Barreiros (manufacturer)
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Barreiros was a Spanish manufacturer of engines, trucks, buses, tractors and automobiles.
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[edit] "Barreiros Diesel"
The company was founded in 1954 as Barreiros Diesel S.A. by Eduardo Barreiros and based in Madrid. Established initially as a producer of diesel engines, the company then expanded to make commercial vehicles, reaching licensing agreements with French Berliet (truck cabs), British AEC (buses and coaches), and German Hanomag (agricultural tractors), all of them driven by Barreiros's own engines. Additionally a pay-in-kind contract with Polish Star was active in late fifties, by which engineless Star chassis-cab trucks were exported to Spain, while Barreiros engines were sent to Poland; the whole resulting in Barreiros-engined Star tractors being sold in China (and Polish trucks in Spain).
Later on Barreiros branched out into the production of passenger cars by means of cooperation (and capital links) with the Chrysler Corporation.
An agreement was reached with Chrysler in 1963 to build the Dodge Dart allowing the company to enter the car market. Sold as the Barreiros Dart it had modified front styling, a four speed gearbox and all round disc brakes. During that time, the Spanish automobile market was strongly protected, making entering it effectively only possible by domestic manufacturing.
As the 1960s progressed, the range was extended with some smaller models from Chrysler's French subsidiary, Simca.
The Barreiros-made Simca 1000 was launched in 1966, and later the Simca 1200 joined the range (in fact the French Simca 1100, but with a bigger standard engine for the Spanish market).
[edit] A Chrysler subsidiary
In 1969 Chrysler Europe took complete control of the company. In mid-1970s Barreiros became for the first time the sole source for a Chrysler Europe model - the production lines of the slow-selling Chrysler 180 series were moved to Madrid from Simca's factory in Poissy. Unlike in most other European countries, the Chrysler 180 became relatively popular in Spain. Barreiros also continued to assemble other Chrysler Europe models for the domestic market, including Simca 1307 (renamed Chrysler 150 in Spain to be more in line with the popular 180) and Chrysler Horizon.
On the truck and bus side, a full range of ligth, medium and heavy models was offered, still marketed as Barreiros in Spain and as Dodge or Fargo elsewhere, but eventually the Dodge badge prevailed in all markets.
[edit] In PSA and Renault hands
In 1978, Chrysler Europe was sold to PSA, who subsequently renamed all former Chrysler/Simca models to Talbot (so for example the Chrysler 150 became Talbot 150). Barreiros continued to assemble Talbot car models launched under the PSA reign, such as Talbot Solara or Talbot Samba.
The truck and bus division was sold to Renault, and for a short time the old ex-Barreiros models were sold badged as Renaults.
[edit] Truck models Barreiros
(1957-1965)
TT90
Star
Puma
Panter
Cóndor
Halcón
Azor
Víctor
Saeta
Comando
Centauro
Super Saeta
Super Azor
[edit] Car models Simca
- Simca 1000
- Simca 1000 automatico
- Simca 1000 GT
- Simca 1000 Gt Rallye
- Simca 900
- Simca 1000 Rallye 2
- Simca 1000 Rallye Gr2
- Simca 1200 LS
- Simca 1200 GL
- Simca 1200 GL Special
- Simca 1200 GLS (90 octanos)
- Simca 1200 GL Special
- Simca 1200 LX-TI
- Simca 1200 Campero
[edit] Car models Dodge
- Dodge GL
- Dodge Dart Diesel
- Dodge GT
- Dodge 3700 GT
