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SEAT’s exclusive car collection for 70 years

Spanish automotive brand SEAT celebrates its 70th anniversary. In this period of time, it has also produced cars for celebrities, special occasions or just for authentic inventions. Here are the cars in the “SEAT Heritage Collection” …

Spanish brand SEAT, one of the most important automobile manufacturers in the world, exhibits a special collection for the 70th anniversary of its establishment. During the past 70 years, the collection consists of products dedicated to a celebrity or a special occasion besides mass production, and there are models that have marked the development of the brand and the automotive world.

In the Opening Ceremony of the Barcelona 92nd Olympics, an electric car accompanied the Olympic torch. This was an electric SEAT Toledo. The car had 16 lead batteries that increased the weight of the vehicle from 1,015 to 1,545 kilograms, so it could travel 55 km. This meant that the electric SEAT Toledo could get enough range to give way to athletes during the marathon race on the final day of the Olympics. Each of the 22 athletes who won medals on behalf of Spain in the Olympics was given the SEAT Toledo Podium car specially developed for them.

In 1956, a new model was developed based on the first SEAT model: SEAT 1400 Visitas (Visit). The 1400 Visitas, which has no doors and ceilings, were ideal for visitors to tour the SEAT Factory. The 1400 series, produced by staff working at the SEAT Factory, was renewed in 2005. The novelty was also a single car that was created through the ‘Unification’ of two 1400 series cars, this time by retired production personnel.

The SEAT 600, which was used until 1964 to show the officials who visited the plant, also formed the basis of SEAT Savio: Italian company Carrozzeria Savio implemented Pietro Frua’s amazing design. The SEAT Savio, a minivan with three rows of seats over an axle distance of just 2 meters, allows the Savio to easily maneuver along assembly lines, and the glass roof takes visibility to a higher level.

For the Pope’s 1982 visit to Spain, a car smaller than his own was needed. Real Madrid C.F. and F.C. The fact that Barcelona stadiums cannot pass through the entrance gates created this need. Zona Franca Factory employees developed SEAT Panda “Papamóvil”. By completely eliminating the roof and glass details of the car, a supported structure was created at the rear where the Pope could stand and greet the public.

In 1986, SEAT became the current King of Spain VI. He designed a special Ibiza for Felipe’s 18th birthday. The car was named SEAT Ibiza Rey. The Ibiza Rey has taken the technical features of the Ibiza SXI, which will go into mass production two years later, one step further: From a mechanical perspective, a 100 PS injection engine and double brake system with cooled discs, as well as a special steering wheel, Recaro seats and air conditioning in the interior. This car was immediately recognizable by its gold and extended rear flanks.

The foundation established by Colombian singer Shakira for displaced children in Latin America became a name for a SEAT Leon CUPRA. Named SEAT Leon CUPRA “Pies Descalzos”, bearing Shakira’s signature on the hood, the car is also known as SEAT Leon Shakira due to the design of both the body and interior in lilac color according to the singer’s taste. While one of the two cars produced remained in the SEAT Heritage Collection, the other found its owner in a lottery between the foundation’s donors: the lucky student was a student who donated 1 Euro via SMS.

16 years after starting automobile production, the “One Millionth SEAT” SEAT 124 was untapped for the last time and used by the Minister of Industry of the time. This special car found its owner with a drawing made among employees. However, the winning employee chose to return the car to SEAT for an equivalent amount of money, due to his lack of license and being newly married.

In 1982, it introduced the SEAT Ronda, a SEAT Ritmo-based model, most of which was developed with Rayton Fissore. However, a plagiarism case was filed against this car. Considering the difficulty of persuading the court, SEAT presented a black SEAT Ronda, whose own parts used in the model were painted yellow. Thanks to these most visible exterior design differences between Ronda and Ritmo, the court, like everyone else, acknowledged the SEAT Ronda as a true SEAT car.

In 2014, the SEAT Leon CUPRA SC 280 “Nürburgring record” emerged as an iconic car. For the first time in history, a front-wheel drive production car completed the tour under the 8-minute limit on the legendary Nürburgring track (7: 58.44).

The SEAT Ibiza “bimotor”, the rally car named after the Spanish word “Twin Engine”, was a good option for the rally. In 1986, SEAT Ibiza won first place in the 4×4 outdoor rally championship. This model, in which an Ibiza engine is placed on each axle and each engine is connected to its own gearbox, was named 1.5×1.5 because of the size of its engines. The power achieved was almost 300 PS.

When it comes to traction, the SEAT Ateca Mattracks is worth mentioning. Prepare for a media showcase for the SEAT Ateca Snow Experience in 2017 Mattracks, although its natural habitat is snow, it later gave way to the Ateca 2.0 TDI 190 PS 4Drive and took its place on the streets.

SEAT developed the SEAT Ibiza Cabriolet based on the first generation Ibiza. The purity of the lines of this 2 + 2-seater car without a safety bar stems from the Ital Design studio, the company of Giorgio Giugiaro, who was responsible for Ibiza’s design at the time. Introduced in 2014, the SEAT Ibiza Cupster was an eye-catching and elegant speedster with a low windshield and integrated design at the rear. Despite launching the SEAT 850 Spider in 1969, SEAT believes that the time isn’t right to mass-produce an open-top model.

SEAT has also produced a Pick-up in its 70-year history: Marbella Pick Up. The most striking element of this model, which is a simpler and more practical version than the Marbella Playa concept car, which was not mass-produced, was the separation of the closed roof rack from the cabin only by a protective grille.

Finally, ‘SEAT Leon Trencadis’, one of SEAT’s personal designs: The car covered with foil, The model that received this name because it reminds the decorative mosaic ‘trencadís, which Gaudí transformed into art by reusing broken tiles, It was an artistic camouflage applied in the final development of the fourth generation SEAT Leon.

Written by Maraaz

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