Barcelona (EFE) .- Seat has commemorated this Friday its 75th anniversary in an event in Barcelona in which both the company and public administrations have stressed that the company is an industrial emblem of Spain and have been convinced of the future that has ahead of their way to electrification.
To celebrate this anniversary, Seat has organized in Automobile Barcelona, the Barcelona Motor Show, which has started today, a historical exhibition in which 75 emblematic cars of the brand are exhibited, from the first one that was manufactured, a Seat 1400, in 1953; through iconic models such as 600, the Seat Ibiza and León, and even the Raval Cupra, the electric that will begin to manufacture in early 2026.
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa; The minister of Industry, Jordi Hereu, and the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, wanted to be present with the interim CEO of Seat, Markus Haupt, and the executive vice president of people and organization of SEAT, Laura Carnicero, in this event.
All attendees have highlighted not only the economic and industrial weight of Seat for Catalonia and Spain, but also the emotional bond of the company and its models with the country, and some of them have commented that some of its first vehicles were from the SEAT brand.
On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, Seat will pay its 14,000 employees an extraordinary pay of 575 euros per person, which will mean a disbursement for the company of more than 10 million euros.
If for the 25th anniversary of Seat, the company paid 25,000 pesetas to its employees and 50,000 pesetas in the case of the 50th anniversary, this time it wanted to grant this extraordinary gratification to its employees, Carnicero has detailed to EFE.
The directive has had recognition for both the current employees of the company and for all those who have worked at some time for Seat, and has also recognized the role that unions have played in the construction of the company.
Seat electrified future trust
During the act, both Seat and the different public administrations have shown their confidence in the future of Seat, marked by the production of electric vehicles.
Haupt, who is in command of Seat on an interim way after the march of Wayne Griffiths at the end of March, stressed that Seat was born exactly a May 9, 1950 and that today was a very exciting day “for him, as the maximum current representative of Seat.
He stressed that in these seven decades Seat has produced more than 21 million vehicles of 77 models -19 million of them in Spain-, and that of the Seat 600, a “symbol of the transformation of Spain” came to produce more than 800,000 units.
«The future is electric. We have no doubt (…) We want Spain to be a European electromovility reference, ”said Hauct, who has underlined SEAT’s” total “link with Spain, demonstrated, for example, with the names of its different models.
«Together we have created a legacy that is history of Spain. Let’s continue doing it (…) We have a lot to say in the future, ”said the manager, who has remarked that Seat generates 1 % of Spanish GDP and directly works to 14,000 people and indirectly to more than 100,000.
Illa predicts that Seat’s future “will work out”
For its part, Illa has prescribed “a lot of ambition” to Seat in the face of the challenges facing the automobile sector, although it has been sure that this is the attitude of the Seat and Cupra brands, and has predicted that Seat’s future “will work out.”
«Catalonia would not be the same without Seat. The company, but is the emblem, is one of the great industrial emblems of Catalonia and Spain, ”said the president, who stressed that this company put” Catalonia already Spain on wheels. “
Illa has also had recognition for the Spanish emigration that came to Catalonia to “make a living” and ended up working in companies such as Seat to “help raise Catalonia”, while claiming Seat’s ability to “generate prosperity and share it.”
For his part, the Minister of Industry, Jordi Hereu, has assured that Seat’s legacy goes beyond his industrial and economic contribution to the country, since he is “in the heart” of all citizens.
“You project us as Barcelona, as Catalonia and as Spain,” said the minister, who highlighted Volkswagen’s commitment to “build industry in Spain.”
Important role in the Spanish economy
Hereu, who recalled that Spain is the second European car producer, stressed that Seat has put “the first step” to build an electric future, and has shown its “deep thanks” to the role that Seat has played in the economic history of Spain.
For his part, the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has exalted Seat’s historical link with the Catalan capital and the many places where it is evidenced and pointed out that “Seat is part of the history of the economy of our country and the personal history of all.”
Founded by Franco with the objective of Motorizar España, the Spanish Society of Tourism Automobiles (SEAT) was founded on May 9, 1950 by the National Institute of Industry, the Italian Fiat and a group of banks.
In 1953, Seat inaugurated its first floor, located in the Free Zone of Barcelona, which had 925 employees and began by manufacturing the SEAT 1400.
Exhibition of 75 iconic cars
After 40 years in which iconic models were manufactured in the history of the brand such as Seat 600 and Seat 127, the company decided to build a new larger and more modern factory, thus moving from 1993 the production from Barcelona to Martorell.
The exhibition opened today exhibits precisely models of all the company’s stages, from the last cupra, to popular cars such as the Seat Panda, the Seat Toledo or the Seat 127, among many others, a sample that can be seen until May 18 in Automobile Barcelona.
SEAT currently faces a key moment, because it faces European tariffs imposed on the Tavascan coupra, the electric vehicle produced in China; Because he is at the gates of manufacturing his first electric in Martorell and knowing which manager is in charge of leading it in the coming years after the march of Griffiths. EFE
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