SEAT Marbella - Motorsport

Motorsport

The SEAT Panda/Marbella has not only taken part and won podium positions in various race events, but also has formed its own 'Copa Panda' one-make rally series, a rally trophy - created in 1980 by SEAT and its motorsport competition director at the time José Juan Pérez de Vargas, standing next to the brand's 'Copa Fura' circuit cup - which was addressed to young drivers aiming to come close to the motorsport experience.

The most renown rally driver who emerged from that competition series was the Spanish Carlos Sainz, the winner in the first edition of the 'Copa Panda' rally. Due to his win SEAT granted to him as an award a SEAT Panda 45 Grupo 2 rally car, under which he won his first title in the first already season of the 'Copa Panda' championship in 1982.

Together with the integration of the Spanish brand to the Volkswagen group, SEAT was able to strengthen even more its involvement in motorpsort activities with the formation of the SEAT Sport department in 1985. Since the SEAT Panda model had been replaced in SEAT's range by the SEAT Marbella in 1986, it was the time that the 'Copa Panda' cup should be succeeded too by the 'Copa Marbella' one. The 'Copa Marbella' formed part of the 'Campeonato de España de Rallyes de Tierra' national track championship schedule during eight years, to be ultimately superseded by the 'Copa Ibiza' rally series. In the 'Campeonato de España de Rallyes de Tierra' championship it was the SEAT Marbella Proto, a car powered by a 1.8L 4-cylinder motor derived from the VW Polo G40 equipped with a compressor delivering a horsepower of 140 hp, under which SEAT won the 1988 championship title while in the next season Antonio Rius on the wheel of the Marbella won the two-wheel drive class. In the following years the Marbella was also driven by many drivers among which Àlex Crivillé, Juan Garriga and Jordi Tarrés, with the latter competing successfully against much more powerful cars - like the Lancia Delta - on the driver's seat of a 620 kg lightweight Marbella.