A black Alfa Romeo sedan on the streets of Fisterra, Spain.

Cars in Spain

Felix Wong's avatar
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Unlike in the early 2000s when I first went to Europe, the last couple times I have visited the Mother Continent I have experienced less and less car-envy. For one thing, the differences (including size) between cars sold in the U.S. and Europe has diminished, with more stylish and desirable sub-compact and compact vehicles being available in America, and more SUVs and crossovers sold in Europe. Another is that there is seemingly less “forbidden fruit” nowadays for us Yanks, with even Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Opels (under the nameplate of Buick), and Smarts making it to our shores—at least the most desirable of those marques, anyway.

Of course, there are still vehicles I wish were available in the U.S. For me, topping the list would be select Citroëns. They are positively quirky, occasionally ingenious, and most certainly French. Take the C3 Cactus, for example:

A silver 2015 Citroën Cactus C3 in Madrid.
A silver 2015 Citroën Cactus C3 in Madrid.

or its little sibling, the (perhaps handsomer) C2, also equipped with optional Airbumps:

A white Citroën C2 white red roof and Airbumps.
A white Citroën C2 white red roof and Airbumps.

There are other car brands that aren’t shipped to our country, including Peugeot and Renault (also from France), SEAT (Spanish but owned by Volkswagen), and Ssongyang (S0outh Korean), but for the most part their models pale next to the likes of Fiat 500/500L/500X’s, Ford Fiesta and Focus STs, Kia Souls, any MINI, Nissan Jukes, and Hyundai Velosters. All of which can be found in just about any American city.

One interesting thing about cars in Spain is how egalitarian it is in terms of car sales. Unlike in the cell phone marketplace where two or three brands dominate, there are so many car manufacturers selling essentially the same amount of cars.

Here are the top-selling car brands in Spain:

  • Volkswagen: 88314
  • Seat: 77580
  • Renault: 77116
  • Opel: 76479
  • Peugeot: 76377
  • Ford: 70647
  • Citroën: 61828
  • Nissan: 55333
  • ToyotaL 48131
  • Dacia: 45241

[Source: Statista.com]

Below are photos of some of the vehicles in Spain that caught my eye the most.

A black Mercedes sedan in the streets of
A black Mercedes sedan in the streets of
A billboard for a red Fiat 500 in Granada, by MotorDOS.
A billboard for a red Fiat 500 in Granada, by MotorDOS.
The front of a teal Vespa in Madrid.
The front of a teal Vespa in Madrid.
A red scooter with a black stripe and number 125.
A red scooter with a black stripe and number 125.
A black and red Brammo Impulse in Barcelona.
A black and red Brammo Impulse in Barcelona.
This black Citroën C3 fastback kind of looks like a stretched Honda CR-X from the early 1990s.
This black Citroën C3 fastback kind of looks like a stretched Honda CR-X from the early 1990s.
A red Mini Cooper coupe with white racing stripes and white and black roof in front of an orange four-story building.
A red Mini Cooper coupe with white racing stripes and white and black roof in front of an orange four-story building.
A silver, early 2000s Porsche Boxster next to a blue motorbike and a red and white electric guitar.
A silver, early 2000s Porsche Boxster next to a blue motorbike and a red and white electric guitar.
This blue Opel Mokka from the mid-2010s shares the same body as the U.S. Buick Encore.
This blue Opel Mokka from the mid-2010s shares the same body as the U.S. Buick Encore.
The logo of this blue Peugeot looks like a zombie lioin to me.
The logo of this blue Peugeot looks like a zombie lioin to me.
A white mid-1980s BMW 3-series coupe that was converted into a rally car and raced on the streets of northern SPain.
A white mid-1980s BMW 3-series coupe that was converted into a rally car and raced on the streets of northern SPain.
A black Alfa Romeo sedan on the streets of Fisterra, Spain.
A black Alfa Romeo sedan on the streets of Fisterra, Spain.
An orange 2016 Smart Fortwo coupe in Fisterra, Spain.
An orange 2016 Smart Fortwo coupe in Fisterra, Spain.
A maroon Toyota CH-R hybrid in Fisterra, Spain.
A maroon Toyota CH-R hybrid in Fisterra, Spain.
A white second-generation Kia Soul wiht a red roof in Fisterra, Spain.
A white second-generation Kia Soul wiht a red roof in Fisterra, Spain.
A silver Audi A7 along the eastern shore of Fisterra, Spain.
A silver Audi A7 along the eastern shore of Fisterra, Spain.