Jalopnik: Spain

Drive Like An Egyptian In Your Renault 5!

Murilee Martin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST

British car buyers felt alive in a Renault 5, the Germans rocked out in their 5s, but only the Spanish could drive a 5 right into a world of hieroglyphs and ancient Egyptian cassette decks. ¡Comprate un oasis!

Citroen Palm Beach Basks In Basque Country

Murilee Martin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Having just read Mark Kurlansky's book about the Basques (after being dragged into Kurlansky-land by his excellent histories of cod and salt, the way marijuana leads to heroin), I thought it was pretty cool when LivingAbroad70 sent in these shots of an incredibly rare Citroën DS Palm Beach convertible found parked down on the Zarautz street. Make the jump to read LivingAbroad70's description.

As an American living in the Spanish part of the Basque Country, I have a certain curiosity about classic European cars that locals don't usually share with me. Cars like the Renault 5, Seat/Fiat 600, etc. are not head turners over here, so they're not really appreciated, but when I came across this thing in a small city named Zarautz I knew I'd hit jackpot.

This Citroën Palm Beach convertible was parked in front of a hotel and it had french plates, so its owner must be a French bon vivant who's not afraid of making a road trip with a classic and very rare French car.

For what I've read on the net, this Palm Beach is a model coach built by Henri Chapron, one of 32 made between 1964 and 1971, so it's pretty shocking (and great) that somebody has driven this thing on a long trip, and still managed to keep it in great shape.

As I said, this car was in excellent condition and it seemed to be either restored or obsessively well kept (I guess it was restored because the interior leather looked new).

Simca 1000: Worth Every Peseta!

Murilee Martin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:40:00 EDT

Would you believe two million Simca 1000s were made? Chrysler's little rear-engined machine was a hot seller all over Europe, including Spain, where we see a driving instructor and his student experiencing awe as a result of the incredibly luxurious features of the 1000.

1998 Peugeot 106 Loses Drag Race, Gets The Girl

Murilee Martin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:40:00 EDT

In keeping with the suspend-your-disbelief theme of 90s Peugeots in the American West, we now see a Spaniard's 106 rolling up to a stoplight in what appears to be the neutron-enhanced town of Upshot Knothole, Nevada. Naturally, there's some tattooed redneck in a tunnel-rammed truck representing the USA, sort of reminiscent of Lee Ving's character, Missoula, in Dudes, and it goes without saying that he ain't gonna let no damn frogmobile-driving' Yurpean eyeball his woman. You can see where this is going, right?

McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen's Close Scare

Mark Arnold — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:40:00 EDT

There was a scary moment at yesterday's Spanish Grand Prix that may not have been as scary as Stephane Ortelli's car flying through the air with the greatest of ease, but was scary nonetheless. The fear factor began when some part of the front left ~~tire~~ wheel on Heikki Kovalainen' McLaren Mercedes exploded, sending the car straight into a wall. Race stewards at Barcelona worked for about 10 minutes to safely free the Finnish driver from the wreckage who was taken to the track's medical center wearing a neck brace. But all signs point to a full recovery as he gave a reassuring thumbs-up sign to spectators. Mike Utley did that too, right? Kovalainen is said to be in stable condition, which is more than can be said for the shredded McLaren MP4-23. [AP, Axis of Oversteer]

Renault Asks Why Only Movie Stars Get Ecological Cars

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:30:00 EDT

Here's another creative ad from Renault that's just as the funny Renault Megane GT commercial, though with less big-bottomed girls on bikes. It involves talking leaves, dancing stars and one bewildered Production Assistant named Willy. Is this what a car commercial directed by Luis Bunuel would look like? Even better, we have a translation from M0L0TOV below the jump for those who do not speak Spanish.

Translation

Why is it that moviestars can have ecological cars? (young man with leaf in hand). We make the moviestars look younger (makeup artists). The ones that manicure their pets (doggy groomers). We fall to the ground in your place (stuntmen). We want an ecological car (chorus) We try to marry you for your money (golddiggers in bikinis) We collect everything you touched (nerds and geeks holding up garbage and a drawing of a thong) The ones that clean this giant sign. (guys cleaning the Hollywood sign). And the ones that feed you (people in the videostore with dvd's). We, we, we, we, we, we, we, we, will finally have, an ecological car, HEY (giant crowd of people). Like all the movie stars, an ecological car, is what we want to have. (cars driving around). Is this reality or is it a dream? (young man). It's real Willy, it's real (talking leaf). I hope it makes more sense to you now.

