1984 SEAT Ibiza Image Sourced: https://www.mad4wheels.com/seat/ibiza-1984/car-wallpaper-279832
The Founding of SEAT
On the 9th of May 1950 the Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo (SEAT) was founded, from an agreement between the National Institute of Industry, seven Spanish banks and Fiat to create a nationally owned automotive company. The National Institute of Industry held the majority of share capital with 51%, then the banks held 42% combined and Fiat had the remaining 7%.
Spain needed the involvement of an existing successful car manufacturer like Fiat to provide their expert technical advice as well as allowing SEAT to use their production licence for Fiat models to begin with.
The goal of SEAT was “to put a country on wheels”, and start a successful automotive industry in Spain that would provide jobs, help the economy grow and create affordable cars for their population. The Spanish government had noticed how the automotive sectors in other European countries, including France, Germany, and Italy had grown substantially over the first half of the century and didn’t want to be left behind as they moved into the second half of the 1900s.
It took three years for the company to build their first manufacturing factory in the Zona Franca District of Barcelona, where they employed 925 people to produce the SEAT 1400. It was on the 13th of November that the first SEAT rolled off the production line.
As part of their commitment to their country SEAT would aim to source the majority of their parts from Spanish suppliers, and by 1957 over 90% of production parts were Spanish.
It was their second car that really appealed to the masses. The 600 was designed for Spanish families, able to fit five comfortably and costing just 65,000 pasetas which is the equivalent of €390 (£340) in today’s money.
SEAT Apprentice School
Opened in 1957 SEAT’s apprentice school, is in the heart of Barcelona. It offered the youth of Spain a way into the automotive industry and produced qualified employees for the business.
The school is still open today and has trained over 2,700 people to date. Current programmes are open to those ages 18 to 21 years old and offers dual vocational training with work experience at one of their operations.
SEAT Exports
It wasn’t until the 1960s that SEAT became an international brand and they started by sending one of their best-selling 600 models to Columbia in 1965. However, it wasn’t until a couple of years later when they began exporting without restrictions after their contract with Fiat was modified.
SEAT and Fiat
By 1967 SEAT was Spain’s largest automotive producer and they wanted to go international, however their original contract with Fiat put in place restrictions on SEAT exporting. In exchange for ending these restrictions Fiat’s holdings in the group would increase from 7% to 36% and the government holding agency reduced theirs from 51% to 32%. This allowed Fiat to profit from SEAT’s expansion into the rest of Europe, where they would compete directly with Fiat’s models and reduce Fiat’s potential profit.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that the partnership between SEAT and Fiat ended with Volkswagen buying into the brand.
The First Original SEAT
To aid with their expansion into the international market, and to help establish themselves as a brand, SEAT wanted to create their own originally designed car and the 133 was born. The spacious five-seater hatchback was successful for the company, and quickly followed in the 1970s by the 127, 128, 131 and Ritmo to name just a few of the models that became popular on the domestic and international market.
It was in 1985 that the first SEAT exports to the UK began with the Ibiza and Malaga.
The SEAT Name
SEAT was an abbreviation commonly used for the full company name until the 1990s when they officially rebranded to SEAT.
SEAT was snappier and easier for the international market to use, and with it being used colloquially for several years the company made the name official.
SEAT and Racing
SEAT first entered motorsport in 1970, competing on both circuits and rallies, and ever since motorsports has been a part of their makeup. They’ve not only won a lot of different titles, but infuse a sense of racing power, performance and style into their road cars as well.
SEAT and CUPRA
CUPRA began life as the name given to performance models in SEAT’s range, then became a separate division within the SEAT company before separating to become its own brand in 2018.
CUPRA now offers drivers a range of high-performance models, including the electric CUPRA Born, that offers drivers a range of up to 343 miles.
It was CUPRA who introduced the world’s first electric touring car – the e-Racer. Building on the pedigree of SEAT’s racing history with a step towards the future of motorsports.
If you want to take a look at the current CUPRA models or see what is currently available for you to lease then why not take a look at our CUPRA leasing deals?
Evolution of SEAT Cars
The 1400
The 1400 was the first car manufactured by SEAT in the 1950s. In production between 1953 and 1963, offering Spanish drivers an American inspired car that had plenty of small touches to give it a modern (at the time) and luxury feel. It was a four-door saloon popular with executives and taxi drivers.
Image Sourced: https://www.car.info/en-se/seat/1400/1400-1st-generation-16284356
Image Sourced:https://www.seat.co.uk/about-seat/news-events/corporate/70-years-of-historyThe 600
The second car SEAT produced was a compact hatchback, the 600. It was a licenced version of the best-selling Fiat 600 and instantly became a popular model in Spain. In fact, it outlasted the Fiat 600 by several year, remaining a popular choice for driver right up until it ceased production in 1973. It was small and nippy to manoeuvre around city and country roads but large enough for most Spanish families to fit comfortably. It was also affordable and offered drivers great fuel economy for the time which meant lower running costs for sustainable affordability. According to SEAT’s own research, one in four cars in Spain was a 600 at one point in time.
The 800
The SEAT 800 was essentially a four-door saloon version of the popular SEAT 600 model. It offered a little more room for rear passengers, which was a bonus for larger families, and with four doors was easier for them to get in and out. The two rear doors were suicide doors (rear hinged) and gave it a unique look as well as made practical use of the space available.
Image Sourced: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seat_800_%283%29.jpg
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza was first introduced in 1984. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro it was a stylish and spacious family hatchback that would go on to be the brand’s best-selling models of all times. Nearly 40 years later the Ibiza remains in production though it’s gone through several generations and refreshes to keep up with modern stylings, safety and convenience features. Find out more about today’s SEAT Ibiza and see some fantastic lease deals on our Ibiza leasing page.
SEAT Leon
Another of SEAT’s most iconic models is the Leon. Originally introduced in 1999 the SEAT Lean was a medium sized hatchback designed to rival the likes of the Ford Focus and VW Golf. It was a family friendly In the past two decades it has remained a popular choice for drivers that want a car that offers practical features like the collision assist and a driver centred cockpit, but is still fun to drive! We’ve got great SEAT Leon lease deals available now if you’re interested in one for your next car.
SEAT Ateca
As the first SUV to be introduced by the Spanish brand the Ateca brings SEAT’s distinctive styling to a larger vehicle with plenty of comfort and convenience features for the whole family. Today’s SEAT Ateca is a great choice for families and adventurers alike. It has plenty of interior space, a range of economical engines for you to choose from and plenty of safety features pre-crash assist, parking sensors and voice recognition system.
SEAT Mii
The SEAT Mii was the first fully electric model in SEAT’s range. Introduced in 2012 it was sold for nine years before being discontinued in 2021. It offered drivers a reasonably sized hatchback with a mileage range that was more than enough for most driver’s daily needs. Not only was it innovative because it was the first EV in their range but SEAT also had several collaborations with brands like Cosmopolitan and Mango to create a really stylish car.
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