key role in the formation of BMC’s Spanish arm, and would go on to become a public company trading on the Spanish stock exchange [...]

The 1-litre ADO16 In 1974, just as the ADO16 was preparing to face its final curtain in the UK, Authi introduced a new 998cc version of the standard-bodied car, known simply as the Austin de Luxe. The specifications make interesting reading – with 55bhp on tap, it would have been likely to out-perform a standard [...]

Prior to the launch of the Austin Victoria in 1972, Authi built a range of standard-bodied ADO16 models from 1966 onwards. Authi MG-S 1300 ALL good things travel well, including the ADO16. Because of tough restrictions on cars imported into Spain, BMC knew that the only way into this market was to set-up a local [...]

The three-box ADO16, as restyled by Michelotti. IN October 1972, Authi replaced its Morris and MG ADO16 models with the Victoria (Spanish for Victory, so not named after a girl, queen, place or station). There is a rumour that the name was a chosen as a sardonic comment on the similarity of Michelotti’s styling job [...]

BMC’s involvement in Spain came about as a result of the company’s desire to crack the market, despite its steep import tariffs. The way to circumvent these taxes was to produce locally. However, thanks to the Spanish government’s insistance on a very high local content, BMC set-up a production facilities to produce not only finished [...]

The Costa Mini… As well as ADO16s, Authi also produced their version of the Mini for local consumption. As with its larger brother, the aim was to achieve 100 per cent local content, and as a result, the Minis that rolled out of Pamplona were very interesting indeed. The easy route to component supply in [...]

General Franco’s government this weekend approved the sale of British Leyland’s Spanish subsidiary, Authi, to General Motors. A high official of the Ministry of Industry reportedly said on Saturday night: “There was agreement at the cabinet meeting on Friday about the conditions in which General Motors may take over Authi “. The official, Senor Emilio [...]

DAILY MIRROR Car Plant Blaze Fire swept through British Leyland’s Authi car factory in Pamplona, Spain, yesterday, causing damage estimated at hundreds of thousands of pounds.

THE GUARDIAN SALE OF BRITISH LEYLAND PLANT MAY HERALD GENERAL OUTLAY CUT By Hazel Duffy British Leyland announced yesterday it is selling its holding in the important Spanish market to General Motors, the American company. The sale raises £26.7 million for British Leyland at a time when the City believes the group is in need [...]

By Our Financial Editor In its largest single asset disposal to date, British Leyland is selling its Spanish car manufacturing business to General Motors for £26.7m in cash. British Leyland now owns 98.3 per cent of Automoviles de Turismo Hispano Ingleses. This has plants in Los Carrales, Pamplona and Sampedor and makes Mini and Victoria [...]

In a deal which British Leyland says is worth “a little over £4m”, the group has gained control of a Spanish car firm. The Spanish Government has given permission to buy up more shares in the Authi car building plants in Spain, it was revealed over the weekend. The deal, which follows those in 1969 [...]

From Our Correspondent Madrid British Leyland locked out about 1,700 workers at the week end in the strike-ridden city of Pamplona. During an uneasy truce between Government officials, the managements of a number of factories and workers, the total of strikers fell from 20,000 to about 7,000 by yesterday. But British Leyland’s Authi plant locked [...]

By Roger Vielvoye British Leyland Motor Corporation has completed the negotiations for a complex reorganization of its manufacturing facilities in Spain and is now awaiting Spanish government approval to put them into operation. The deal involves British Leyland’s sale of its 25.1 per cent holding in the ENASA commercial vehicle company and its acquisition of [...]

British Leyland plans to expand its production of Minis in Spain and to export from there to the rest of Europe. In the growing Continental market for British Leyland cars, a particularly large increase is expected this year in Sweden. In cooperation with Nueva Montana Quijano, British Leyland is producing 85 Minis a day in [...]

THE GUARDIAN By John Coyne Undoubtedly the fastest growing car market in Europe is in Spain, and in spite of a ban on car imports into Spain the newly merged British Leyland Motor is making a determined attempt to capture a bigger slice of this market Only 17 months ago BMC went into partnership with [...]