About Us
Passion partagée depuis 1970
De l'artisanat à l'international
Au début, notre production était entièrement artisanale et distribuée uniquement dans quelques magasins spécialisés de Barcelone. Grâce à des efforts constants et à une détermination sans faille, nos produits ont rapidement conquis le reste de l'Espagne et la plupart des marchés européens. En 1976, Artesanía Latina a présenté le premier modèle du King of the Mississippi, qui a connu un succès mondial et nous a ouvert les portes des États-Unis. En 1978, nous avons exposé pour la première fois à la foire de Nuremberg (la foire la plus importante du monde). À la fin des années 70, 80 % de notre production était destinée à l'exportation.
Les produits de l'Union européenne sont conçus pour embellir et enrichir vos projets.
Une histoire de passion
La passion est au cœur d'Artesanía Latina depuis sa création en 1970, dans un vieil appartement de Barcelone (Espagne). C'est là que mes parents, avec l'aide de mon grand-père, ont commencé à concevoir nos premiers produits : des puzzles en bois découpés à la scie à main et notre premier modèle : le radeau primitif.
Artesanía Latina is an indispensable reference in the world of wooden model ships. For more than 50 years, our models have brought real building pleasure to enthusiasts all over the world.
The Pleasure of Building
We believe that model shipbuilding is much more than a hobby; it is an enriching and creative experience. That's why, we offer a complete collection of boats and planes to build, accompanied by a wide selection of the highest quality tools and accessories, designed to embellish and enrich your projects.
A History of Passion
Passion has been at the heart of Artesanía Latina since its creation in 1970, in an old flat in Barcelona (Spain). There, my parents, with the help of my grandfather, started to design our first products: wooden puzzles cut with a hand saw and our first model: the primitive raft.
Our models conquered markets as diverse and far-flung as the United States and Japan. We have exhibited at major trade fairs and trade shows on all five continents. In 2018, The Nuremberg Toy Fair (Germany) awarded us a diploma for having been an exhibitor for 40 consecutive years.
Always Evolving
Over the years, Artesanía Latina has constantly evolved and adapted to satisfy a growing number of customers. Today, we continue to innovate and improve our products, because your building pleasure remains our top priority.
Join us in this adventure and discover the pleasure of building with Artesanía Latina.
Artesanía Latina Innovations
- 1977: Assembly instructions translated into 4 languages (Spanish, French, English and German) and then into 6 languages (Italian and Dutch).
- 1979: First assembly instructions combining photos (in black and white at that time) and explanatory text.
- 1984: First video showing the assembly of the Bluenose.
- 1985: Spare parts service for all our customers worldwide.
- 1988: Sails sewn into our boats.
- 1992: Our first waterjet cutting machine is installed in our factory in Spain. The precision of the cutting makes the assembly of our models much more accurate.
- 1993: Transparent PVC trays included in our kits to contain, display and protect the rigging.
- 1996: Introduction of the 19000 range aimed at a beginner audience.
- 1998: First licensed model: the Hermione La Fayette.
- 2005: Replacement of Manzonia wood (falsely called African walnut) with real American walnut, much more expensive but much more environmentally friendly and of unequalled beauty.
- 2009: First products made from Oregon pine wood.
- 2010: First models designed with 3D software.
- 2013: First tools in our Micro Tools range: micro profiling machines appear.
- 2014: First models using American cherry wood.
- 2015: All our new models now include a display stand with the name of the ship.
- 2016: We started producing models of the most iconic aircraft. In addition, most of our new models now contain brass or photo-etched steel details, adding to their beauty and finish.
- 2020: Launch of our acrylic paints and finishes, completely manufactured in Spain. Their quality and performance are praised by all our customers. We market an optional LED lighting kit and a low speed engine with the launch of the new version of the King of the Mississippi. 30% reduction in the volume of our packaging boxes.
- 2021: The new HMS Endeavour is the first model to include American oak veneer.
- 2022: First models with 100% video assembly instructions.
- 2023: First models with copper hull plating.
- 2024: The best is yet to come!