As Grupo Castrosua is a company involved in the manufacturing of bus and coach bodies, it’s no surprise that many of our colleagues closely follow news related to the automotive world. What is perhaps more surprising is that some of them have taken their passion for cars further to the point of sharing a common hobby: collecting vintage vehicles.
Seat 124 DLS
This is the case of Óscar Miranda, our colleague from CIDSA, who owns a Seat 124 DLS, with a FL body, dating from 1979. “Originally it was a 1.2 cc, but we changed the engine for a 1.6 cc and introduced a five-speed gearbox to adapt it to current times,” says Miranda.
Although the car is over 35 years old, it is one of the vehicles Miranda regularly uses for his daily commutes, even for family trips. “We installed rear seatbelts in the car so the whole family can enjoy it together,” he indicates. Furthermore, according to Óscar, “all these modifications were made with original parts.”
Renault 8
Another of our colleagues who shares this passion is Juanma Míguez, who works in homologations. He owns two Renault 8s, both manufactured in 1973 at the Valladolid plant of the French multinational. They were registered the following year, in 1974, and feature a 4T gasoline engine (rear longitudinal saw type, four-cylinder in-line, 953 cubic centimeters with 40 HP) and a four-speed gearbox. Their body is monocoque and self-supporting steel, with four doors and five seats.
According to Juanma, “the Renault 8 was launched on the market in 1962 and production in Spain continued until 1976.” Its design “closely resembles the Alfa Romeo type 3 because this company maintained an intense commercial relationship with Renault during the 50s and 60s,” he adds.
In addition, Juanma also points out that “the most notable feature of this model is the use of disc brakes on the front wheels, a characteristic that was unprecedented until then for vehicles of its size, which normally used four drum brakes.”
1960 Volkswagen Beetle
Sergio Tarrío, a colleague from Castrosua’s R&D+i department, also owns a classic car. In his case, a Volkswagen Beetle dating from, no less than, 1960.
Its engine is 1,200 cc and has 37 HP (the most powerful engine that could be fitted to this model). As an interesting fact related to the vehicle, Sergio tells us that “the car’s import papers bear the signature of one of Hitler’s lawyers during his final years in power.”
Furthermore, Tarrío indicates that the water for the windshield washer system works with air, which must be introduced via a pump, and that it requires leaded gasoline to be able to circulate. He mixes it himself at home.
Seat 850
Rubén Eiras, our colleague from the sheet metal section at Castrosua, owns a 1970 Seat 850. “It has a transverse four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 900 cc,” says Rubén. “It also has a power of 7.9 HP, rear-wheel drive, and four speeds.”