[Source: YouTube]

Choose The Difficult Road: Renault Megane GT

Murilee Martin — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT

Scantily-clad babes on bikes? Lounge singers on rolling pianos? Elephant road crews? Procreating rocks? None of these things will bother you when you're driving Spain's roads in a Renault Mégane GT; in fact, you'll seek out such hallucinatory road hazards!

Tomas Delgado Withdraws His Lawsuit, May Still Enter the Embrace of Satan

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:15:00 EST

Remember when we told you how Tomas Delgado was suing the parents of the boy he struck and killed to recoup bodyshop money? Well it seems the Spanish people got a little miffed by what would have to be considered one of the most ill-conceived legal actions in Iberian history. Local outrage has pressured Delgado-the-sleazy D-bag into withdrawing the suit. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the courthouse and the pending lynch mob convinced Delgado and his lawyer that continued litigation would be a bad idea. The latest coverage also brings to light additional details that make the case both more appalling, and more bizarre.

This article on CNN delivers some info we weren't aware of. First and foremost, the accident occurred in August 2004 - over 3 years ago. What kind of man circles back to such a tragic incident and not only forces the family to relive it but brings a lawyer to the party as well? A sleazy d-bag, that's what kind of man. Also, we discover that the victim, young Enaitz Iriondo Trinidad, was on vacation, biking back to the campground where he was staying, when he was struck by Delgado and dragged for 347 feet. Grisly. We also find out the police estimated that Delgado was traveling 107 mph in a 55mph zone, higher then reported before. Of course, Delgado may regret that he stirred up a hornets nest with his latest maneuver. Antonio Iriondo, Enaitz's father, has announced that he may pursue criminal charges in the case. That's right, Delgado killed a kid while speeding and didn't even have to face jail time.

Yo! PCH, Philadelphia Edition: Jeep FC-150 or Spanish 2CV?

Murilee Martin — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:00:00 EST

Is an air-cooled Japanese cartruck both cooler and more hellish than an airbrushed Malaise Detroit Vantruck? According to almost two-thirds of you, it is! Today we're going to hit the mailbag again, adding yet another reader to the waiting list for the next run of PCH Tipster T-shirts, because McGyver managed to come up with a pair of totally irresistible choices. How about a Spanish-built French car with an air-cooled two-banger... versus a forward-control Jeepamino? The agony!

You know you're looking at a genuine deal when the seller starts off his description with "YO!!!!!!!!" and finishes it with "BUT ITS ALL THERE!!!!!!!!!" See, that's because extra punctuation equals sincerity. And Philadelphia, where it's OK to pass out on the gas pedal of your Audi, is all about the sincerity. So feel confident when you drop $2500 on this 1963 Jeep FC-150 (go here if the ad disappears), because it "runs good." Oh, sure, even the seller will admit it "extensive body work" (probable translation: turns out spray paint doesn't fix rust), but once you read this FC-150 site you won't care. Just imagine the fun you'll have with a big AMC 401 in this thing, kicking up the mud!

French cars really epitomize the Project Car Hell concept, but what happens when you build a French design in Falange-run car factories over the border in Spain? You get this 1964 Spanish-built Citröen 2CV (go here if the ad disappears), available for the same price as the Jeep. Yes, it's a genuine DosCaballos, a machine that combines the huggable warmth of Charles De Gaulle with the lighthearted playfulness of Francisco Franco! This one needs a few things, including some rust repair (according to the seller, "Rust is at the bottom of the A-pillars and in outer floors, otherwise SOLID," which somehow doesn't sound all that solid to us). Supposedly the engine runs, although there's no mention of any of the other mechanical components (probable translation: it can sit there and make noise, but not actually move under its own power). Naturally, we suggest Hayabusa-izing it once you've dealt with the iron oxide situation.

