ABSTRACT
The early automotive industry provides a highly instructive example of how emerging cities wrought the protagonism of the metropolis before 1939. This is not only true for “classic” car cities like Detroit and Turin. Unknown except to specialists, Barcelona also had a thriving car industry before the Spanish Civil War (1936), home to several Spanish car companies and foreign company subsidiaries. The influence of the US automobile industry on Europe and on Spain in particular is undeniable. Yet a closer look reveals the bidirectionality of the transfer of technology and design. Spanish high-end cars were in high esteem on both sides of the Atlantic and some of their features even copied. The automobile industry is also per definition interurban, disposing of production sites in numerous cities. The Hispano-Suiza subsidiary in France is an example of the international projection of Barcelona-based companies. The chapter describes the impact of the burgeoning automobile industry on the urban fabric and the everyday life of its citizens: where in Barcelona were the factories located? How did the road system adapt to the influx of automobiles? Who could afford a Spanish-made car? This case shows that automobility was an integral part of the symbolism of modern urbanity.
