Miguel Sánchez
Today there is wide freedom of trade between countries. Therefore, it is not at all strange to see cars of multiple nationalities traveling the Spanish roads. That these are manufactured in country folk or Valencia is almost the same as if they are in Mirafiori or Wolfsburg. However, decades ago the situation was very different. Protectionist policies heavily taxed imported products. Taxes were of such a caliber that a car made abroad became a luxury item. But then, how was it possible for foreign brands to enter the national market?
Well, very simple: manufacturing in Spain under license. Thus, during the Franco years, consortiums were created in which national and foreign capital participated, thanks to which the post-war fleet was diversified. In the public sphere, the most recurrent example was the creation of SEAT to manufacture passenger cars under a FIAT license. A spearhead that Barreiros followed privately and his deal with Chrysler to produce Simca and Dodge models at the Villaverde facilities. Cases that due to their enormous volume of business overshadowed more modest companies such as FADISA.
Founded by Nicolás Franco -brother of Francisco Franco-, the Fábrica de Automóvil Diésel SA began its activity in 1956 with the construction of a 28.000-square-meter plant in the city of Ávila. The same that later served for the assembly of the EBRO vans and Nissan commercial vehicles. Those who today continue to give life to the Las Hervencias industrial complex. But, with what vehicles did FADISA start its work? Well, although it may be surprising, it all started with Alfa Romeo licenses. Of course, not to make sports cars but vans. This is how FADISA Romeo was born; the Hispanic adaptation of the Autotutto, Romeo 2 and F12.
FASIDA. ALFA ROMEO LANDS IN CASTILLA
Although in the postwar period there were contacts for the manufacture of Alfa Romeo passenger cars in Spain, the truth is that it was more urgent to equip the country with small industrial vehicles for economic reconstruction. In addition, the regime's plans were clear about how to expand the mobility of families, reserving to SEAT the privileged position with regard to utility vehicles and saloons. Reasons to which we must add the difficulty of mass-producing refined Alfa Romeo in an economically backward country. With these coordinates, the deal between FADISA and Alfa Romeo was limited to a small industrialist.
Specifically to the popular Autotutto van, available in up to nine different versions. A versatility that made it possible to offer on the same basis Variants as different as an industrial cargo without roof, minibus, ambulance, family with two seat benches and even a curious camperized version with a folding roof for the bed.
All of them possible due to the almost six square meters of useful space, freed up on the frame thanks to the absence of a long transmission due to having front mechanics and traction. In this sense, two engines were offered during the 1959 presentation of the FADISA Romeo.
An 1158cc 30HP diesel twin built in Austria by AVL and a 35CV four-cylinder petrol from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. This second was specially mounted on the ambulance adapted vans, which needed an extra point of speed. Of course, always lower than that offered by that same engine when mounted on the Giulietta. All due to less efficient compression ratios and settings. Thus, the FADISA Romeo was born with a large number of imported components. Something that changed during the second year of production, with an important Spanishization that began with the engine.
THE FADISA ROMEO SPANISH TO BE THE EMBRYO OF THE EBRO
As we said before, the sense of companies like FADISA was to produce in Spain under foreign licenses. And this included not only the assembly, but also the making of the parts. That is why in 1960 the FADISA Romeo were incorporating elements of national manufacture until adding more than sixty percent of the pieces. A Spanishization that had as its main protagonist the change of the AVL diesel engine for a Perkins Hispania made in Madrid. In addition, this was also a significant improvement, since the 1.6-liter engine produced up to 42CV. Features that, added to a lower consumption than the gasoline model, made the Giulietta's gasoline engine in the FADISA Romeo almost a rarity.
In this process of Spanishisation, the next milestone came in 1964, renewing the gearbox with Alfa Romeo license for one manufactured in Seville by ISA. Something that was accompanied by a new direction thought by Imenasa from Pamplona. With these news, Of the Alfa Romeo license there was little more than the bodywork and the frame, which was not an obstacle for the characteristic grille of the Italian house to shine on the vans leaving Avila until 1971. In fact, the replacement of the Romeo 2 in 1967 by the F12 respected the Italian emblem, despite the fact that it was already advertised as Ebro after the purchase of FADISA that same year by Motor Ibérica.
From that moment, at the Avila plant, the production of the Alfa Romeo licensed vans coexisted with that of the Ebro trucks. Finally, the fronts were changed, disappearing the mention of the Milan house to definitively bear the name of the new brand, although these vehicles were still models under Italian license. In fact, the Ebro F100 and F108 are still the Spanish adaptation of the successful Alfa Romeo F12 that was in the range until 1983. A few years in which, still blurred, the time when Alfa Romeo models were manufactured in Ávila was still palpable. Of those where instead of the Biscione there was a castle and instead of the flag of Milan an F. The Castilian adaptation of the Alfa Romeo emblem.
