Thereafter the Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval (SECN) developed its shipyards to meet the Spanish merchant fleet's need for larger and more modern ships.

Others include a 44-gun frigate sunk in 1721, the former Acacia-class sloop HMS Iris, which was converted into a merchant ship in 1920 and sank in 1930, and the Spanish aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias, which was launched in 1982 and sold for scrap in 2015.

Russell & Co built Príncipe de Asturias in its Kingston yard at Port Glasgow, Scotland, launching her on 30 April 1914, and completing her that July.

Shortly before dawn on 5 March 1916, while trying to approach the port of Santos in dense fog, the ship ran aground on shoals about 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) east of Ponta do Boi on the island of Ilhabela, opening a huge hole in her hull.

The French cargo ship Vega rescued 143 people, including the swimmer Marina Vidal and the only Brazilian on board, José Martins Vianna.