SEAT Independent Service

Spain's Carmaker

SEAT is the Volkswagen Group brand known for appealing, sporty and youthful cars, with models such as the Ibiza, Cordoba, Leon, Toledo and Alhambra sold through a wide international network.

The marque's origins lie in an agreement of 26 October 1948 between the Spanish state and its banking partners and the Italian manufacturer Fiat, whose familiarity in Spain — and whose experience with road conditions and customers much like Spain's own — made it the natural partner. SEAT itself was founded on 9 May 1950; the name abbreviates Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo, and its first president was Jose Ortiz-Echague, an industrial and aviation engineer who was also a pilot and photographer.

The first car, the SEAT 1400 of 1953, was conceived as an upmarket model; it was the SEAT 600 of 1957 that truly put Spain on wheels, becoming the first car of countless Spanish families. By 1967 SEAT had grown into Spain's largest car manufacturer, ahead of rivals such as Renault and Citroen.

The pivotal year was 1982, when the thirty-year alliance with Fiat came to an end. A new logo appeared — first worn by the Ronda — and Volkswagen took an interest, signing a cooperation agreement in 1983 and assuming near-complete ownership by the 1990s, making SEAT the group's first non-German brand. A new Ibiza arrived in 1984, the Toledo in 1999, and in 2000 came the sporty new logo and the 'auto emocion' identity as the marque celebrated its fiftieth year. SEAT is distinguished among Spanish producers by uniting design, development and production in a single centre, with a strong emphasis on research and innovation.