Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches

Thank you Fabienne for the Postcards that you sent to Me:

Brief Description

Founded in the 11th century to protect the Spanish territories from the Moors, this 'City of Saints and Stones', the birthplace of St Teresa and the burial place of the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada, has kept its medieval austerity. This purity of form can still be seen in the Gothic cathedral and the fortifications which, with their 82 semicircular towers and nine gates, are the most complete in Spain.

Spain

Province of Ávila, Autonomous Community of Castile-Leon

N40 39 23.22 W4 42 0.432

Date of Inscription: 1985

Minor modification inscribed year: 2007

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Ref: 348bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

COCHES DE EPOCA

Fecha de Emisión	30/05/2012
Estampación	Offset
Papel	Estucado, engomado, fosforescente
Dentado	13 ¾
Tamaño del sello	40,9 x 28,8 mm. (horizontales)
Valor facial de los sellos	0,85 €
Tirada	280.000 hojas bloque

Under the title Vintage Cars a four stamp souvenir sheet is issued depicting some of the most popular cars which have contributed to the development of the Spanish automobile industry.

VINTAGE CARS

In 1934 the Citroën C-11, a new model of car, was staged at the Paris Motor Show, and together with the Citroën C-7 incorporated for the first time the Traction Avant, or front-wheel drive. It was considered a very advanced vehicle at the time since it was the first car manufactured in a standard self-supporting body, wherein the chassis and the body itself were an inseparable unit. During the Second World War production stopped and it made a come back to the market in 1946. In July 1957 production of this model ended. In 1957 the French brand settled in Spain under the name Citroén Hispania.

In 1956 the Renault Dauphini was presented with great magnificence in European countries achieving immediate success. It was sleek and spacious, with four doors and specially designed for family use. It had a rear engine and could reach up to 117 km per hour but it was reputed for its lack of stability. From 1958 to 1967 over 125,000 units were manufactured in the FASA-Renault plant in Valladolid (Spain) in the three existing versions: Dauphini, Ondine and Gordini.

The most popular car in the 60s was without doubt the SEAT 600, a small car that was a milestone in the automobile history of Spain. Designed for the rising middle class its manufacture began in June 1957 and ended in 1973. The 600, seílla or seita, as it was also known, was the beginning of mass motorization and a symbol of freedom. It had two doors, a rear-wheel drive and a cooling problem which could be easily solved by tightening the fan belt according to its inventor, Italian Dante Giacosa. Spain produced a total of 799,419 units.

The Simca 1000 was presented in Paris in 1961. Its design was based on the prevailing style at the time: with a rear engine and a rear-wheel drive, four doors and four seats and allowing for five passengers. The exterior had balanced proportions, resembling a small sedan with three bodies and was very appealing to the general public. The business strategy was focused on the family market of the mid -60s and early 70s. In Spain it was manufactured by the Barreiros company in their Villaverde factory were 205,429 units were made. 

Source: http://www.correos.es