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Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo SEAT, S. A. [1]
Type	subsidiary of Audi AG
Founded	1950
Founder	Instituto Nacional de Industria
Headquarters	Martorell, Barcelona, Spain
Area served	Europe, Africa, Central America, South America, Middle East, Asia
Industry	Automotive industry
Products	Cars
Services	design, manufacture and distribution of SEAT cars
Employees	14,500 (2006)
Parent	Audi AG (which is 99% owned by Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG))
Divisions	SEAT Sport
Website	SEAT.com

SEAT, S. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Instituto Nacional de Industria ( INI) literally National Institute of Industry, was a Spanish state-owned industrial holding Martorell is a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge and as one of the most notorious Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need A service is the non-material equivalent of a good. A service provision is an economic activity that does not result in Ownership, and this is what differentiates Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A holding company is a company that owns part all or a majority of other companies' outstanding Stock. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently A division of a business entity is a portion of that business that operates under a different name A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages A. (English pronunciation: [ˈsɛːat], "say-at"; Spanish pronunciation: [seˈat]) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI), with Fiat assistance, and now a wholly owned subsidiary of Audi AG, part of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG) (VWAG). English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Instituto Nacional de Industria ( INI) literally National Institute of Industry, was a Spanish state-owned industrial holding Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently Its headquarters are at Martorell near Barcelona, Spain, and is legally inscribed in the official Mercantile Register of Barcelona, book 23662, folio 1, sheet B-56-855. Martorell is a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge and as one of the most notorious Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

The acronym SEAT is derived from Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Saloon Car Company).

Initially, SEAT manufactured rebadged Fiat models which differed very little visually from the products of the Italian parent. Fiat SpA (an Acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (Italian Automobile Factory of Turin) is an Italian automobile manufacturer The SEAT Panda (later restyled as SEAT Marbella) for example was based on the Fiat Panda. The SEAT Marbella was a badge-engineered Fiat Panda (1983-86 "Mark I" model produced by SEAT in Spain from 1986 until 1998 The Fiat Panda is a City car from the Italian automotive manufacturer Fiat. The SEAT 600, based on Fiat 600, was the first car for many Spanish families, and became a symbol of the Spanish Miracle. The SEAT 600 ( Seiscientos, also nicknamed pelotilla (little ball seílla or seíta (both stand for little SEAT was a Spanish car "600" can also refer to the later Fiat Seicento The Fiat 600 (or "Seicento" is a City car produced by the Italian The Spanish miracle (el milagro español was the name given to a broadly based economic boom in Spain between 1959 and 1973.

The first car under the new SEAT logo without Fiat involvement appeared in 1982, and was called the SEAT Ronda. The SEAT Ronda is a Small family car produced by Spanish automaker SEAT from 1982 to 1986 This was a restyled Fiat Ritmo, and sparked a lawsuit from Fiat against SEAT, as the former claimed the car was still too similar to the Ritmo. The 1978 Fiat Ritmo, styled by Bertone of Italy was the most distinctive looking Small family car in Europe on its launch in 1978 Turin Motorshow The then president of SEAT, Juan Miguel Antoñanzas, showed a Ronda to the press with all the parts different from the Fiat Ritmo painted in bright yellow, to highlight the differences. This ended the dispute. Rumour at the time had it that Fiat was angry because the Ronda restyling was in fact too close to their own planned restyling for the Fiat Ritmo, which they had to scrap.

After the withdrawal of Fiat in 1981, the Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi AG signed a cooperation agreement with SEAT, becoming the major shareholder in 1986, and 100% owner of the company in 1990. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters A mutual shareholder or stockholder is an Individual or company (including a Corporation) that legally owns one or more shares of Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over Property, which may be an object, land/real estate, Intellectual property

Facilities

SEAT has its manufacturing facilities in Martorell, an industrial town close to Barcelona. Martorell is a town near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge and as one of the most notorious Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia The plant was opened by King Carlos of Spain in 1993, and replaced SEAT's original assembly plant by the coast in Barcelona's freeport zone. Early life Juan Carlos was born in Rome, where his grandfather Alfonso XIII of Spain lived in exile after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic The Barcelona Free Port or Zona franca de Barcelona is a tariff-free industrial park that has developed within the Port of Barcelona across the flat land of the Llobregat The development facilities are some of the newest in the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently For example, the development and design of the Audi Q7 took place there. The Audi Q7 is a Full-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV produced by German automaker Audi

