  We review the construction of $N=1$ supergravity models where the Higgs and
super-Higgs effects are simultaneously realized, with naturally vanishing
classical vacuum energy and goldstino components along gauge-non-singlet
directions: this situation is likely to occur in the effective theories of
realistic string models. (Invited talk presented at SUSY--95, Palaiseau,
France, 15--19 May 1995)