Audi Driver Kills Teen, Sues Dead Youth's Family Over Car Damage

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST

In what can only be called the worst case of AADS (Asshole Audi Driver Syndrome) ever recorded, Tomas Delgado, a Spanish businessman, is suing the family of a boy he killed while speeding in his Audi A8. The accident caused 14,000 Euros of damage to the all-aluminum luxury car, and Delgado is also looking to cover the additional 6,000 Euros in transportation costs he incurred while the Audi was in the shop. He argues that his 17-year-old victim, Enaitz Iriondo, who was wearing dark clothes while cycling at night, caused the damage while he was in the process of having his young life snuffed out by Delgago's hurtling death chariot. Quoting Mr. Delgado—and please restrain your urge to vomit here: "I'm also a victim in all of this, you can't fix the lad's problems, but you can fix mine." His lawyer, Beelzebub, Esq., offered no comment on the case, which will see an expected verdict on January 30 and perhaps witness the Earth open up to swallow Delgado whole. [via The Mail]

Spanish Fly: Sunred SR08 GT1 Car

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:16:04 EDT

We again missed the Barcelona motor show due to a mixup between our trophy wives and the Spanish embassy, which wasn't anything a few hundred thousand 10-year Spanish government bonds couldn't fix. As such, we missed eyeballing Spanish motorsports firm Sunred's prototypical GT1-class racer — the SR08 — in the flesh. It's powered by a V10 producing 500 hp, with zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) taking only 3.5 seconds. Estimated top speed is 186 mph. It's a good time to be one of the Spanish Bourbon royals; the SR08 is going into production next year. A run of 10 will be built to satisfy FIA homologation rules. [Grazie to Stefano for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

[via Omniauto.it]

Spanish Bombs: Cops Play 'Hide the Nightstick' in Cars, Public Incensed

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:00:00 EDT

Residents of the Spanish burg of Santiago del Teide are in a tizzy over law-enforcement agents making with the sexual action in patrol cars while on duty. Apparently, these officers enjoy the protection of the mayor, while other cops feel left out on the cold; reprimanded and punished for arriving late for work. According to the regional independent police union, there's little chance of change, as the mayor's got plenty of family in town, which means many votes in the upcoming elections. If Tom of Finland were still alive, we're sure he'd be on a plane for Spain right now — even in the rain. – Davey G. Johnson

Sex on duty: dirty tricks in panda cars, protection in the town hall [Tenerife News]

Related:
Sex With Wheels: British Mechanic Shags Cars [Internal]

No Le Importa Los Caminos Difíciles! El Simca Mil!

Murilee Martin — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:30:25 EST

I used to work with a guy who had been a factory driver for Triumph in the early 60s, and he kept his racing jones alive by driving a restored Simca-Abarth in the vintage-racing circuit. It was kinda cool seeing all his photos of sideways Simca action, trading paint with Porsche 356s and the like, and since then I've always liked the Simca 1000. So finding this stirringly macho Spanish ad- which seems to have an Ennio Morricone soundtrack- for the air-cooled French Chrysler has really made my morning. – Murilee Martin

Related:
Je Suis Simca Aronde! [internal]

A Jalopnik Contemplates Europe: Car-Related Ramblings from the Depths of Jet Lag

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 11:05:56 EST

England is car hell. Let's forget about the expensively obvious for a moment (insane taxes, equally insane gas prices, doubly insane speed cameras on every corner and under your bed) and the plain daf (Clarkson thinks the Jaguar XK is cooler than the upcoming Dodge Challenger) and look at the cars themselves. They suck! Nine out of ten cars in Old Blighty are 1.9-Liter French diesels. The rest are Korean brands you don't even want to know about. (SsangYong Rexton II, anyone?) Sure, you will see an occasional large BMW "saloon," but closer inspection will reveal it to be a 520d SE with a 1995cc oil burner and tiny wheels (though, it does — slowly — get 41mpg). Audis sell pretty well in London, but the overwhelming majority of them are three-door A3s with puny engines. In other words, rebadged Golfs. (Jump baby, jump)

For as much guff as we in the automotive press (and especially us Swedish Mafia types) give an uninspired car like Chevy's Impala, transport said car to England and its blah by stateside standards looks are suddenly more handsome than 90% of the grimy little boxes puttering about London. Which is weird. Moreover, while I can't stand penis-substitute SUVs (Hummer H2, me looking at you), at least they have presence. Posturing is, if nothing else, visually interesting. And as my sister loves pointing out, H2s appear to be from the future. Whereas new cars in "Cool Britannia" appear to be from France and are therefore rotten looking with huge asses.

