Maker record
Dalia
Dàlia was a metal foundry and toy maker based in Barcelona, Spain. Its products included industrial metal components and small metal toys such as cars, pistols and balances. The company’s first factory was built in Barcelona’s Sant Martí district under the name I.N.D.A.L.S.A.; in 1962 it moved to Sant Adrià de Besòs and took the name Fundición Dalia, S.A. From 1934, Dàlia collaborated with the French maker Solido to produce and sell model vehicles in Spain. Its Dalia-Solido range included selected Solido designs and Spanish vehicle models such as the SEAT 1400C.
- Founded
- 1953
- Locations
- Barcelona, Spain · 1921 · Sant Adrià de Besòs, Spain · 1962
- Founders
- Unknown
The story of Dalia
Fundición Dalia was a metal foundry whose first factory was built in 1921 in Barcelona’s Sant Martí district, at Passatge de Marqués de Santa Isabel. The factory operated under the name I.N.D.A.L.S.A. and produced industrial components as well as small metal toys, including cars, pistols and balances. After the original factory closed, owner Ricard Domènech Nicolau built a new factory in Sant Adrià de Besòs. In 1962 the business moved there and adopted the name Fundición Dalia, S.A.
Dàlia’s model-car activity developed through its collaboration with the French manufacturer Solido. A specialist account dates their Spanish collaboration to 1934, when Dàlia made toys inspired by Solido’s Junior and Mayor ranges. In 1961, Dàlia began producing Solido Series 100 models in Barcelona. France supplied unpainted parts for assembly; early Dàlia models had modified bases with the Dàlia name and Spanish text, followed by Dalia-Solido markings and later unmodified bases. The Spanish range selected only some Series 100 models. It included the SEAT 1400C, later sold as the 1500, with changes in wheels, colors and decoration across the range. The Sant Adrià factory ceased operating in 1989.