SEAT, instead of being a mere part of Volkswagen Group, styles its own designs. Every year, its improvements make its cars a new standard for the European automobile industry, in fact, the SEAT León has been recently recognized by the German press as the most competitive model of the year, wining the award against other cars like Volkswagen Golf Mk5, Škoda Octavia and Audi A4. The SEAT León (le̞ˈon is a Small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1999 The fifth generation Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (VW Typ 1K) built on the Volkswagen Group A5 (PQ35 platform was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in The Škoda Octavia is a Small family car produced by Czech automaker Škoda Auto since 1996 its name revived from a model originally produced between The Audi A4 is a Compact executive car produced by the German automaker Audi since 1994

Presence in different markets

The company styles its own models of cars in accordance with the development policies of the Volkswagen Group. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently Some of its cars have been sold outside Europe, badged as Volkswagens, such as the SEAT Ibiza hatchback, known in South Africa as the Volkswagen Polo Playa, the SEAT Inca panel van as the Volkswagen Caddy, or the SEAT Córdoba also known as the Volkswagen Polo Classic. The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini manufactured by the Volkswagen Group and sold under the SEAT Marque. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Volkswagen Polo Playa is a supermini produced and sold in South Africa from 1996 until 2002 which was a rebadged version of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 The SEAT Inca was a Panel van designed and assembled in Spain and based upon the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 with which it shared platform and front body The name Volkswagen Caddy has been used by the Volkswagen Group to describe four different Caddy models Typ 14 was derived from the Volkswagen The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and Coupé version of the supermini SEAT Ibiza, built by Spanish Automaker

Rumours of a SEAT model being sold as a Volkswagen in Canada and the United States to supplement the Volkswagen's brand lineup there have occasionally circulated, but have always been unsubstantiated, and ultimately proven to be false. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the SEAT markets 6 models in Mexico, and has dealer presence in 27 Mexican states. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. ^[2]

SEAT's presence in international markets (outside of Europe) has yet to be realised, with the failed plan to launch SEAT in Canada in 1994, and with the withdrawing of SEAT from the Australian market after only selling its range from 1995-1999. Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. SEAT is also positioned to launch in the United States sometime after 2008, although this has yet to be verified as a certainty. SEAT currently continues to expand to international markets under the Volkswagen Group, particularly in the Middle East and Asia. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East.

SEAT in motorsport

Since the Volkswagen Group (VWAG) takeover in 1990, SEAT has been increasing its presence in the motorsport world. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently This was mainly down to VWAG's plan on focusing the SEAT brand as 'sporty', to appeal to the younger generation of drivers.

Rallying

SEAT's first serious attempt at a World Rally Championship (WRC) title was burdened on the small SEAT Ibiza, a 1. History Early The World Rally Championship was formed from well-known international rallies nine of which were previously part of the International Championship The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini manufactured by the Volkswagen Group and sold under the SEAT Marque. 6L normally aspirated front-wheel drive car with its roots in the Volkswagen Golf. Front-wheel drive (or FF layout) is a form of engine / transmission layout used in Motor vehicles where the engine drives the front Wheels The Volkswagen Golf or VW Golf ( Mk1 and Mk5 badged as Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, Mk1 badged as Volkswagen The Ibiza allowed the company to start building its rallying experience, and was officially engaged in some European national championships. The years went by and little success followed until a 2L version of the Ibiza was homologated as a kit-car, and extra wide tracks, larger wheels, brakes, etc, were fitted to it as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) kit-car regulations allow. Homologation is a technical term derived from the Greek homologeo (ὁμολογέω for "to agree" which is generally used in English to signify With these attributes, the car succeeded three times the 2L World Champion ('96, '97, '98), proving its maker had accumulated enough experience, and budgets, to take a chance at the reign category, the World Rally Car class of rallying cars. World Champion is a title that can be given to a contesting team/individual/organisation in a sport or other competitive endeavour World Rally Car is a term used to describe the racing automobiles built to the specification set by the FIA, motorsport's governing body and used to compete in the outright

SEATs three conquests of the 2L FIA title, and the sport's popularity in Spain, probably convinced Volkswagen Group management to go further, and allocate sufficient budgets to the SEAT Sport department so as to allow it a chance to reach its goal. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently This situation came to an end in September 2000, when the company's, German upper management revoked its decision, and budgets, forcing SEAT Sport to retire from the World Rally Championship. The absence of convincing results must have obviously helped the management's decision.

