From the Sector to the Automobile Cluster of Castilla y León. Its Study through the History of Lingotes Especiales

Abstract

This chapter analyses the historical process undergone by the automobile sector in Castilla y León through the history of one of its most important companies: Lingotes Especiales. This sector is one of the driving forces behind the region’s economy. Since the mid-twentieth century, it has expanded with the arrival of new foreign equipment and component companies and with the appearance of others backed by local capital. Together with Catalonia, Castilla y León is today the national leader in the production and export of vehicles and vehicle components. Behind the competitiveness of the sector lie a series of advantages specific to the area, and from which companies have benefited. These externalities have spontaneously created an automobile cluster, which has become more important than the automobile sector itself.