Drive it!: The Motor Magazine

While the automotive industry boomed in much of post-Second World War Europe, Spain lagged behind. In 1984 SEAT launched its first car as an independent company: the Ibiza. In 1953 the first SEAT vehicles hit production lines at the Zona Franca factory in Barcelona. Until the 1980s, however, SEAT produced only Fiat models under license.The prototype Ibiza was called the S1, meaning the "number one SEAT". The name signified radical new change. After their separation from the Fiat Group in 1981, SEAT signed a production agreement with Volkswagen before becoming part of the latter group. With 5 million models to date, the SEAT Ibiza is Spain's bestselling car.