SEATs project to build a WRC-spec car was officially announced during the 1997 San Remo rally. It was in 1998 that the SEAT Córdoba WRC was first enrolled by the company to compete at the highest level of WRC racing. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and Coupé version of the supermini SEAT Ibiza, built by Spanish Automaker The Córdoba was based on the family saloon of the same name but was, naturally, a WRC class car. It had a 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, permanent four-wheel drive, and active differentials were involved in its transmission. The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders A turbocharger, or turbo, is an air Compressor used for forced-induction of an Internal combustion engine. A Petrol engine or Gasoline engine is an Internal combustion engine with spark-ignition designed to run on petrol ( Gasoline) and similar volatile Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to However, the short wheelbase and high-mounted engine (compared to its rivals) worked against the Córdoba, and results weren't impressive. In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a Despite hiring ex-WRC champion Didier Auriol, and a new evolution of the car, SEAT pulled out of international rallying at the end of 2000

Touring cars

Darren Turner & Jason Plato, SEAT's 2008 BTCC drivers

In 2003, SEAT announced a one-make championship for the new SEAT León Cupra R, the SEAT Cupra Challenge. Didier Auriol (born August 18 1958) is a French rally driver Born in Montpellier, and initially an Ambulance driver eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Darren Turner (born April 13, 1974 in Reading Berkshire) is an English racing driver. Jason Plato (born 14 October 1968 in Oxford, England) is a British Auto racing driver currently living in Monte The British Touring Car Championship is a Touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The SEAT León (le̞ˈon is a Small family car built by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1999 The SEAT Cupra Challenge is an Auto racing championship founded by the Spanish car company SEAT.

In 2004, SEAT with Ray Mallock Ltd. (RML) entered the British Touring Car Championship, running two SEAT Toledo Cupra for former-BTCC Champion Jason Plato, and 2003 León UK Champion, Rob Huff. Ray Mallock Ltd, also known as RML, is a Motorsports racing team and engineering company The British Touring Car Championship is a Touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The SEAT Toledo is an Automobile built and marketed by Spanish automaker SEAT, a division of the Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen AG. Jason Plato (born 14 October 1968 in Oxford, England) is a British Auto racing driver currently living in Monte Robert Huff ( Rob Huff) of Britain (born December 25, 1979) is part of Chevrolet 's WTCC Motor racing team In 2005, Huff left to join Chevrolet (run by RML in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), and he was replaced by 2004 Leon Champion James Pickford, and Luke Hines as SEAT expanded to three cars, now run by Northern South. Chevrolet (ˌʃɛvroʊˈleɪ - French origin (also known as Chevy) is a Brand of Automobile, produced by General Motors (GM The World Touring Car Championship ( WTCC) is an international Touring Car championship organized by the FIA. James Pickford is an English race car driver born 30th April 1979 in Macclesfield, Cheshire. Luke Hines is a British Auto racing driver he is the son of former Karting champion and Zip Kart founder/owner Martin Hines and is 2006 saw the Toledo replaced by the new León, and Darren Turner joined the team with James Thompson when his WTCC commitments allowed. LEON is a Computer CPU core specifically a 32-bit Microprocessor based on RISC design Darren Turner (born April 13, 1974 in Reading Berkshire) is an English racing driver. James (or Jim or Jimmy Thompson is the name (in approximate birthdate order of James Thompson (martyr (died 1582 Catholic priest hanged under Elizabeth 2007 was SEAT's best year in BTCC, as Plato was locked in a season-long battle with Fabrizio Giovanardi, which came down to the final race of the season, but just missed out on the title. Fabrizio Giovanardi (born December 14, 1966 in Sassuolo) is an Italian Racecar driver

Since 2005, SEAT has also competed in the World Touring Car Championship, with its best season being 2007, where a failed water pump robbed Yvan Muller of certain victory at the final meeting in Macau. The World Touring Car Championship ( WTCC) is an international Touring Car championship organized by the FIA. For information on Wikipedia project-related discussions see WikipediaVillage pump. Yvan Muller (born August 16 1969, in Altkirch, Alsace) is a French Auto racing driver most noted for success in Touring For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. SEAT utilised Audi's pioneering diesel engine technology (from the Audi R10 TDI LMP1) in touring cars, when they became the first team to run a TDI in the WTCC. AUDI AG, ( Xetra: NSU commonly known as Audi (aˈʊdi is a German Automobile manufacturer which produces Audi branded cars with headquarters A diesel engine is an Internal combustion engine which operates using the Diesel cycle (named after Dr The Audi R10 TDI, usually abbreviated to R10, is a racing car from the German car manufacturer Audi. A Le Mans Prototype (commonly abbreviated as LMP) is a type of custom-built Race car intended for Sports car racing and Endurance racing, most Turbocharged Direct Injection (acronym TDI) is the technology used to describe and name modern turbocharged Diesel engines produced by Volkswagen SEAT's UK team followed suit in the 2008 BTCC. The team is also now to be sponsored by Holiday Inn in the BTCC. Holiday Inn is a Brand name applied to Hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG

