I was browsing the local Craigslist equivalent this afternoon and saw a bike for sale, no description or make included in the ad, just a blurry photo, the only thing that was recognizable was a Stronglight 49d crankset. Those things are as rare as hens teeth in this part of the world so I went to take a look.
It turns out that the bike was a Spanish Torrot. There seems to be very little information about them on the internet and even here at BF. T-Mar as usual seems to know the most about them.
As you can see in the photo's the bike is a bit of a mishmash. The wheels are mis-matched 27x11/4 , the original stem has been replaced, as have the brake levers, the calipers are Super Olympic 66. I thought at first that the drive train was none original but the only picture I could find of a similar bike online shows the same components. The crank is indeed a Stronglight 49d, the shifters and front and rear mechs are all Suntour, the rear is a Suntour V-luxe shortcage, so pretty decent components.
There are no frame tube decals, front and rear dropouts are nicely forged but not stamped. The paint looks very durable and reminds me of the lustrous red paint that Sekine used on their 70's era bikes.
I'll remove the rack, basket and mudguards, put more suitable brake levers, stem and saddle back on, find a matching set of wheels and see how it feels on the road.