Personal transportation in Spain was a bit more interesting. And by more interesting I mean Renault Twingos and Smart ForTwos were all over the streets of Barcelona. The latter of which I really dig, while the former is more frighteningly anthropomorphic than a Nissan Micra. I have a theory as to why DCX is withholding the much discussed Smart cars from American streets. The almighty San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic would stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in parking ticket revenues. Think I'm insane? You've never owned a car in San Francisco. And if you agree with me you have. Anyhow, most cars in Spain were also French and tiny and, well, rather meh.

There was one eye-opener — how utterly fantastic big cars looked. Buy an Audi A8 here in the states and you have a vehicle that dimensionally isn't much different than your Aunt's Avalon. In fact, it's about the same size as the Buick you just rented from Enterprise while visiting your Aunt and her Avalon over the holidays. But in London and Barcelona at least, Audi's big sedan truly is uber. Forget the ALUMINUM UND SHTEEL shtick, let's talk stance; a black A8 on wet cobblestones next to a teal Fiat Punto is devastating. Where I live, 7-Series are more common than Fords (no, really) and even as Bangled as they are, the big Bimmers basically blend into the background out here in Los Angeles. But on the narrow, wrought-ironed off streets of London they look like Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV. Prussian physical perfection. Other cars that impressed; Maserati Quattroporte, Audi A6 Avant, Chrysler 300C, Jaguar XJ, Mercedes S550. Cars that looked like a Ford Taurus; Jaguar XK. – Jonny Lieberman

Barcelona: Come For the Food, Stay for the World's Cutest Garbage Trucks

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:21:19 EST

I don't know anything about this little cutey except that it sounded diesel. I do know that the super narrow yet well kempt streets of Barcelona demand mini-garbage trucks. Which to our way of thinking, makes these the very coolest garbage trucks of all. Plus, like, somebody (no doubt an Italian) actually took the time to sculpt the fenders! Why? For flavor. And the wheels appear to be forged from scrap-iron and coated with a ceramic glaze. Anyhow, knock off the trash bin and that's one suave looking mini-van camino. Oh, and if you are in Barcelona, eat at Cal Pep — thank me later. More cute after the jump. – Jonny Lieberman

Mitjet!

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 09:05:22 EST

What happens when you combine midget racing, shifter karting and the European Touring Cup? You get something known as Mitjet, a French-Spanish racing series that pits miniature versions of BMW M6, Porsche 911, Renault Megane and Dodge Viper racers against each other on a road course. The 1,345-lb cars, are built from tubular chassis and powered by 150-hp Yamaha 1300 XJR engines, cost around $30,000 each, making the series a far more affordable proposition for non-viscounts and other English majors. We smell Jalopnik Cup. – Mike Spinelli

MitJet Series - Shrunken racing Bimmers, Vipers and Porsches! [Carscoop]

Related:
Gixxer Cat! The Twin-Engined Tiger Z100WR [internal]

Pesto! Calzone! Gnocchi! Borscht! Paella! The Fiat 124!

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:45:00 EST

Yes, it's the Fiat 124, the car that didn't outlast the Beetle or the Mini, but nevertheless jumpstarted a number of automotive industries, including those of the Rodina (Lada Riva), Spain, (SEAT 124), India (Premier 118NE), Bulgaria (Pirin-Fiat) and Turkey. Meanwhile, we're really missing that prepackaged, boil-in-pack Indian food we found abandoned in our Apart-Hotel room in Paris, and hating the construction workers across the street who are using something that sounds roughly like a TIE Fighter sans Doppler effect. If a gat were handy, a gat would be at hand. – Davey G. Johnson

Fiat 124 [Answers.com]

Related:
The Fiat Multicarga: Millecinquecentoamino! [Internal]

Be the SUV: Bruce Lee Shills for BMW in Spain, Unbeknownst to Him

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:01:55 EDT

None but the most rabid of TV geeks remember the early 1970s show "Longstreet." It was about a blind insurance investigator whose life coach was an antique dealer and martial arts instructor, played by the late Bruce Lee. "Be formless, like water" was one of the instructor's tenets, as was "don't get run over" (well, that should have been one). Lee once related his character's philosophies in an interview whose origin had been lost to the wind of analog media. But BMW found and resurrected the interview for a spot promoting its X3 SUV in Spain. Would Bruce Lee drive a BMW X3? Actually, We think he would have ripped the X3's fuel pump out and showed it to it before its warranty expired. – Mike Spinelli

