1999-1990
Our new
corporate identity and the new SEAT Leon are presented in 1999: Blue and white
are replaced by the colours red and silver.
The new SEAT
Leon is presented: It is the first SEAT with a 180 hp engine, a six-speed
gearbox and four-wheel drive. With it we mark our entry into the largest car
segment in the European market, and firmly step into top quality and technology
territory.
In 1998, the
new SEAT Toledo is presented at the Paris Motor Show: It gives the SEAT range a
modern "face".
SEAT presents
the SEAT Cordoba WRC, which debuts in the top-class of the World Rally
Championship.
SEAT
maintains its leadership in the 2 litre category with a third consecutive world
title for the SEAT Ibiza Kit Car.
The
manufacture of the SEAT Marbella ends after 12 highly successful years and with
a total of 600,000 units produced. The end of the Marbella‘s life cycle also
means the end of car production at our Zona Franca factory as our centre for
vehicle production.
The SEAT
Ibiza Kit Car wins the FIA World Rally Championship in the 2 litre category for
the second year running in 1997.
The SEAT
Arosa and the SEAT Cordoba Vario station wagon are presented.
In 1996, the
SEAT Ibiza Kit Car wins the FIA World Rally Championship in the 2 litre
category. It‘s the competition debut of the vehicle.
The SEAT
Alhambra MPV is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show: It is a collaboration between
Volkswagen and Ford, it is produced in Portugal, and it marks our entry into a
high growth segment.
Meanwhile,
the SEAT Ibiza is the leader of its segment in Spain at 50,000 units per year –
and we launch the high performance Ibiza CUPRA in order to celebrate this
success.
His Royal
Highness the Prince of Asturias drives the 10,000,000th SEAT – a Toledo – off
the Martorell assembly line on September 26th 1995.
His Majesty
King Juan Carlos I opens our Martorell plant on February 22nd 1993. Production
of the second generation of the SEAT Ibiza begins, and the SEAT Cordoba is
presented.
Spain is all
of a sudden "en vogue", with the 1992 Universal Exhibition in Seville and the
XXV Olympic Games in Barcelona. SEAT participates as Partner and Sponsor of the
Olympic Volunteers' Program: We provide a fleet of over 2,000 cars – mostly SEAT
Toledos – at the disposal of the organisers of the games for the transport of
the athletes and personnel.
The SEAT
Toledo, the first SEAT model developed within the Volkswagen Group, is presented
at the Barcelona Motor Show in 1991.
Volkswagen
acquires up to 99.99% of SEAT shares in 1990, and the name Sociedad Española de
Automóviles de Turismo, S.A. is changed to SEAT, S.A.
We produce
our 8,000,000th vehicle and set a new annual production record: over half a
million units.
