Vang-Ball – The Lost Spanish Console from 1974

Background

Around June 2023, I set myself the goal of documenting and writing about the early history of video games in Spain, specifically the period between 1973 and 1984.

My main objective was to expand and complete the research conducted in 2016 by Marçal Mora Cantallops on the origins of the Overkal, a Spanish clone of the Magnavox Odyssey produced by Inter Electrónica in 1973.

Thanks to invaluable testimonies from former Inter employees and other individuals, combined with my own research and data gathering from records and various newspaper archives, this effort culminated in the article Overkal – The History of the Spanish Magnavox Odyssey clone. Originally published in Spanish on March 19, 2024, it is arguably one of the most comprehensive works to date on the origins of video games in Spain.

The success of my research was largely due to the support of numerous users, particularly the Community Manager of ForoCoches (popular forum in Spain), who helped spread my thread on social media. In it, I provided a broad overview of my investigation and explained how I managed to uncover key information.

I’m not sure whether it was because of this or another source, but less than two weeks later, Javier Pérez Campos—writter and regular contributor to Cuarto Milenio (popular TV show in Spain about the world of mystery and unknown)—reached out to me to feature the story of the Overkal on the show. This led to the special segment El Enigma Overkal (The Overkal Mystery), where I appeared as a video game history researcher and was interviewed by Iker Jiménez about the history of this unique console.

This collaboration, along with the positive reception from both commenters and acquaintances who loved my work, has motivated me to continue researching and writing about the prehistory of video games.

Since then, I have dedicated myself to further investigation, scouring records and newspaper archives to gather more information. At this point, I’ve become so familiar with patent records that I practically know them by heart.

As a result of this effort, it didn’t take long for me to find evidence that another major Spanish consumer electronics company had ties to the early days of video games. That company was Vanguard, formally known as Cahué Industrial.

Originally founded as a small radio receiver manufacturing company in the 1950s in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, it wasn’t until the 1960s—thanks to the support of industrialist Juan Cahué Franquet—that the company experienced exponential growth nationwide. It became one of the most important companies in the radio and television industry in Spain.

In this context, I believe it’s worth sharing the history of Vanguard—its beginnings, its eventual demise, and how it became involved in what may very well be the first canceled video game console in history.

The History of Vanguard

It all begins in 1950, when Juan Abelló Noguera founded Cradial Radio in a small attic workshop on Progreso Street 58, in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona.

The company initially focused on manufacturing vacuum tube radios, with models like Comet and Pulgarcito, which gained great popularity due to their compact size and ease of use. Later, they produced the Explorer 6 and Explorer 7 (Explorador) models, which were hand-wired transistor radios. However, only a few units of these models were ever made.

In 1958, Cradial began manufacturing a transistor radio model called Vanguard SIX. The name was inspired by the U.S. rocket and satellite program developed in the late 1950s. Vanguard was the second American satellite to reach orbit.

The person responsible for naming it Vanguard was Lisardo Ruiz Agudo, who oversaw the coil winding section at Cradial Radio. The key features of this first Vanguard model included a Bakelite chassis with riveted, hand-wired components. It only supported AM frequencies, had low sensitivity, and its coils were manufactured in Cradial’s winding section. The model was well received in the market—so much so that customers began referring to it simply as “a Vanguard” when purchasing it.

In 1958, Juan Abelló Noguera partnered with Cradial’s sales manager, Juan Cahué Franquet, to establish a new company called Industrias Abelló Noguera. That same year, the company was renamed Vanguard, officially launching the brand. It is unclear whether other partners were involved in the venture. The company’s registered office was located at 9 Fortuny Street in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona.

Together, they founded Cahué Industrial (CISA) and soon established their headquarters at 240 Santa Eulalia. Under Cahué’s leadership, the company experienced rapid growth, setting up numerous authorized service centers and securing agreements with major distributors across Spain. This allowed Vanguard to expand swiftly, increasing its presence in the country’s largest cities. At its peak, the company became one of Spain’s largest employers, with a workforce exceeding 10,000 employees.

