Leyland Authi

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Logo: Leyland Authi, Spain
50 Pesetas share in Authi SA dated February 11, 1974
Mini Cooper by Leyland Authi (1973)
Austin Victoria (1973)

Leyland Authi was a Spanish automobile manufacturer. The company was founded as a joint venture between the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the Spanish Nueva Montaña Quijano (NMQ).

description

At the time, BMC was looking for a way to sell cars in Spain, which at that time had a very restrictive policy on car imports.

On November 12, 1966, the company Authi ( Automoviles de Turismo Hispano Ingleses ) was officially entered in the commercial register with headquarters in Arazuri , Navarra, chaired by Eduardo Ruiz de Huidrobo y Alzurena . The share capital and the operating facilities were owned by Nueva Montaña Quijano SA (NMQ) from Santander in Spain , founded in 1899 , a production company for steel and metal processing. The capital owners were the Banco de Santander and the Quijano family.

The main goal of Leyland-Authi was to manufacture Austin and Morris vehicles and to develop sales for Spain.

January 1967 the first vehicles built in Spain (MG 1100 by Morris) rolled off the assembly line. The Mini C 1275 followed in October 1968. It was equipped with leather seats, a walnut dashboard and more extras than its British counterpart.

In 1969 production was opened in Pamplona. In April 1969, the Mini 1000 came on the market in two versions. It was available in a standard and a special version. This Mini-1000 series achieved the highest sales figures in the history of Authi. They were assembled exclusively in the mini factory in Pamplona. The bodies were supplied from England. Nueva Montaña Quijano (NMQ) from Los Corrales de Buelna ( Cantabria ), produces engines, transmissions and axles. Other factories from the group, Crilastic, Ketalauto and Tecniauto from Barcelona , produced chassis parts, shock absorbers, electrics, glazing, trim, SU carburettors, fuel pumps and small parts.

The only two stand-alone models were marketed as Austin .

In 1976 production was stopped and sold to SEAT .

Models

Web links

Commons : Leyland Authi  - collection of images, videos and audio files