[via Motorpasi n]

Related:
Love That B-Roll! Video of the 2007 BMW X3 [internal]

You know I Am the King of Spain: Juan Carlos Gets a Maybach

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 22 May 2006 09:32:02 EDT

It's no Galaxie 500, but we'd imagine Spanish crown royal Juan Carlos I is smilin' to himself and laughin' out loud nonetheless, having received a sporty, new 612 hp Maybach 57S (the driver's Maybach), delivered in person by DaimlerChrysler CEO, Dieter Zetsche. The King — a direct descendant of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V — received the custom 'Bach, which was fitted with enough sterling-silver interior accents to shame Queen Anne's tea set — at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Barcelona. No word on whether cheese and onions were served.

Fit for a King: Juan Carlos Selects Maybach as Royal Ride [Noonzwheels]

The Rain In Spain Falls Mainly On The Plain -- Coincidentally, That's Also Where The Auto Plants Are

Ray Wert — Tue, 09 May 2006 12:45:00 EDT

Jeez, can news get any worse for Spain's auto industry? First it was VW's news early this morning about the potential shuttering of their Pamplona plant and now union sources are claiming DaimlerChrysler is looking to cut 750 jobs from their Vitoria and Barcelona plants. The only thing we can think is maybe FIFA's decision to extend Spain's futbol season may have cut into productivity — or maybe Dieter and Wolfgang have both seen too many showings of "My Fair Lady" recently — but that's totally conjecture on our part.

Mercedes plans to cut 750 jobs in Spain - union sources [Forbes via eMercedesBenz]

Oye Como Va!: The Santana Anibal Short Line in Geneva

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 06:30:53 EST

We get a certain kind of chill thinking how trendy a Spanish-made SUV could be in certain parts of the US; in particular, Jalopnik ports of call, New York and LA. Imagine thousands of Spanophile hipsters sweating Ibiza, getting gored by Pamplona's bulls, enduring a K-hole in Madrid and rocking a Santana Anibal in Silverlake. Originally a licensee of Land Rover in the 1960s, the off-roaders have evolved somewhat over the years, with the new models sporting IVECO common-rail turbodiesels. The company showed off its new, Short Line prototype, which is its own version of the LR Defender 90. Santana plans to bring the short-wheelbase version to market by the end of the year. And maybe then some hipster's Congressman dad can get the company an import waiver. There's probably a dealership opening in Williamsburg (Brooklyn, not Colonial) as we speak. [Thanks, Mattias.]

[via Auto Motor und Sport]

Ascari Launches New Supercar

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 09 Dec 2005 11:38:21 EST

Ascari, the buy-a-car-get-test-track-free supercar builder of the UK and Spain, is launching the follow-up to its KZ1. Built to be an everyday driver (yeah, and a unicorn just stirred my coffee with his horn), the 2,822lb A10, will get a 600hp, five-liter quad-cam V8 sourced from BMW, hooked to a six speed manual or optional sequential gearbox, that will propel it to around 220mph. (The five-piece body is made, naturally, of carbon fiber.) Just like with the KZ1, buyers — who will pay in the realm of $600,000 for the A10 when it's launched in mid-2006 — will likely get access to a company's dedicated circuit and five-star resort in Ronda, Spain. Mmmm, tapas.

ASCARI REVEALS ALL-NEW A10 [Pistonheads]

Related:
Test Track Included: The Ascari KZ1 [internal]

SEAT Workers to Strike

Davey G. Johnson — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 14:51:13 EST

After management announced plans to lay off 1,340 workers, the proles at VW-owned SEAT decided that they'd had enough and are planning a strike. The suits complain that other VW brands, including Skoda, whose cars are built in Eastern Europe and thus cost less to produce, are cutting into their sales, and thus the need to cut 8% of their workforce. Frankly, we wonder about the need for SEAT at all; it seems to us that VW's got enough brands to cover the mass-market spread in Europe with Skoda, Volkswagen and Audi. While SEAT posted a profit last year, they said they'll finish this one in the red if costs aren't cut ASAP.

Seat staff to strike over layoffs [BBC]

Related:
Gebauer! Vere Are Zee Girlz?