During those years, Vanguard established itself as one of the leading manufacturers of radios and televisions in Spain. The company achieved this by offering well-built products with solid features at highly competitive prices, making its way into thousands of Spanish households with ease. In 1961, Vanguard began producing television sets, further cementing its position in the consumer electronics market.

In 1969, the construction of a massive factory, warehouse, and office building began on Santa Eulalia Street 240. This new industrial complex allowed Vanguard to significantly improve and expand its production capacity. The opening of the complex marked a major milestone in the town’s history, providing jobs to thousands of people. The new building was inaugurated in 1970.

On July 18, 1969, the Head of State, Francisco Franco, awarded Juan Cahué and Vanguard the title of “Empresa Modelo” (Model Company) in recognition of their contributions to the industry.

With the arrival and popularization of the first devices with LED technology, Vanguard expanded its business line to include electronic calculators and digital watches in 1972. These new products were a great success and allowed Vanguard to once again establish itself as one of the leaders in the consumer electronics sector nationally. During this period, Juan Cahué’s wealth was estimated in several million pesetas, making him one of the richest men in Spain.

Vang-Ball, Vanguard’s Console

Mario Verneda Galobart (1926 – 2020) was an engineer and technical director who worked for Vanguard. He created several industrial designs and patents related to radio devices, turntables, and cassette players, which can be consulted at the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.

He was the owner of the authorized Vanguard service center located at 444 Vizcaya Street in Barcelona.

It is believed that Mario Verneda had close contact with the Magnavox Odyssey between 1973 and early 1974. Mario registered a utility model at the Patent and Trademark Office for a console idea, under the name “Juego electrónico para aparatos de television” (Electronic Game for Television Sets) on February 12, 1974. As can be seen from the drawing and description, it was the exact same design and definition as the Magnavox Odyssey. It is likely that this registration was made with the intention of ensuring that no one in Spain could register a similar device.

However, someone had already beaten them to it. Santiago Arcocha Noguera had registered the utility model “Electronic Device for Controlling the Beam in a Cathode Ray Tube” in May 1973. This design was realized in the Overkal. Mario Verneda’s registration was invalidated in November 1975 at the request of Santiago Arcocha himself, citing extreme similarities with his utility model and industrial drawings.

It is likely that, being aware of this, they soon chose to design a console that, while based on the Magnavox Odyssey, was sufficiently different to avoid potential lawsuits.

Not much later, specifically on April 9, 1974, Cahué Industrial registered the industrial design “Dispositivo de control y mando para juegos electrónicos” (Control and Command Device for Electronic Games)(I0080158).

The registration consists of an illustration of the device’s casing itself and a detailed description of its appearance. In the drawing, it is evident that the console features a game selector with 6 switches and sliding potentiometers, which we can assume are for adjusting the net position in the tennis game and the ball’s speed.

The controllers feature sliding controls, two of which we can assume were for moving the players horizontally and vertically, and another for adjusting the trajectory of the ball in the ping-pong/tennis game. The button located on the right side was used to serve the ball.

All of these functional details are shared by the Overkal from Inter Electrónica, which had only appeared in February-March of 1974.

This suggests that, by early April of that year, Vanguard’s research department was aware of the Overkal.

The striking similarity in sharing the same 6-button game selector is too coincidental to be a mere accident. In addition to practically sharing the same functionalities, albeit with a different appearance.

It is assumed that, to avoid potential lawsuits over the electronic design, Cahué Industrial decided to register a utility model improvement titled “Perfeccionamientos en los circuitos electrónicos para representación gráfica dinámica en aparatos de televisión” (Improvements in Electronic Circuits for Dynamic Graphic Representation in Television Sets) on June 7, 1974. The design involved a simplification of the circuit used by the Odyssey/Overkal, which included the use of TTL chips, making it a console with more advanced components.

