Jose Antonio Rodriguez
Before talking about SEAT 1430 Sports «Black Mouth», time to recap. The Sport It can be considered the first car produced in series of completely Spanish design and exclusive manufacture in our country, Leaving out the Seat 133 because, although it was of national design, Fiat made several decisions during its development.
The lines of the new SEAT emerged from Aldo Sessano's Nergal project, to whom Antoni Amat entrusted the design of the future SEAT 127 Coupé… And the fact is that, in addition to its performance and handling, the most outstanding feature of the Sport is its line, which even today, and let alone then, still raises the same question: What car is that? In its time, being different was its best selling point.
Although the original scheme was more rounded, it is a car where straight, angular and determined lines are lavished against the current of the prevailing forms, with the aim of showing an aggressive and futuristic appearance. That's why it looks more modern, although we must remember that it is a model from the second half of the 70s.
In this section I think the best description is the one made by the magazine Automatic in his time. I quote verbatim:
«Although we do not like to make a statement on this point, we undoubtedly share the opinion of most people who have seen the car: the Sport is appealing to the eye. It is a car that pleases you as soon as you see it. Its sporty line, unparalleled to date, is the target of the gaze of those who see it pass by. For its owner, a car like this represents the feeling of being admired for enjoying a privileged position, because after all, it is an expensive car, a luxury that brings prestige to its lucky driver.»
A MODEL OF WHIM
Its compact body offers a good guarantee of non-deformability, honoring its character. sports that of a four-seater sports car with a sufficient trunke. Although it was initially intended for a very limited audience, its success surprised SEAT itself.
With an original and attractive appearance and, as we have said, with lines of strong personality, it was aimed at being a sports car for young people with a high purchasing power and for older people who could afford the luxury of owning one. Drivers who were also attracted by its representativeness, its distinctive nuance, its distinction. Taking into account its high price, it fell into the category of caprice car, and was also sold by the brand itself.
In addition, it was a triumph to be able to export it, especially to France, Switzerland, Holland and Germany. This required a clear effort in finishing each unit, since potential buyers from those countries did not accept anything. In short, a success based on the fact that it could not be classified as a multipurpose or utility vehicle, but rather for people looking for something different.
PRICES AND FIGURES OF THE SEAT SPORT 1430 BOCANEGRA
When SEAT launched the original 1200 Sport, it did so at an exorbitant price, aimed at people with high purchasing power. It was more expensive than, for example, its emblematic 131-1430 Lujo. Compared to other brands, cost more than some versions of its flagshipsnia, as was the case with the Citroën GS, the Simca 1200 S Lujo, or the Renault 12.
As an example, here is the price of the SEAT Sport 1430 dated 01/08/1978:
• Ex-Works Price: 372.500 pesetas
• ITE: 8.940.-Ptas
• Transportation: 6.759.-Ptas
• Luxury Tax: 81.950.-Ptas
• Circulation rate: 2.250.-Ptas
• Registration plates: 865.-Ptas
• Enrollment: 1.030.-Ptas
→ TOTAL: 474.294.-Ptas
To this we must add the options. For example, the 7.198 pesetas of metallic paint in a single layer, or the 16.968 pesetas of metallic paint in three successive layers. If we add the 37.000 pesetas that a comprehensive insurance policy cost at the time, it was more expensive than a flat in some cities. It was a very limited edition model and The benefits were to be shared by SEAT, where the manufacture of the vehicle was completed, with the Spanish company INDUCAR, in whose facilities the bodies were produced in an almost artisanal manner.
VERY LOW PRODUCTION
Production began at INDUCAR, based in Terrassa. Subsequently, the bodies were moved naked on trucks, to be assembled at the SEAT factory in the Barcelona Free Zone.
Only 1430 vehicles of the SEAT Sport 7.713 were built, distributed in the following exercises:
1977 → 1.588 units
1978 → 4.267 pc.
