SEAT · 1968–1980

SEAT 124

The SEAT 124 is a small family car produced by the Spanish manufacturer SEAT in its Zona Franca, Barcelona and Landaben, Pamplona plants between 1968 and 1980. The SEAT 124 was produced in four-door, five-door station wagon (Familiar) and two-door coupé (Sport) versions under various engines and trim levels; including a special, more powerful variant, called SEAT 1430. The car was very successful in Spain having sold 896,136 units.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: SEAT Ritmo|Fiat 131

All SEAT 124 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

History

=== First series (1968–1974) === Due to the social and economic development that took place in Spain during the 1960s, SEAT decided to manufacture under license a local version of the Fiat 124 presented in 1966. Aimed at the middle class, the objective was to fill the gap in the range between both SEAT 600 and 850 city cars, and the large 1500 sedan. The 124 represented a great step forward for the automotive era in Spain when it was introduced. The range consisted of the SEAT 124 four-door sedan and five-door station wagon (named Familiar), equivalent to the standard Italian model, and the SEAT 1430, identical to the Fiat 124 "special" except for some styling details borrowed from the large Fiat 125, the last one equipped with the more powerful engines. Like its Italian counterpart, the 124 was only available with the basic 1,197cc engine, a water-cooled, five-bearing, inline four-cylinder fed by a two-barrel carburetor and coupled to a four-speed gearbox. Initially, it produced a maximum power of 60 hp (DIN), but in 1973, with the introduction of the SEAT 124 LS, a 65 hp (DIN) variant was offered. The equipment and presentation varied throughout production, with numerous elements taken from the Seat 1430 and the Italians Fiat 124 Special and 125 that made it different from the original Fiat 124. Second series (1975–1980). In 1975 the model underwent a facelift by Giorgetto Giugiaro; 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 Pamplona, newly acquired from Authi, resulting in the elimination of t

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

Motorsport

SEAT's first serious attempt at a World Rally Championship (WRC) was in the 1977 season when SEAT took part with its SEAT 1430/124D Especial 1800 race car, and in its debut rallying event at the Montecarlo Rally, the SEAT team finished in the third and fourth places with the official 1430-1800 cars being driven by Antonio Zanini and Salvador Cañellas.

License production

A license version of the facelifted SEAT 124 D was produced in India between 1985 and 2001 by Premier Automobiles Limited as the Premier 118NE. However, Premier incorporated the Nissan A12 (1,171 cc and 52 bhp) powertrain instead of the original Fiat engine along with a Nissan manual gearbox.

Related models

=== SEAT 124 Sport Coupé === SEAT also built its own version of the 124 coupe named as the SEAT 124 Sport Coupé. The SEAT derivative was presented for the first time at the 1970 Barcelona Motor Show and it was built in Spain under license from Fiat. Identical to the Fiat 124 Sport Coupé second (1600) and third series (1800), it was launched in order to meet the rising local market demand for sports cars next to offerings coming not only from other car makers – like the Authi Mini C 1275, the Alpine A110, the Renault 8TS and the Simca 1000 Rallye GT – but also SEAT itself with the SEAT 850 Sport Coupé and Spider models. Power was provided by double camshaft (biárbol) engines, with a displacement of either 1,608 cc (1600, FC-00) or 1,756 cc (1800, FC-02). Both engine variants were linked to a 5-speed gearbox, a transmission introduced for the first time in a model on the Spanish market. The first series produced from 1970 to 1973 was equivalent to the BC series of Fiat's version, and used 1608 cc engines provided by Fiat itself. The second series from 1973 onwards was a direct copy of the CC model, offered only with the larger, less stressed 1756 cc engine. A total of 23,611 units of the 124 Sport were built between 1970 and 1974. At the 1972 Barcelona show, Catalan coachbuilder Pedro Serra presented a Cabriolet version of the 124 Sport; a handful were built. SEAT 1430. A special, more upmarket variant of the 124 was offered as the SEAT 1430. Available as a sedan and a five-door station wagon, it was based on the Fiat 124 Special, from which it differed mainly in aesthetic details, such as its distinctive grille and twin square headlights, among other features borrowed from the higher-class Fiat 125. == References ==

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

SEAT 124

Manufacturer

SEAT

Production

1968–1980, 896,136 built

Assembly

Spain: Zona Franca, Barcelona (1968–1975), Spain: Pamplona, Navarra (1976–1980)

Successor

SEAT Ritmo

Class

Small family car (C)

Body style

2-door coupé, 4-door saloon, 5-door estate

Layout

FR layout

Wheelbase

242 cm

Length

404 cm

Width

162.5 cm

Height

142 cm

Related

SEAT 1430, Fiat 124, VAZ-2101 (Lada 1200), VAZ-2105 (Lada Riva), Tofaş Murat 124, Premier 118NE

sp

uk

Designer

Oscar Montabone (sedan), Mario Boano (sport coupe), Giorgetto Giugiaro (1975 facelift)

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q492037CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SEAT_124CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1368556079 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SEAT124.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Randroide~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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