The passion for automobiles is rarely accidental. More often, it is inherited, passed down quietly, almost instinctively, from one generation to the next. At Orleans Cars, that heritage has a name: Juan Riu Ochoa.
Born in Barcelona on September 25th, 1901, Juan Riu was an engineer by training and a restless spirit by nature. In the early 1930s, when motor racing was still the domain of pioneers and risk-takers, he took part in some of the first competitions held at the legendary Autódromo Terramar, racing autocycle and voiturettes. There, his relationship with the automobile was forged , not merely as a machine, but as a technical and human challenge.
The Spanish Civil War abruptly ended that chapter and forced him into exile. In 1940, he fought in the Batalla de Narvik, in Norway, where he was wounded and later hospitalized in Edinburgh. This episode marked a decisive turning point in his life. After his recovery, he was recruited by the British Secret Services, entering the service of His Majesty during the Second World War.
While based in Edinburgh, he founded British Mexican Trading Co. Ltd., a company that served as a commercial cover for intelligence activities. In 1941, he was issued a diplomatic passport in Mexico by the Spanish Republican Government in exile. Politics, espionage and discretion became part of his daily life, intertwined with the same composure and precision that had once guided him through the steep banking of Terramar.
Following the war, automobiles once again took center stage. In 1950, Juan Riu competed in the first edition of the legendary Carrera Panamericana, one of the most dangerous and demanding road races ever held. Driving a Mercury with race number 104, he finished 37th, a remarkable achievement given the extreme conditions and the high number of retirements due to accidents and mechanical failures.
His automotive legacy flourished in Latin America. In 1954, he founded the Club Los Tortugasin Bogotá, today the most important automobile club in Colombia. He was also a pioneer in introducing European sports cars to the country, including the MG TC, and in 1955 he returned to competition behind the wheel of a Triumph TR2, becoming part of the early history of Colombian motorsport.
Juan Riu Ochoa’s life brings together engineering, exile, war, intelligence and automobiles, a rare and compelling combination that reflects the complexity of the 20th century. His role as a former combatant at Narvik and member of British intelligence is documented by historian Daniel Arasa in the book Els catalans de Churchill, lending historical confirmation to a story that might otherwise seem improbable.
This legacy is more than family history. It is the foundation of a way of understanding the automobile, as cultural heritage, as mechanical art, and as a witness to time. At Orleans Cars, every classic car is a tribute to that spirit. Because before collecting, restoring or trading automobiles, there was a passion, inherited, lived, and passed on.