1979 → 1.856 pc.
1980 → 1 pc.
1981 → 1 pc.
Only 1200 cars of the SEAT 1200 Sport and Sport 11.619 were built. If we add the 1200 and 1430 versions, less than 20.000 were built; specifically, 19.332 units. Of these, statistically, there should not be even 1430 Sport 200 units left in all states. In level of preservation 10, 100% original, there will not be even twenty, as the most optimistic forecast. For all this reason It is a very interesting classic to collect and highly revaluable in the short term.
In terms of aerodynamics, the designers managed to combine great aesthetic beauty with effective air penetration. The vehicle is no more than 125 centimeters high, with a CX of 0,37; These details, together with a well-designed structure and mechanics, turn the lively and fast Seat Sport into a real missile.
Of course, although it is only that high, it does not seem so low; on the other hand, the good aerodynamics of the bodywork makes it practically insensitive to crosswinds, while it allows to obtain high speeds almost at the top of the gas once it is launched.
THE SEAT SPORT 1430 IN STATIC
The objective appreciation of the lines of a vehicle can be difficult, and in the case of the Sport it is complex due to the fact of its originality. To begin with, it must be said that its frontal in pure arrow is dangerous for the pedestrians, reason for which it was not used again in later models of the Spanish brand.
At the back, a very attractive design stands out in a truncated tail which, on the other hand, is the to blame for the somewhat meager 225-litre boot, like any good sports car. Plus, with the spare wheel it is even smaller. Original factory mats in the little used boot… Even though they remain as good as new, the wheel means you wouldn't even think of putting a blazer in them.
Placing the wheel in the trunk when other manufacturers positioned it underneath it was impossible, since in the Sport in said accommodation is the gasoline tank. There is no material space in the engine either - this was the measure adopted, for example, in its congener SEAT 128– since it takes up all the available space; besides, it would have been an ugly gesture on a vehicle with sporting pretensions. At the time, the fact that the wheel was not covered was much criticised.
In return, we will say that there are practical reinforcements on both sides of the boot that serve to store -without moving- the SEAT toolbox, the oil, the belts, the jack or the triangles, among others.
With his personal stamp, which made the Sport not be confused with any other, its striking polyurethane front, creator of the myth of the Bocanegra, the rear part in truncated termination, and the striking colors with which it was marketed, caused that, since always, it was a vehicle that turned its head back when it was seen.
Given its low circulation, it could be said that the range of colors was wide, although it was only marketed in ten shades and two for the parent company:
RANGE OF COLOURS AVAILABLE FOR THE SEAT SPORT 1430
| DENOMINATION | REFERENCE | OBSERVATIONS |
| Blanco | 233 | Series |
| Orange | 193 | Series |
| Red Hot | 200 | Series |
| Green Galicia | 380 | Series |
| Kent Green | 378 | Series |
| Aluminum | 620 | Optional |
| blue metallic | 400 | Optional |
| Champagne | 599 | Optional |
| Tobacco brown | 795 | Optional |
| Metallic orange | 902 | Optional in export |
| Sand yellow | 238 | SEAT Press Park |
| Sahara Beige | 564 | SEAT Press Park |
INTERIOR
Inside, what stands out, in the first place, is the instrument panel, angular and attractive, designed, like the door trims, by Aldo Sessano. There is no lack of the rev counter or the oil pressure gauge, so forgotten today. It is beautiful, being one of the most successful
of his time.
Second, you have to pay attention to the seats: they seem designed only based on their external appearance, wanting to give them a supposedly futuristic air. Although they were thought for individuals in the average height of their time, today they can be somewhat scarce.
MECHANICS OF THE SEAT SPORT 1430
In its original version, the 1200 Sport was powered by the 1.197 cm3 engine from the SEAT 124, which was a model that had rear-wheel drive and, therefore, a longitudinal engine. By placing it in a transverse position, there were manifest errors caused above all by not choosing a suitable carburettor; the adaptation of one of the existing ones was commissioned to DDauto, where a system provided with levers and re-sending and simultaneous opening of the two bodies was applied that was easily deregulated.
