Subject: Seat
Content: SEAT is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 and now subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The acronym "SEAT" stood for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (Spanish Corporation of Touring Cars), and should be pronounced "SEH-aht."
Today, SEAT reinforces its race-bred and aggressive image with sporty cars such as Ibiza and León, which have made the brand very popular among teenagers.[citation needed]
Initially, SEAT manufactured rebadged Fiat models that differed very
little visually from the products of the Italian parent. The SEAT Panda
(later restyled as SEAT Marbella) for example was based on the Fiat Panda. The SEAT 600, based on Fiat 600, was the first car for many Spanish families, and became a symbol of the Spanish Miracle.
The first car under the new SEAT logo without Fiat involvement appeared in 1982, and was called the SEAT Ronda. 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 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 signed a cooperation agreement with SEAT, becoming the major shareholder in 1986, and owner of 100% of the company in 1990.
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Facilities
SEAT has its manufacturing plant in Martorell, an industrial city near Barcelona.
The Martorell plant is one of the newest in Europe. Each year more than
450,000 cars are manufactured in this plant. Seat's headquarters have
been recently moved also from Barcelona to Martorell.
SEAT has its own sales and distribution facilities in 50 countries.
The number of employees is 14,500. Additionally, 1,250 people work in
the research and development center in Martorell.
Presence in different markets
The company develops and designs its own models of cars in
accordance with the policies of the Volkswagen Group. Some of its cars
have been sold outside Europe 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.
Rumors of a SEAT model being sold as a Volkswagen in Canada and the
United States to supplement the VW brand's lineup there have
occasionally circulated, but have always been unsubstantiated and
ultimately proven to be false. SEAT markets 6 models in Mexico, and has
dealer presence in 27 Mexican states [1] .
SEAT's entry into the Mexican but not other North American markets is
likely due to less restrictive safety and emissions in Mexico.
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. 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 Volkswagen's wings, particularly in the
Middle East and Asia.
Popular Culture
In Spain
people 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. This was more
appropriate in the pre-1990 era before the Volkswagen-inspired revolution, but many subsequent motoring surveys have rated SEATs among the most satisfying cars to own.
Model range
Earlier models
SEAT 600/800 SEAT 850 SEAT 1200 Sport SEAT 1400 SEAT 1430 SEAT 1500 SEAT 124 SEAT 127 SEAT 128 SEAT 131 SEAT 132 SEAT 133
SEAT Fura SEAT Panda SEAT Ritmo SEAT Ronda SEAT Terra SEAT Inca SEAT Málaga SEAT Marbella SEAT Arosa
Current models
Current models are named after Spanish placenames.
SEAT Ibiza SEAT Cordoba SEAT Leon SEAT Altea SEAT Altea XL SEAT Altea freetrack SEAT Toledo SEAT Alhambra
Concept models
SEAT Cupra GT SEAT Formula SEAT Salsa SEAT Tango SEAT Altea Freetrack Prototype
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