Do you like classic cars? We visited hall A122 of Seat

As if it were a dream, I had the chance to travel to the Free Trade Zone of Barcelona to get, first-hand, to know one of the jewels of Spanish motoring. I am referring to hall A122 of Seat. In case you are one of the few who still don’t know what it is, it is the place where the Martorell-based brand keeps real treasures, and not only classics: it also holds concept cars and even competition vehicles.

Although you may think otherwise, this is not a secret museum, since in fact all of them work and can start and be driven at any time. To achieve this, the team led by Isidre López, head of the Seat Historic Department, carries out regular maintenance on all the units so that models as important to the country as the Seat 600 never get lost.

The hall covers 4,000 square metres, where I was able to enjoy the history of Seat through its 356 models, 170 of which are on display. The idea for hall A122 was born on 9 May 1950, when Seat (Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo) was founded following an agreement between Fiat and the INI, the National Institute of Industry.

The tour begins with one of the most special models for the Martorell brand: the Seat 1400. It went on sale in November 1953 as an elegant vehicle and remained on the market until 1964, with 99,043 units built. It included well-known versions such as the Seat 1400 C of 1960. In 1957, specifically on 27 June, the Seat 600 was launched, the model that motorised Spanish society since it cost 65,000 pesetas. The 600 had five versions named N, D, E, L and L Especial, and it was sold until 3 August 1973, with almost 800,000 units sold.

In 1963 the Seat 1500 was born, but it was not until 1966 that the Seat 850 arrived, a model that grew in size and improved interior space, boot capacity and performance. Seat has stated that it was “the first Spanish city car to offer customers multiple body versions”. It was available as a Sport Coupé, a convertible called the Spyder, and a four-door saloon.

A journey through the history of Seat

We reach 1968 and the Seat 124 is launched, a car sought after by the middle class with a pro-European outlook, which improved ride quality and driving comfort. It was very successful, and it even overlapped with the Seat 1430, a model famous for its television appearances. Later, in 1972, the Seat 127 reached the market to replace the Seat 850, and it introduced a novelty: front-engine, front-wheel drive. Around 1.3 million units were produced, making it the best-selling model in the brand’s history until the arrival of the Seat Ibiza.

In 1973 the Seat 132 was born, and a year later the Seat 133, so that in 1975 we met the Seat 131. It was not until 1976 that we could meet the Seat 1200 Sport, known as Bocanegra because of its black bumpers. In addition, this model became the first to be fully developed at the Seat Technical Centre in Martorell. In the same year the Seat 128 was also launched. The Ritmo arrived in 1979, while the Seat Panda followed suit in 1980. In 1982, the Seat Ronda was born, a special car as it featured a System Porsche engine with a single-overhead-camshaft cylinder head and hydraulic tappets, which eliminated the need for rocker clearance adjustment.

It is worth noting that this model lived through one of the most transformative moments in the brand’s history following the departure of Fiat which, after 30 years of collaboration, did not take part in the capital increase of the company, intended for an ambitious restructuring plan. As a result, all new Seat models were reviewed to start a new chapter as an independent brand, and the Ronda had to demonstrate to the European Court of Arbitration, in Paris, all the modifications that set it apart from the Italian brand’s model. To do so, the brand used a unit with all its parts painted yellow and black to show its own innovations, and the Court ruled in favour of the Spanish company. That unit remains in the company’s Historic Car Collection and clearly marked a before and after in its history.

Up to the 1990s, when Seat launched the first generation of the Seat León, we met the Seat Fura, the Seat Ibiza, the Seat Málaga, the Seat Marbella and the Seat Toledo, among others.

Some very special concept cars

If you are close to 33 years of age, like me, you may recognise especially interesting names such as Bolero, Salsa, Tribu, IBZ, IBE, IBX, IBL or even 20V20. I have been able to see and even touch all these concepts in hall A122. They are truly impressive models, as you can see at a glance how Seat’s design has evolved.

This is not the only special thing I was able to see: there are also special versions such as the Popemobile developed from a Seat Panda, the Seat Ibiza of King Felipe VI, the Seat 1400 Visitas and even the Seat Toledo Electric from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Competition is also very important for Seat, as shown by the models on display, such as the Fórmula 1430, the replica of the Seat 124 Especial 1800 Group 4 which finished third and fourth at the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally, the Seat Panda 45 Group 2 of 1982, the first works car of double world champion Carlos Sainz, the twin-engined Ibiza of 1986, the Toledo Marathon, the Ibiza Kit Cars of 1996, 1997 and 1998, the Córdoba WRC, or the León TDI WTCC of 2007.