Spanish miracle
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Seat_600_spain.jpg
The Spanish Miracle was the name given to the Spanish economic recovery between 1959 and 1969. The national recovery was bolstered by the interior reforms promoted by the so-called "technocrats," accepted by General Francisco Franco and assisted in implementation by the IMF.
Although successful to a degree, the recovery was heavily based on the introduction of foreign products and the opening of Spain as a tourist destination. The miracle ended the period of autarky (closed economy) and could be considered to be the response to the economic crisis of Spain after the Spanish Civil War that the same pro-Franco groups began in 1936. The economic recovery saw noticeable improvements in Spanish living standards and a burgeoning middle class, though Spain remained less economically advanced relative to the rest of Western Europe (with the exception of Portugal.) New politicians who did not fight in the war replaced the old Falangists and helped implement the new policies.
The recovery led to an increase in (often unplanned) building in Spanish cities to accommodate the new industrial workers brought by rural exodus.
One of its symbols was the SEAT 600, the first car for many Spanish families, produced by the Spanish SEAT under FIAT licence.