In its almost 70 years of history, Seat has only produced one convertible in series, the legendary 850 Sport, the Spanish version of the Fiat 850 Spider. Since that 1969, no other convertible has left the factories of the Spanish firm.
Just 50 years ago now, although the Spaniards still had six dictatorships left, something was beginning to change in our society. In 1957 the Seat 600 was launched, which motorized a large number of Spaniards for the first time. And in 1966 the 850 put many families on wheels in a country that was finally beginning to wake up. With the arrival of this four-door sedan, the feeling began to be felt that a number of Spaniards, although very small, could “aspire” to own a second car, and for this reason the Seat 850 Coupé was developed in 1967, the first vehicle of the brand that was not specifically aimed at family transport.
The Seat 850 Sport was the twin brother of the Fiat 850 Spider
The Coupé, with a much more stylized stamp than the “street” 850, mounted the same rear engine as this one, but with ten more horsepower, reaching 47, and 140 km/h. Its price (105,000 pesetas compared to the 80,000 that the normal 850 cost) did not seem to be a problem, since in 1969 a further step was taken, with the launch of the convertible version.
In September 1969 the Seat 850 Sport saw the light, although today it is better known as the 850 Spider, or Sport Spider. The model is the Fiat 850 Spider almost traced, but the Italian firm did not allow the name “Spider” to be used for the Seat model. The 850 Sport mounted a new engine with a larger displacement than the Coupé (903 versus 843 cubic centimeters), and power (52 versus 47 hp). This made the vehicle a “small bullet” thanks to its meager 730 kilos of weight. Said engine, in fact, was mounted in an evolution of the Coupé in 1970, which became known as the Seat 850 Sport Coupé (very identifiable with respect to its predecessor due to its four headlights).
But of course, that exclusivity in Francoist Spain in 1969 had its price, exactly 138,000 pesetas, which made the 850 Sport a very luxurious object. It is not surprising, therefore, that only 2,500 units were produced in its three years of official life, until 1972.
an iconic design
This circumstance has made the Seat 850 Sport Spider not only a classic, but a legendary vehicle. The design, signed by Giugiaro when he worked for Bertone, continues to amaze half a century later. Its wheelbase, 2,027 millimeters, and its rear engine and gearbox were already on the Coupé, but the Sport was completely different: first, because it was a real two-seater – the Coupé was a 2+2–; and second, because its design was even sharper and therefore sportier. Everything was so contained that the left front wheel arch forced the pedals to be moved a few centimeters to the right, so it had to be driven slightly “sideways”.
The Seat 850 Sport was only marketed as standard with a soft top, although several tuners offered fiberglass hardtops. All in order to resemble the iconic vehicle of the time: the Alfa Romeo Spider. In fact, the 850 Sport was conceived in theory for the “good girls” of the time, since the “puppies of the regime” who could access a vehicle of this type preferred the “more macho” 850 Sport Coupé.
Precisely the 850 Sport Coupé was the protagonist of an episode of the seventh season of the television series “Cuéntame”. In this we can see the sequence in which a radiant Miguel (Juan Echanove) arrives in his neighborhood in 1976 with his brand new Sport Coupé.
Juan Echanove, radiant with his newly acquired Seat 850 Sport Coupé in the “Cuéntame” series
Today, obviously, owning a Seat 850 Sport Spider is a luxury, within the reach of very few lucky collectors. And for this reason, the highlight of the tenth edition of ClassicAuto Madrid, the International Classic Vehicle Show, which will be held between February 22 and 24 at the Ifema Crystal Pavilion (Madrid Trade Fair Institute) at the Casa de Campo de la Capital, consists of a concentration with the largest possible number of Seat 850 Coupé and Sport units.
…And there have been no more Seat cabrios
And since then, half a century has passed without Seat having been encouraged to put a new convertible from the 850 Sport into the production line. The causes? First, that the Spanish market has not been very conducive to convertible vehicles, and that the climate accompanies, and in what way, outdoor driving. The tastes of the Spanish, or in many cases the economic shortcomings, have not favored a type of vehicle that is more inspired by the pleasure of driving than by the need for transportation.
The eventful history of the Spanish firm, in constant ups and downs throughout its history, can also influence it. After breaking with Fiat, Seat became part of the Volkswagen Group in 1986, where it has lived through different periods, in which the future of the brand was even discussed. Today, however, the present and future of Seat could not be more optimal, with two models, the León and the Ibiza, located at the top of the sales lists year after year.
The convertible prototypes of Seat
Although they have not gone into production, there have been several “concepts” that showed the world Seat’s vision of what a convertible should be like. And also, most of the models of the Spanish firm have had coachbuilders who have transformed what was a “roofed” car into a cabriolet. In the following photos we see some models that meet one of these two premises. In some cases, collector’s items that cost good money.
In 1989 a vision of what an “open-air” Seat Ibiza could be was presented. The already disappeared Seat Córdoba also had its convertible prototype; those were different times That same year, 1996, a completely different concept was presented: the Seat Formula In 2001 there was much talk about the Seat Tango prototype one day reaching the assembly line On the 30th anniversary of the Ibiza, Seat presented the Ibiza Cupster prototype , with a windshield that surrounded the entire vehicle That same year 2014, the Valencian designer David Caba presented a study of a Seat Roadster Concept The first Seat model, the 1400 (1953), also had its convertible unit The legendary bodybuilder Pedro Serra created the Seat 1400 C Serra on the bodywork of another myth, the Seat 1500 The iconic Seat 600 was also a “victim” of various coachbuilders who turned it into a convertible Today it seems almost sacrilege to us, but one day a lucky Spaniard enjoyed a Seat 124 convertible