PTV (car)

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PTV was a car brand from Automóviles Utilitarios S.A. in Manresa, near Barcelona, Spain. It became the second‑biggest seller of microcars in Spain, after Biscúter, and was known for being more upmarket with proper doors, two‑tone paint, chrome trim and 12‑inch wheels.

The first PTV prototype appeared in 1956 with a rear‑mounted 250 cc engine, producing about 11–13 hp and a top speed around 75–95 km/h. That engine was later replaced by a 350 cc unit.

Sales declined after Fiat licensed the Fiat 600 for Spain as the SEAT 600, and the company later reorganized as AUSA Center SA, a maker and supplier of industrial machinery and light vehicles with branches in Madrid, Perpignan, Rochdale, Hamm, Alberta and Beijing.

The PTV story began with the Tachó brothers, who built La Ballena (The Whale) in 1950 and The Coca in 1953 under the Tachó brand. Guillem and Antoni Tachó joined Maurici Josep Vila Perramón, and they founded Automóviles Utilitarios, S.A. on May 4, 1956. The PTV name comes from Tachó‑Perramón vehículo plus a distinctive number.

The first model, the PTV 250, was a stylish two‑seat convertible (2+1 in advertising) with a rear 250 cc single‑cylinder engine. It came in versions with or without doors. About 1,100 were built through 1961, making it the fourth most common microcar in Spain after Biscúter, Goggomobil and Isetta. Prices ranged from 44,500 to 55,000 pesetas, and most cars stayed in Spain, with some exported to Portugal.