SEAT, which stands for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo, was founded on May 9, 1950.
Established by the Spanish government, the company remained under Fiat's control until 1982 before becoming a brand of the VOLKSWAGEN Group. After facing financial difficulties, it was the success of the Ibiza model in the late 1980s that helped the company turn its financial situation around. Since then, with direct cooperation from Volkswagen, Seat models have found success and even became the official vehicle supplier for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. While benefiting from VAG Group technologies, Seat has managed to assert its own style and appeal to its customer base. Sales have been steadily growing since 2012, and in December 2018, the ten millionth vehicle rolled off the production lines at the Martorell factory, inaugurated in 1993.
Seat CUPRA. It was in 1996 at the Paris Motor Show that the brand's sport division was introduced. The Ibiza model was the first to receive this sporty version, equipped with the 2.0-liter 16-valve 150hp engine from the Golf III GTi. In 2014, a Cupra 280 from the Seat Leon even set a lap record on the Nürburgring circuit in the front-wheel-drive category. Since 2018, CUPRA has become a full-fledged manufacturer, similar to AMG at Mercedes.
