Ivan Vicario Martin
History SEAT 600 Multiple It is that of a vehicle that was not going to exist, despite appearing in the first catalogs of the "ball", which were only those of Fiat translated. In fact, our protagonist was presented at the 1956 Trade Fair, despite which, the brand had ruled out putting it into production.
This is when he comes into the picture Railly Manufacturing SA (MARSA), a bodybuilder from Barcelona that had been working with SEAT for some time, building the long versions and the closed van of the 1400, for example. Thinking of expanding their business, they decided to propose a version of the Multiple developed by themselves.
THE SEAT 600 MULTIPLA FROM MARSA
To create your own variant, in Railly Manufacturing imported a Fiat 600 Multipla and they disassembled it in order to see how the Italian technicians had solved the mechanical and structural changes. The idea, in any case, was not to copy the transalpine model, but develop your own version taking advantage of as many elements of the 600 as possible.
So, for example, if they used three doors to make the two on each side. The front trimmed below and the rear by welding two other doors. Also the front was made with body panels from the 600. In addition, the engine was kept and the front suspensions were reinforced. The biggest mechanical challenge was the steering, because the driver was sitting almost on the wheels. That would be the Achilles heel of the first units and the reason why the project would fail.
Regarding the Italian Multipla, the 600 Multiple had slightly smaller outer dimensions. In addition, they had highly visible exterior changes in the wheel arches and doors, a different front or a different rear window. Of course, the six interior seats were preserved, logically. In the images that we publish below, you can see the changes.
The prototype was shown to SEAT at the beginning of 1959, at which time the color photographs of the unit illustrated in this article were taken. The brand ordered a second unit for a taxi which was exhibited, together with the saloon -this is how the Multiple was considered- at the Barcelona Trade Fair that same year. The taxi version had a separation of driver and passengers and a continuous rear seat.
PROBLEMS ARISE
Its great acceptance led SEAT to order a total of 200 units from MARSA... that would never see the light. The reason was that, when the dynamic tests began, it was discovered that the steering vibrated and oscillated to the point of being dangerous. The solution was through mount the steering of the Fiat 1100, which was the one that equipped the Fiat 600 Multipla.
Given that at that time what was intended was to nationalize all the components as much as possible, as required by the National Institute of Industry (INI), at SEAT they decided go back and cancel the order. This left Railly Manufacturing, which had already made a heavy investment, in a delicate situation. It was then decided to import the addresses of Fiat 1100 and sell the SEAT 600 Multiple on your own.
For this, an agreement was reached with Garaje Casanova, who would be the one who would distribute the cars, which began to be advertised in the press at the beginning of 1960. Railly also offered the possibility of transforming a 600 unit delivered by the client into a Multiple. Unfortunately, the demand was very low and only about twenty units were sold, the last in 1962.
HOW MUCH DID THE SEAT 600 MULTIPLE COST?
There are no records with the prices of this version, since they were not announced in the advertisements that MARSA made at the time. Doing a little research, SEAT Balance and Memory of 1960, published in 1961, we find some clues. On page 23 of said report, the heading "Lifting and transport means" includes the purchase of various vehicles, including two 600 Multiple.
The specific paragraph reads as follows: “Two 600 cars have been put into service in their multiple type version for the transport of personnel and small parcels, with a value of 160.516,25 pesetas, […]”. It is not difficult to deduce that each of the SEAT 600 Multiple cost 80.258,125 pesetas. The figure is reasonable if we consider that, in 1957, a 600 had a price of 65.000 pesetas, that is, our protagonist cost almost 25% more.
However, it is probable that these units are the ones exhibited at the 1959 Trade Fair, which SEAT bought from Manufacturas Railly when breaking the contract. Therefore, it is to be assumed that the actual price of the Multiple was a little higher. Be that as it may, it is a simple estimate, since, as we say, there is no record of the price at which the Multiple was sold.
EPILOGUE
It's funny how SEAT always had an interest in four-door versions of their popular models. In the case of the 600, after trying it with the Multiple, finally the 800. Later, we will see the SEAT 850 four-door and identical variant on the 127, all of them without reply in Fiat.
Sadly, as far as we know, only a single unit is preserved for the SEAT 600 Multiple. In any case, it would not be working, quite the contrary. Its low production and its low interest -at the time- as a collector's vehicle to be preserved, condemned the rest of the copies. Fortunately, there is enough photographic and documentary material with which to reconstruct its history.
In the original version of the article, we stated that we had not been able to get this a picture of the back. Now, thanks to Juanjo Sánchez, "Vehcla" in the forum of pieldetoro.net, we have the photo that we show you below. Although the quality is not the best, it does allow you to compare the size of the Manifold compared to a normal 600.
In fact, for whom Do you want to know more about the model?, we recommend that you get a copy of the book of Paul Murillo SEAT 600 Special Bodywork. Its history and its creators, which can be purchased at this link. In it, you will find all the information that exists around the Multiple.
Photos courtesy of Historic SEAT.
