The SEAT 124 is a

small family car The C-segment is the 3rd category of the European segments for passenger cars and is described as "medium cars". It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "small family car" size class, and the compact car category in the United States. In 2024, the C-s ...

produced by the Spanish manufacturer

SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

in its Zona Franca, Barcelona and Landaben,

Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...

plants between 1968 and 1980. The car was very successful in Spain having sold 896,136 units,SEAT 124
''Museoseat.com.'' and was produced in 4-door, 5-door

station wagon A station wagon (American English, US, also wagon) or estate car (British English, UK, also estate) is an automotive Car body style, body-style variant of a Sedan (automobile), sedan with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo ...

(''Familiar'') and 2-door

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(''Sport'') versions under various engines and trim levels.

History

The SEAT 124 model derived from the Italian

Fiat 124 The Fiat 124 is a small family car manufactured and marketed by Italian company Fiat between 1966 and 1974. The saloon superseded the Fiat 1300 and spawned station wagon, four-seater coupé (Fiat 124 Sport Coupé, 124 Sport Coupé), and two-seate ...

car and represented a great step forward for the automotive era in Spain when it was introduced. It aimed at the middle class, as it combined generous offerings and livability but at the same time in an accessible to buy and own package. During its launch time SEAT already sold the SEAT 1500, SEAT 600D and

SEAT 850 The SEAT 850, also popularly known as ''"ocho y medio"'' ("eight and a half", 8.5), was a supermini produced by Spain, Spanish automaker SEAT and based on the Fiat 850. The car was produced in Spain from April 1966 to 1974 and it was quite popular ...

models, and by the time the 124 model was retired it was succeeded by the SEAT Ritmo, fabricated in Spain from 1979 onwards. In 1975 the model underwent a facelift by

Giorgetto Giugiaro Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2002. He w ...

; the circular front headlights were replaced by rectangular ones and its rear was altered amid several modifications, while the SEAT 124 and SEAT 1430 ranges were unified under a single model officially named SEAT 124D versión 75. In 1976 production of the car was transferred from the Zona Franca to the Landaben plant in

, newly acquired from Authi, resulting in the elimination of the '124 Familiar' 5-door station wagon versions. Seat 124 Carbajales de Alba

The four-cylinder twin-barrel carburetted 1197 cc motor originally delivered 60 CV (DIN), however in 1973 a new derivative was implemented with the introduction of the SEAT 124 LS which offered 65 CV (DIN). The variants equipped with the Twin Cam motor, victorious for decades in all-type competition, were generally known as FL which had been the internal code name used by the brand. Its engine soon became famous for its nerve and offered high performance in many circumstances: either as a taxi cab, a police car, an ambulance, a hearse, or even a fire truck. As a race car, it won numerous competitions and trophies driven by pilots like Salvador Cañellas and Antonio Zanini amid others. Modified for this purpose in order to be used in rallies, its engine displacement was raised to reach as much as 2090 cc. In the 1977

Monte Carlo Rally The Monte Carlo Rally or Rallye Monte-Carlo (officially Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco. From its inception in 1911 by Albert I, Prince of Monaco, Prince Albert I, the rally ...

, where Zanini finished third, the 124s were fitted with the same 1.8-liter 16-valve engine as the Fiat 131 Abarths. More Sport versions were made with 1600 cc (1970–72), 1800 cc (1972–75) and 2000 cc (1978–79). Its sibling, the SEAT 1430 also originated from the Fiat 124 range when the latter received several elements borrowed from the higher-class

Fiat 125 The Fiat 125 is a large family car manufactured and marketed by Italian company Fiat from 1967 to 1972. Derivatives were built under license outside Italy until the 1990s. As launched the car was unusual in blending saloon car passenger accommodat ...

and gave birth to the Fiat 124 Special edition presented in 1968.

Versions

* 1: SEAT 124 (FA) — 1968–1971 * 2: SEAT 124 ''Lujo'' (FB) and SEAT 124 L (FB-02) — 1968–1971 * 3: SEAT 124 D (FA-03) — 1971–1975 * 4: SEAT 124 D Lujo (FB-03) — 1971–1973 * 5: SEAT 124 LS (FB-05) — 1973–1974 * 6: SEAT 124 D "Extras" (FB-11) — 1974–1975 * 7: SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' (FL-00) — 1975–1980 * 8: SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' LS (FL-03...) — 1975–1980 * 9: SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' Especial 1430 ( FL-10/11/12) — 1975–1980 * 10: SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' Especial 1600 (FL-40/45) — 1976–1979 * 11: SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' Especial 1800 (FL-80/82) — 1976–1978 * 12: SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' Especial 2000 (FL-90) — 1978–1979 * 13: SEAT 124 5p (FJ) / SEAT 124 D 5p (FJ-02) / SEAT 124 D ''Versión ´75'' 5p (FN) — 1969–1976

References

{{Early SEAT vehicles 124 1970s cars 1980s cars Cars introduced in 1968 Station wagons Cars discontinued in 1980