The description of this document mentions that this improvement is applicable to electronic game devices that have already been successful in foreign countries, clearly referring to the Magnavox Odyssey.

The Name

Thanks to the practice of large companies registering trademarks, there are several registrations made by Cahué Industrial and by Juan Cahué Franquet himself for various names being considered for the console: Ping-Ball, Vanguard-Ball, Vang-Bol, and Vang-Ball. These registrations date from March 22 to June 12, 1974. Assuming that the system was already in development when the first registration was made, we can infer that the project began in March 1974, which aligns with the fact that the design of the device shares some similarities with the Overkal, which was released around that time, as previously mentioned.

The last name to be registered was Vang-Ball, suggesting that it may have been the final name for the console.

Why was it canceled?

This is the most interesting point, and the most that we don’t know anything for sure.

As far as the evidence presented and the lack of any previously documented unit suggest, the console was never commercialized. Despite having nearly everything (the casing, the electronic design, and potential names), it seems that the project was canceled before reaching the production state.

Given that a casing design for the console was made, it’s possible that at least one prototype existed. However, considering that more than 50 years have passed and that interest in the preservation and documentation of this type of material was likely one of the last priorities for any company at that time… the probability of a prototype surviving is virtually nonexistent.

The reasons for its cancellation are difficult to define without evidence or testimonies from research and laboratory employees who might remember the console.

If we base it on assumptions, the most solid reason for its cancellation might have been that the system, had it been commercialized, likely wouldn’t have sold well due to its high cost, as happened with its nemesis, the Overkal.

Another possibility could be the fear of potential legal repercussions from Inter Electrónica or even Magnavox. Although the system would have been heavily modified, legally, they would have needed to pay a license to sell a console. However, the Overkal, despite being an unlicensed clone of Magnavox, never faced legal repercussions, largely due to the limited distribution of the system and the lack of any mention of a manufacturer.

Had Vang-Ball been released, it would have been rather blatant, considering that the name of the company, Vanguard, was part of the console’s name, making it easy to file a lawsuit against them.

This is something we may never truly know, though I prefer to think that someday evidence might surface.

The Last Years of Vanguard

The few manufacturers that shared the Spanish consumer electronics market had experienced exponential growth during the 1960s and 1970s due to the increasing purchasing power of Spanish society at the time, setting trends in the acquisition of radio, audio, and television devices. This allowed them to establish a very stable position in the market, with little threat from new brands that could have posed serious competition.

However, this period of calm was seriously threatened by the arrival and proliferation of foreign Japanese, US and European brands, which found the Spanish market increasingly attractive. Domestic manufacturers had to take action to try to match up to the major multinational companies. The most logical step was to merge or sell the company if they wanted to continue existing on the map. It was a time of great change and fierce competition.

Companies such as Inter Electrónica had begun negotiations with Grundig for a merger, which was formalized in 1978. General Eléctrica Española had partnered with Thomson in 1974, and Sony had established itself in Spain with the acquisition of Kosmos Eléctrica in 1973.

In this context, it was clear that Vanguard needed, sooner rather than later, an agreement with a major foreign company if it wanted to continue existing.

The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Hitachi began looking for an established company in Spain in 1978 to enter the market.

Hitachi expressed interest in Vanguard, even meeting with Juan Cahué to negotiate the sale of his company. However, Cahué was reluctant to consider the idea.

“We will never sell the company, neither to Hitachi nor to anyone,” Juan Cahué, the managing director of Cahué Industrial, told El País when asked about the potential sale of his company to the Japanese corporation. However, Cahué refused to comment on the possibility of a closer cooperation with Hitachi, stating, “I enjoy speaking to the press, but that belongs to the future, which is like a crystal ball.” According to the leader of the Spanish company behind Vanguard products, the company’s relations with Hitachi were similar to those with other international firms in the sector.

