Although Seat was founded in 1950 -when the INI reached an agreement with Fiat to be the technological partner-, it was not until 1953 that the Zona Franca plant in Barcelona was operational and the first serial units began to be manufactured. Curiously, the official opening of the facilities did not take place until 1955.
The 1400 was the first model of the brand. Not a cheap car: without counting taxes, it cost 128,875 pesetas, the equivalent of about 43,000 euros today. But the company’s priority was not to offer a car for the masses, but a representative car, for government use and for an incipient economic elite at a time when imports were subject to quotas.
It was shown to the public at the Barcelona Trade Fair, as an alternative to the few imported vehicles that entered Spain for the event. It attracted so much attention that there were immediately 10,000 requests, the production of several years.
The car began to be the object of desire: the demand far exceeded the supply, to the point that the delivery of the copy had to be waited with great patience since it was reserved. The only safe conduct could be knowing someone with enough influence to shorten the waiting list.
The initial production rate of the 1400 was only 5 units per day, assembled by a team of 925 people and with many parts, all of them -at least in the first units- coming directly from Fiat. In 1954, 3,000 units were manufactured.
For years, it was the only option offered by the Spanish brand. The alternative was the Renault 4/4 that had begun to be produced in Valladolid. It was not until 1957 that Seat launched its first 600, which raised its production to 10,000 units per year and with which the democratization of the car began in Spain.
The 1400 was a large car for its time, although its 424 centimeters in length by 162 cm in width seem ridiculous today. It weighed 1,130 kg and its 44 hp 1,400 cc engine allowed it to reach a top speed of 120 km/h.
Other features of the model were the front engine with rear-wheel drive, the 4-speed gearbox with the top three synchronized, independent front suspension and rigid axle at the rear, springs and drum brakes. On the 1400 C a rear Panhard bar was also installed.
Among its peculiarities, instead of two front seats, it had a long bench, which allowed it to accommodate the driver and two passengers. The ignition key was in the center of the dashboard, as were the wiper switch and light controls. To manage the steering, it mounted a large pasta steering wheel with a relatively thin rim, since it did not have assistance.
After a year in production, the 1400 A appeared, with a 50 CV engine and a somewhat more luxurious finish: some chrome trims were added and it also had a larger rear window. The Italian dependence decreased and 93% of the car was manufactured here by Seat or other suppliers.
In its various versions -1400, 1400 A, 1400 B and 1400 C- it remained in production for eleven years, until 1964, and almost 100,000 units were manufactured (98,114 to be more exact). Then it was replaced by the Seat 1500, whose bodywork was practically identical to the 1400 C but with a more powerful engine, and which was born in 1963, 60 years ago (another anniversary).
It quickly gave way to the 1400 B, with a greater abundance of chrome and white painted wheel stripes, as well as a panoramic rear window and a surprising detail: a single fog lamp in the center of the grille.
Optionally, the paint could be two-tone (B Special). It still had the gear lever on the steering wheel, but the dashboard was of a new design. The traditional ‘clock-type’ speedometer was replaced by one popularly known as a ‘thermometer’ or ‘mercury’: elongated and with a ‘red ribbon’ that marked the speed.
The radical change came in 1960, when the 1400 C was launched, with more modern bodywork. The rounded shapes gave way to a much more angular and modern design. This 1400 C kept the name, but its styling was no longer based on the original 1400, but was based on the Fiat 1400/1800, which in Italy received more powerful engines.
For economic reasons, Seat kept the original 1400 engine instead of the larger Italian engines but with power increased to 58 hp and with an innovation: automatic choke. The previous models equipped it manual, so that the driver had to activate it manually to start and the first kilometers with a cold engine. The front bridge from the earlier 1400s and other parts were also retained.
Curiously, despite being a superior model, its price stood at 160,000 pesetas, that is, not much more than the initial 1400; in fact, it was even lower if we take into account the inflation of the time. The greater production had allowed to maintain the price.
The 1400 C soon gave way to the Seat 1500, launching in 1963, now 60 years ago. Although the style was identical, Seat wanted to make it clear that it was a model with higher performance thanks to the fact that the engine now had 1,482 cc and offered 72 CV. It kept most of the common mechanical elements with the 1400 C, although there were some variations to gain comfort and adapt to the higher power.
The 1500 remained in production until 1972, when it was replaced by the 132. As with the 1400 C, Seat offered a family version.
