Ivan Vicario Martin
This SEAT 127 Autocross has been collecting dust for about 32 years, at which point it stopped being used in competition. It's a shame, because they are increasingly difficult to see, given the mistreatment they suffered in races. And that's why Autocross became a discipline very popular in our country since the mid-70sIn fact, the first Spanish Championship was held in 1978 with victory by Luis Sellabona.
The origins of this specialty must be sought in France, in the 50s, although it arrived in Spain later, with the Citroen 2CV from “pop cross”Of course, in addition to the popular 2CV, Immediately, national cars began to be modified. to participate, like the SEAT 127 second generation that is the subject of this article.
THE SEAT 127 OF AUTOCROSS
The unit that we see in the photos and in the video is kept in a stable and serves to see the modifications that were carried out on the production vehicle to compete. The first and most obvious is the removal of bumpers, as all the superfluous weight has to be eliminated. Changes have also been made to the suspension mounts and we see how the heating radiator has been connected in series with the engine radiator.
The interior was completely emptied, except for the driver's seat, of course, and some anti-roll bars were installed, which in this case have already been removed. Precisely, on the outside, we see some plates that serve to hold the windshield in place in case of overturning. There are also the Typical mud flaps behind the wheel arches. In addition, we discovered other typical racing elements such as the current breaker, the reinforced crankcase guard or the methacrylate glass.
A curious detail of this 127 is that, with some conventional seat belts anchored to the floor of the trunk, a spare wheel could be attachedObviously, it was not used in competition, but it was worn when training on dirt roads... Those were different times, of course. The owner is a former pilot of the time which also ran in the Renault Cups, hence some of the stickers that our protagonist wears.
DONOR
Regrettably, This SEAT 127 Autocross will not have a second life, because he is acting as a donor for another 127 owned by the owner, a former pilot of the time. In fact, It no longer has wheels or an engine and the interior has been completely gutted. Even the roof has been cut off, so at least it will do one last service to bring another car back to life.
Without a doubt, we are looking at a specimen that takes us to a time when competing was neither so expensive nor so complicated. A few years in which you didn't have to go broke to start running. In the video we publish below, from the channel Alfredo Yugo's YouTube, you can enjoy this unit to the fullest.