El País, November 7, 1978

Despite the denial and his public rejection of any approach to Hitachi, negotiations continued. Just two days later, Juan Cahué proposed that Vanguard provide technical assistance and sell products with licensed technology from Hitachi. This agreement was formalized in April 1979.

This agreement also led to the creation of Hitachi Salas Ibérica, a joint venture to market Hitachi products in Spain. Despite the potential benefits, this deal posed a series of financial and operational challenges for Vanguard. The high costs of materials and steep import taxes forced the company to increase the prices of its products, which impacted its competitiveness in the market.

These production issues, combined with the saturation of manufacturers, fierce competition from color television, and an unsustainable workforce plagued by absenteeism for years, led to Vanguard’s inevitable downfall.

On January 31, 1981, El País reported that Vanguard had declared bankruptcy, with a debt of 3.455 billion pesetas.

Despite the dire situation, the company continued operating. Vanguard workers faced a series of labor regulations and layoffs. The company underwent several workforce adjustments, while employees filed legal actions in protest. In 1982, Vanguard’s assets were seized by the tax authorities due to an outstanding debt of 690 million pesetas. Workers held a sit-in at the company’s headquarters in protest against the situation and the termination of nearly 1,500 employees’ contracts.

The tensions during this period escalated as numerous attempts were made to negotiate between the Workers’ Committee, the company’s receivers, and its representatives. However, the banks’ inflexibility, which immobilized significant funds, worsened the crisis even further.

One of the main creditors was Samuel Montagut, a resident of England, whose identity and legitimacy were questioned by the workers. Labor conflicts intensified as workers continued their fight to resolve the debts and keep the company afloat.

Amidst this crisis, Vanguard expressed gratitude for the support received from friends, clients, and suppliers. Despite the challenges, the company tried to maintain normal operations and sought viable solutions through meetings and negotiations. There were even talks of a potential merger with Emerson, who was also facing difficulties, in a bid to ensure the survival of both companies.

However, the crisis was virtually irreversible. The intervention of law enforcement and judicial decisions further complicated the situation.

The head of Magistracy No. 9 in Barcelona issued an order to seize twenty-five bank accounts belonging to Cahué Industrial and Juan Cahué. This measure was requested by two hundred workers who had been laid off.

El titular de la Magistratura número nueve de Barcelona dictó una orden de embargo sobre veinticinco cuentas corrientes y de ahorro pertenecientes a la sociedad Cahué Industrial y a Juan Cahué. Esta medida fue solicitada por doscientos trabajadores que habian sido despedidos.

These decisions made it extremely difficult for Vanguard to survive. The unpaid salaries of the remaining 400 employees were settled with the remaining assets, such as television parts and audio equipment. While Vanguard’s activity had been almost nonexistent since 1981, it completely shut down in 1985.

In 1986, the company’s workers created a viability plan to restructure the company under the name NEPESA (Nueva Empresa de Productos Electrónicos, S.A.). This new company had a capital of 1.052 billion pesetas, distributed as follows: 32% owned by Juan Cahué, 15% by Samuel Montagut, 20% by a British financial institution, and the remaining 23% was settled as back pay for the workers.

This new company continued producing VHS players, audio equipment, and televisions. However, the company’s life was very short-lived.

It is believed that around 1990, NEPESA ceased to exist. The building on Santa Eulalia Street was sold and converted into office space in 1991.

Thus, almost without any fanfare, one of the most important brands in Spanish consumer electronics faded into obscurity.

I want with this article to remember and highlight not only Vanguard’s role as a pioneering brand in consumer electronics but also to reveal and “document” its role in possibly being the first canceled video game console in history.

Written by MARTIN F. MARTORELL

References

• Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (OEPM)
• Virtual Library of Historical Press (Ministry of Culture)
• Historical Archive of the City of Barcelona
• ARCA (Archive of Ancient Catalan Magazines)
• Digitized Catalan Press
• La Vanguardia
• ABC
• El País
• Todocoleccion
• eBay