Ideal
Barcelona, Spain.
In 1915, Barcelona saw the birth of an ambitious enterprise: Fábrica Española de Automóviles y Aeroplanos Talleres Hereter, S.A.
Founded with a spirit of innovation, the company set out to build both automobiles and aircraft—a bold vision for its time.
Before long, the firm began producing vehicles under two names: Ideal and T.H. (Talleres Hereter). Among them, the Ideal stood out as one of the sportiest and most desirable cars of the era. Sleek, modern, and fast, it captured the imagination of many Catalan drivers, who dreamed of owning one.
Technically, the Ideal was ahead of its time. Its four-cylinder engine featured an unusual design in which the manifold, gearbox, and engine block were cast together in a single piece of aluminum—a remarkable feat of engineering for the early 20th century.
Today, only one Ideal is known to survive, (shown below and currently at Col·lecció d’Automòbils Salvador Claret) is a rare testament to the craftsmanship of Barcelona’s early automotive industry. Its local representative was the Garage Moderno, located at Carrer Provença, 185, a name once synonymous with cutting-edge motoring in the heart of the city.
