Miguel Sánchez
In times of scarcity wit must always be sharpened. In this sense, Eduardo Barreiros represented an excellent example for the automotive industry in post-war Spain. Not in vain, thanks to his mechanical expertise, thousands of vehicles were adapted to the diesel cycle, consuming up to 40% less fuel than in their initial state. Something truly important because, since the end of the Civil War and until the normalization of relations with the United States, fuels were a very scarce commodity. More than a decade during which they seriously met rationed by the public administration, giving preference to industrial and military uses.
Thus, in that Spain where ration cards did not disappear until April 1952, developing an automotive company was quite a challenge. Even more so in the heavy load transport sector. Monopolized by ENASA through its commercial brand Pegaso. Founded in 1946 with the objective of producing tractors, trucks and buses for the necessary national reconstruction, it enjoyed state potential both in terms of financing and protectionism. Something understandable during the postwar period. Being a time in which only the state had the necessary economic capacity for the development of such a company.
However, by the end of the fifties the social situation was quite different. And it is that, even under the dictatorship, the industrial fabric of the country had grown along with the consumption capacity of families. Thanks to that, Spain was becoming more and more similar to the capitalist societies of Western Europe. An area where, for better or worse, state monopolies were giving way to liberalized sectors with multiple companies.
At this point, some of the automotive initiatives created beyond the state wanted to take a step forward. Gaining market share while applying to the Ministry of Industry for new manufacturing permits. Just what was interpreted by Eduardo Barreiros. Who thanks to their diesel conversions had managed to found the Barreiros Diesel production lines in 1954 in the Madrid district of Villaverde. In fact, since the beginning of the decade he had carried out some 2.300 of those transformations on the Soviet ZiS-5 trucks brought to Spain during the Civil War.
In this way, around 1956 Barreiros Diesel not only had an evident productive capacity. But also with the necessary knowledge to become a manufacturer. What's more, just during that year he presented the EB-6 engine. A six cylinder based on the Perkins P-6 ready to equip a hypothetical range of trucks when the pertinent permit from the state arrived. The same one that, showing great zeal regarding Pegaso, delayed the creation of new companies focused on the production of heavy transport vehicles.
BARREIROS TT-90, THE FIRST SERIES TRUCK OF BARREIROS DIESEL
Under these circumstances, in 1957 an excellent opportunity arrived for Barreiros thanks to an unexpected military contest. Summoned by the Portuguese army, the latter sought to find a heavy-duty off-road truck ready to equip its colonial troops in Angola. Thanks to that, finally there was a window open to series production of complete vehicles despite not yet having a license for it in Spain. And there was a little trick there. Not in vain, since it is for export and not for the national market, the Ministry of Industry authorized the manufacture of up to 1.500 units in the event of winning the contest.
At this point, in just two months Eduardo Barreiros completed two prototypes together with engineer Mario Gamarra. One with a closed cab and the other with an open cab, both equipped with the EB-6 engine together with a 4×4 system to thus guarantee the demands of the contest. In addition, a rocker system connected to the frame via the suspensions gave those trucks an excellent angle of attack. In sum, the design presented by Barreiros demonstrated interesting off-road qualities. Perfect for a military truck destined to cover large areas in Angola.
In fact, during the tests held in Portugal, this truck was far superior to its French, British and German competitors. What's more, there is even an anecdote about how he towed one of them after getting stuck in an insurmountable obstacle. So things, Barreiros Diesel won that contest, beginning the production of the so-called TT-90 already in 1958. Of course, there is a detail in which we have to notice. Specifically everything related to tires.
Not surprisingly, there are various photographs of both the closed unit and the open unit -affectionately nicknamed El Abuelo- in which we see really wide Lypsoid tires. In fact, each of them weighed more than 200 kilos. Which is why, already in the production phase, the TT-90 discarded the use of them in favor of more common ones arranged in a configuration of two in the front and four in the rear axle. With all this, Barreiros Désel was delivering batches of the truck to the Portuguese army until producing around 300 units.
However, some clarifications are necessary in this section. To begin with, the very figure of the TT-90 finally delivered to the Portuguese army dances. In fact, while there are sources that place it at 220 others leave it at 256. Specifically, the latter could well be taken today as the most accurate due to being the one exposed in the biography of Eduardo Barreiros written by the British historian Hugh Thomas.
Curiously, the figure of 300 units provided by sources close to the factory could have been given. In fact, there is evidence of the delivery of several TT-90s to the land and air armies in Spain. If we add to these some demo units it can easily come to a balance. Yes indeed, Be that as it may, the truth is that it is well below 1.500 units authorized by the Ministry of Industry. However, the importance of this first truck manufactured in series by Barreiros Diesel does not lie in the number.
Far from it, its historical importance came from two obvious reasons. The first was to capture how the Villaverde factory already had an obvious technical and productive capacity. To a large extent thanks to the international agreements signed with companies such as David Brown, thus gaining access to patents related to gearboxes. In addition, the second is based on the image generated before the authorities of the regime. Finally aware of the need to open the heavy transport sector beyond Pegaso. Something that, not in vain, accelerated the arrival of the long-awaited manufacturing permit for civil trucks from Barreiros at the end of the fifties.
Photographs: Barreiros Foundation
