For 11 years in Spain, the Abadal car company produced a line of high-performance luxury vehicles. The company’s name was derived from Fracisco Abadal and offered 2 models which mimicked that of the Hispano cars. The one model featured a 3,104 cc four cylinder engine while the other model had a 4,521 cc six cylinder engine in it. Francisco Abadal was a racing driver who also worked as a salesman for the Hispano-Suiza automotive manufacturer and also owned and ran the Abadal company during its short lifetime.
Almost immediately following the release of the very first cars, The Belgian-based Imperia auto manufacturer produced a licensed version which was known as the Imperia-Abadal. By 1916, Abadal was able to acquire the Buick Agency and as a result, a number of the models that were produced in Barcelona over the next few years would feature a Buick engine in them.
Around that same time period, the Belgian license holder of the Abadal line was taken over by M. A. Van Roggen who was previously employed at Springuel. After this the Imperia Abadal models would total no more than 170 before the name, company and brand would disappear forever in the chronicles of automotive history.
Upon the closure of Abadal plant, Fracisco Abadal would become the sole agent in Spain for the General Motors Corporation and while there was an attempt at one point to develop a co-branded Abadal-Continental automobile, this joint production would never realise.
Still today, due to the rarity of the Abadal models including the licensed productions of the Imperia Abadals, the cars are considered to be collectables if they can be found. However, the rarity of the models themselves makes finding one fully intact next to impossible and likely only to be found in personal collections passed on to a second generation by an original owner.
Original Authors: Nick (Globel Team)
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 26/08/2008
