The SEAT 1800 name belongs to the last chapter of the SEAT 1400 story. In 1960 the 1400 C arrived with the modern Pininfarina body of the recently introduced Fiat 1800, while SEAT kept the old four-cylinder engine for reasons of cost; the older 1400 B stayed in production beside it until 1964.
SEAT 1800 at a glance
| Model line | SEAT 1400, final series |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1960 |
| Body | Pininfarina-styled, taken from the Fiat 1800 |
| Engine | the existing 1,395 cc four-cylinder |
| Built alongside | SEAT 1400 B, in production until 1964 |
| Size | longer and slightly heavier than the 1400 B |
| Estate | five-door version with two-piece tailgate added in 1963 |
| Diesel | none in this model; it came with the successor |
| Line replaced by | SEAT 1500 |
There is no separate English Wikipedia page for a SEAT 1800; this page uses the article on the SEAT 1400 and describes the 1400 C, the series built on the Pininfarina body of the Fiat 1800.
History of the SEAT 1800
A new body, an old engine
The SEAT 1400 C was introduced in 1960 with the modern Pininfarina-styled body of the recently introduced Fiat 1800. The older SEAT 1400 B did not stop: the two cars were sold in parallel and shared the same engine, although the newer car was longer and slightly heavier than the old one. SEAT chose to keep the old four-cylinder unit in the new body instead of tooling up in Catalonia for the six-cylinder engines that Fiat was fitting to its new-bodied cars.
Why the big engine was skipped
The reason was cost. Disposable incomes in Spain at the time were far lower than in Italy, and a six-cylinder flagship would have been priced out of the market. The 1400 C therefore gave Spanish buyers the modern shape without the expense of the larger engine, and it kept the model competitive until the SEAT 1500 took over.
The end of the line
In 1963 a five-door estate version of the 1400 C appeared, with a two-piece tailgate. A diesel version was not developed for this car, and the introduction of a diesel had to wait for the successor model, the SEAT 1500, which arrived in 1963 and offered Mercedes-Benz diesel engines from 1969. Across all four versions the 1400 line accounted for 82,894 cars built between 1953 and 1963.
Design and features
- Modern body: Pininfarina styling from the Fiat 1800 on a Spanish-built car.
- Old engine kept: the proven 1,395 cc four-cylinder, chosen to hold the price down.
- Two cars at once: the 1400 C and the older 1400 B were sold side by side.
- Estate option: a five-door with a two-piece tailgate from 1963.
SEAT 1800 versions
- 1400 C saloon (1960): the new-bodied four-door.
- 1400 C estate (1963): five-door with a two-piece tailgate.
- 1400 B: the previous body, still built until 1964.
The 1400 C closed the story that began with the SEAT 1400 and passed to the SEAT 1500. More Spanish cars are in the SEAT collection.
Sources
- SEAT 1400, English Wikipedia: 1400 C body, engine choice, estate, production total