Popular culture

In Spain people used to joke about the car translating its letters as Siempre Estamos Apretando Tornillos, which literally means "We Are Always Tightening Screws", implying that the cars need to be fixed often. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This was more appropriate in the pre-1990 era before the Volkswagen Group-inspired revolution, but many subsequent motoring surveys have rated SEATs among the most satisfying cars to own. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Volkswagen Group, or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (German (listed as Volkswagen AG) is a German automobile manufacturing group currently

Lara Croft has been used to advertise for SEAT, where she changes vehicles in the way she changed items. Lara Croft is a Fictional character and the protagonist of Eidos Interactive 's Tomb Raider video game series The cars were a yellow SEAT Córdoba Vario with matching Jet ski (to escape from a Tyrannosaurus rex, a green SEAT Arosa (to escape armed bikers), a red SEAT Ibiza Mk 1 (to jump a destroyed bridge), and an aqua SEAT Alhambra (to pick up six hitch-hiking surfers). The SEAT Córdoba is the saloon, estate and Coupé version of the supermini SEAT Ibiza, built by Spanish Automaker Jet Ski is the Brand name of Personal watercraft (PWC manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd Tyrannosaurus ( or, meaning 'tyrant lizard' is a Genus of Theropod Dinosaur. The SEAT Arosa is a City car from the Spanish SEAT, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, built between 1997 and 2005 The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini manufactured by the Volkswagen Group and sold under the SEAT Marque. The SEAT Alhambra is a large MPV (MPV/Van= Furgoneta, in Spanish by the Volkswagen Group and sold under the SEAT brand

Model range

Earlier models

Current models

Current models are named after Spanish placenames. The SEAT 600 ( Seiscientos, also nicknamed pelotilla (little ball seílla or seíta (both stand for little SEAT was a Spanish car The SEAT 850 was a car based upon the Fiat 850. It had 2 and 4-door versions SEAT 1200 Sport is a 2-door Coupé produced by SEAT from 1975 to 1980 The first car produced by SEAT, the SEAT 1400 was a rebranded Fiat 1400, itself Fiat’s first integrated chassis model The SEAT 1430 was a 4-door sedan made by SEAT in Spain from 1969 to 1972 The SEAT 1500 was a Spanish-built 6-seater model of saloon and estate cars based on the Italian Fiat 1800. The Fiat 124 is a mid-sized Family car produced by the Italian manufacturer Fiat between 1966 and 1974 The Fiat 127 is a supermini produced by the Italian automaker Fiat between 1971 and 1983 The SEAT 128 was a 2-door Coupé version of a Fiat 128. In Spain, only the two-door version was available with two engine options the 1 The Fiat 131, additionally called "Mirafiori" is a small/medium Family car produced by the Italian car manufacturer, Fiat from The Seat 132 is a four door rear wheel drive notchback saloon assembled in Barcelona's Zona franca, ( Catalonia, Spain) and sold by SEAT The SEAT 133 was a small rear-engine car designed and sold by SEAT in Spain from 1974 to 1979 The SEAT Fura is a supermini produced by Spanish automaker SEAT from 1981 to 1986 The SEAT Marbella was a badge-engineered Fiat Panda (1983-86 "Mark I" model produced by SEAT in Spain from 1986 until 1998 The 1978 Fiat Ritmo, styled by Bertone of Italy was the most distinctive looking Small family car in Europe on its launch in 1978 Turin Motorshow The SEAT Ronda is a Small family car produced by Spanish automaker SEAT from 1982 to 1986 The SEAT Marbella was a badge-engineered Fiat Panda (1983-86 "Mark I" model produced by SEAT in Spain from 1986 until 1998 The SEAT Inca was a Panel van designed and assembled in Spain and based upon the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 with which it shared platform and front body The SEAT Málaga is a four-door saloon produced by Spanish automaker SEAT from 1985 to 1992 The SEAT Marbella was a badge-engineered Fiat Panda (1983-86 "Mark I" model produced by SEAT in Spain from 1986 until 1998 The SEAT Arosa is a City car from the Spanish SEAT, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, built between 1997 and 2005

• Ibiza
• Córdoba
• León
• Altea/Altea XL/Altea Freetrack
• Toledo
• Alhambra

Concept models

• Cupra GT
• Formula
• Salsa
• Tango
• Altea Freetrack prototype
• Tribu

External links

• SEAT corporate website
• SEAT Sport UK
• SEAT Cars Randburg - South Africa