Miguel Sánchez
During the seventies the performances of SEAT in rallies They were more than remarkable thanks to the factory team SEAT Competition. Equipped with its 124 and 1430 -without forgetting the Fiat-Abarth 131 of its final era-, it dominated the national scene thanks to the logistics of José Juan Pérez de Vargas combined with the skillful management of Salvador Canellas, Antonio Zanini or Jorge Bäbler.
Likewise, in the 1977 Monte-Carlo Rally that squad managed to take third and fourth place to, in this way, achieve SEAT's greatest international success in competition until the arrival of the Ibiza Kit Car and his exploits in the FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup.
One of the best pages in the history of the brand and that, ultimately, had its beginning with a SEAT 1400 competing in the 1955 Monte-Carlo Rally. And yes, although it may seem surprising, it was that distant occasion that was responsible for giving the starting signal to the international presence of the Spanish house, thus signing one of its most curious and unknown moments.
Furthermore, far from ending in a real disaster, driving on snow Arturo Bertoglio It led that unit in production status to finish the test, finishing in position number 50.
WHEN RALLIES WERE DONE DIFFERENTLY
As Pablo Gimeno told us in his latest installment of The Devil's Advocate, a large part of the historical motorsports hobby suffers from an evident Adamism. Thus, there are many people who, focused on a single era, ignore and they even deliberately reject any data relating to more ancient times to the one responsible for carrying their desires.
Because of this, even today it is easy to see the surprised faces shown by some when discovering how rallies have not always been held with models adapted to speed on dirt tracks. Far from it that specialization fully caught on already in the late seventies, when designs such as the Lancia Stratos made their appearance under approaches created by and for competition.
That said, it is most instructive check the registration list in the 1955 Monte-Carlo Rally, the Porsche 356 - light and manageable although not very powerful - coexisting with large number of sedans such as the Citroën 15 Six, the Jaguar MK VII or the Armstrong Siddeley. All this topped off with a significant number of Peugeot 203 or Panhard Dyna.
And, after all, during that time entering a rally was not synonymous with doing so in a prepared car; What's more, this I didn't even have to add sporting qualities. Without a doubt they were other times.
SEAT IN RALLIES, ITS PREMIERE IN 1955
Looking ahead to 1955, SEAT was not in the mood to think about racing. Newly founded just five years before, it had been manufacturing for two years in the facilities of Free Zone its first model: the 1400 under Fiat license. At this point, the company's main concern was your own settlement, taking short but sure steps in the search for greater autonomy in the manufacturing of parts with respect to the Italian parent company.
In fact, it was not until 1957 - four years after launching the 1400 - when SEAT finally launched a second model in the form of the popular 600. However, that situation did not deprive some intrepid people of seek strong emotions beyond the Pyrenees; which is why Arturo Bertoglio entered his SEAT 1400 in the 1955 Monte-Carlo Rally with the number 378.
Curiously, the lack of means - as well as the questionable bureaucracy of the time - made him also register himself as a co-pilot using his second surname: Ferrajoli. A nice anecdote with which he began the performance of that test in which, passing the snows of Turini, managed to position itself in 50th place just behind a Porsche 356 Pre-A 1500. Something that was undoubtedly commendable and also inaugurated SEAT's international presence in rallies.
Images: Historic SEATs and M.Louche (ACM) through SEAT Historics.
