ADO16 in Spain
Previous Page	Next Page

t first, Authi (aka BMC-Spain) built standard-bodied Morris and MG 1100s, using Innocenti-supplied interior trim, as can be seen in the above pictures. These were followed by the MkII BMC 1300 in Authi-Morris and Authi-MG versions (both in 4-door form, at a time when we in the UK only had a 2-door MG 1300).

The Authi Victoria. According to Julian Marsh, who sent in these pictures, it suffered from a rather "difficult" gear change and was fitted with an eight-track stereo!

In October 1972, these models were replaced by the Victoria (Spanish for Victory, so not named after a girl, queen, place or station). There is a rumour that the name was a chosen as a sardonic comment on the similarity of Michelotti's styling job to his previous Triumph 1500 design. The body shell was shared with the Austin Apache produced in South Africa. It has to be said that in reality, the Victoria was a failure, as was Authi itself (see below).

This MG-badged Victoria (above), with a tuned, twin-carb (83bhp) version of the 1275cc engine, twin headlamps and a revised interior, was shown at the Barcelona Motor Show in April 1973, but never entered production.

About Authi

UTHI actually stands for Automoviles de Turismo Hispano Ingleses (and is not "Spanish for Austin", as has been reported once or twice), but like Fiat, is generally spelt as a word rather than an acronym. The company was set up in the mid-1960s at Pamplona, but production did not start until 1968/69. The first models were Minis and Morris 1100s, and these cars were eagerly awaited in a market which at the time had few models to choose from. The main competition came from the locally-produced Simca 1000, Renault 8, and Fiat-based Seats 600 and 850, as imported cars attracted punitive import duties. Other Authi models followed the 1100s into production, including the Mini (850 & 1000) and Minivan.

Throughout its short existence the company had suffered from severe problems with build quality and industrial relations (where have we heard that before?), and so it was that in the mid-1970s, BL pulled out, much as they did with Innocenti. In the case of Authi, the Spanish government stood the losses and brokered a deal with SEAT (Sociedad Espaņola de Automoviles de Turismo) to keep production (and therefore employment) in the area.

This page was contributed by Declan Berridge

Copyright © 2002 Keith Adams