Looking back we see that there have been people ahead of their time. One such man was industrialist and creator Jose Artés de Arcos (1893-1985). As a young music fan, he built instruments that he could make music with. But his early life was one of constant struggle and, among many other jobs, he worked as a coal miner in various mining companies in Melilla. It was in this city in 1910 that he patented the rotative engine.
In 1918, he moved to Barcelona and some years later, in 1927, he opened a small car workshop. He bought three machines from which he developed his own inventions, from a petrol economiser to the most famous of all his creations, the air aspiration car horn.
Artés radios, made in an Art deco style can be found in the home, and the car radios, which were first manufactured in 1947, are highly sought after by collectors. He opened a small company dedicated to the manufacture of safes, giving rise to the recognized safes that bear his brand name. Another of his creations were the compressed air and Setra gas carbines, much coveted by the lovers of compressed air guns.
After developing a number of products, all within the car accessory sector, the Spanish State decorated him with la Medalla de Plato al Mérito al Trabajo – the silver medal of merit in work – in 1965, as well as la Gran Cruz al Mérito Civil.
But his most publicised creations were the Formula IV car, the Guepardo, the amphibious 6×6 vehicle, the Gato Montés, and the Campeador sports car.
It is the root of the curiosity there has been for the achievements of José Artés de Arcos that Pepo, one of his grandsons, has decided to bear witness to his work and with a keenness to satisfy the public love of Retro, to make available a very exclusive textile collection of high quality, bearing the logos and design drawings of the products that were part of an era of great impact.
Continuing the philosophy of social conscience that characterized their protagonist the Artés de Arcos Vintage collection donates 0.7% of its proceeds to the Sonrisas sin Fronteras foundation, which visits Oncology hospitals and centres for children.
(source: Artes De Arcos)
