Barreiros (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. 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) and Vidal & Sohn Tempo-Werke GmbH (light vans and trucks), 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).

The Spanish Dodge Dart

From 1965 to 1977 a spanish version of the Dodge Dart was manufactured in the Barreiros Villaverde factory in Madrid. A total of 17589 units were manufactured in Spain. The Dart was produced as a SKD due to the protectionist Spanish regulations of those years. [http://www.pieldetoro.net/z/pieldetoro/colaboraciones/colaboracionesdetal.asp?ID=10] [http://grandesdodge.iespana.es/articulododgedart.htm] (links in Spanish).

The Dart was the biggest national production car available in Spain during all production years. It was an expensive luxury car with extremely poor mileage for Spanish standards.

The Dodge Dart GL was a basic model [http://www.foro.pieldetoro.net/web/pruebas/ver.php?ID=15] , and the Dodge Dart GT the "sporty" version [http://www.foro.pieldetoro.net/web/pruebas/ver.php?ID=16] . A later version was the Dodge 3700GT [http://www.foro.pieldetoro.net/web/pruebas/ver.php?ID=14] .

All gasoline Darts had the biggest engine ever mounted into a mass production car in Spain, the 225 in³ Chrysler Slant 6 engine. The "3700" number is a reference to the 3.7 liters of displacement. No other six cylinder engine car has been mass produced in Spain.

A Diesel Dart (named "Barreiros Diesel") was also produced [http://www.foro.pieldetoro.net/web/pruebas/ver.php?ID=17 (link in spanish)] . These models were very basic and very slow, and used the round taillights from the first generation Simca 1000 [http://grandesdodge.iespana.es/articulododgedart.htm] .

There was also a Station Wagon version, as well as variants (diplomatic motorcade cars, ambulances, hearses, etc.)

Production of Spanish Darts stopped in 1977. Peugeot bought the Villaverde factory, as Chrysler was divesting European operations in Spain, France and the United Kingdom.

Darts were used as official representation cars for Spanish politicians during the 1960's and 1970's. Admiral Luis Carrero Blanco was killed on 20 December 1973 while travelling in his Dodge Dart 3700GT.

Page in English about the Spanish Darts [http://www.foundationpc.com/spanish.html] .

A Chrysler subsidiary

In 1969 Chrysler Europe took complete control of the company.

In 1975 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 Poissycite web | url=http://www.allpar.com/world/spain.html | title=Chrysler and Dodge of Spain; Barreiros Diesel | journal= [http://www.allpar.com/ Allpar] | accessdate=2008-06-10 ] . 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 Simca Horizon.

On the truck and bus side, a full range of light, 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.

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.

Truck models Barreiros

(1957-1965)
* TT90
* Star
* Puma
* Panter
* Cóndor
* Halcón
* Azor
* Víctor
* Saeta
* Comando
* Centauro
* Super Saeta
* Super Azor

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

Car models Dodge

* Dodge GL
* Dodge Dart Diesel
* Dodge GT
* Dodge 3700 GT

Tractor models Barreiros

(1961-1980)

* R335S
* R350
* R350S
* R438
* R438 especial
* R440
* R500 "labramatic"
* R545
* R545 I
* R545 IA
* 4000
* 4000V
* 5000
* 5000 VL/VR
* 5500
* 7000
* 40/45
* 50/55
* 70/70
* 90/90 [prototype]

References

* J.L. García Ruiz, "Barreiros Diesel y el desarrollo de la automoción en España" ftp://ftp.funep.es/phe/hdt2003.pdf

External links

* [http://www.fundacionbarreiros.org/ Eduardo Barreiros Foundation]