On the other hand, the Seat 127 gearbox was chosen and, although it was reinforced, it turned out to be extremely fragile. In the Sport all these nonsense were solved thanks to the use of the Weber 32 DMTR-33 carburettor, specific for transversal operation and ideal for a front-wheel drive vehicle, and the adoption of the Seat 128 gearbox.
The power of the 1430 engine allows for brilliant accelerations and spirited handling. Seventy-seven horses in an aerodynamic car of such low weight and sporty character, vivacious and without any electronic assistance to control it, is no nonsense. Whoever has his steering wheel in his hands should think carefully about what he is doing before stepping on it.
We must say that in 1977 the Bocanegra It was the safest national car from the point of view of active safety. and one of the last truly pure sports cars, without the driving aids that came later. For all this, the driver feels like a real pilot at the wheel.
FOR AND AGAINST
At its launch, The SEAT Sport 1430 was criticised by specialist magazines because it did not have H4 headlights as standard., for its noisy engine, for its uncovered spare wheel, for its very nice but unsupportive and short seats, for its small 30-litre fuel tank, which provides little autonomy, and because it did not have a trip odometer. It was considered too expensive, and if the price had been more modest, many of these demands would have been overlooked.
Personally, I have found an extra flaw: your fuel tank is poorly reinforced and a rear collision could blow it out. When I bought it, the first thing I thought about was to remove that rear tow ball that did not hit anything, but then I respected it because, apart from being from the time, it contributes to the rear protection of the spoiler, almost impossible to find today, and, above all, because it protects the tank.
In his favor, articles about the Sport highlighted its exceptional performance, its precise steering, its acceleration and top speed, its behavior on twisty roads, its speed in all kinds of routes, its economic consumption -for its time-, its aesthetic and aerodynamic study, its very personal and original line, its brakes assisted by servo with great resistance to fading, its effective bumpers, and, above all, its sporty, aggressive design.
As I have said, for me the excessive price is justified by remembering that the body was manufactured in an almost artisanal way, and because it is an exclusive model of which not even twenty thousand units were marketed. It reminds me a lot of the Alpine, which was also very expensive.
A BOX OF SURPRISES
The tested unit B-6593-CZ isIt is equipped with the most powerful engine, the 1.438 cM3, and was registered in Barcelona on June 30, 1978. I had been looking for a car like this on the Internet for years… but I couldn't find it or else they would ask me an exorbitant price. Even though it was a rare model, I wanted to find one that was perfect, not restored and, in addition, in a color that I liked - metallic blue, champagne or Kent green was all I cared about.
Curiously, in a forum I met the owner of a vehicle that satisfied my claims and was forced to sell it due to the dynamics of the crisis that still persists today. He did not put facilities, and in the end he organized a kind of casting for his jewel in which I was not the first, Bocanegra had several suitors before. I imagine that I advanced positions when he asked me what I planned to do with the car if I kept it, to which I replied that he already had his place of honor prepared next to another of my favorite cars, the military Jeep CJ-3. I assured him that with me he would be like a prince.
My words must have moved him, although he still had a girl in front of him who would try it before me. Circumstances wanted her, who also liked the model, to just get her driving license, and of course, although the Seat Sport was a prodigy of stability in its time, you must be used to the classics to be able to appreciate it . If you compare it with current vehicles, the truth is that it does not give the feeling at all of being settled on the road.
I usually use a Mercedes E-Class as a daily car, and it is that you get out of it, you get in the Boca and it seems like another world. Just going at 120 km/h, with some curves, it feels like you're in the middle of a race; I've been with companions on twisty roads who were frightened that I was pushing it too hard.
And it is true, at 120 km / h, in fourth gear -remember that the Sport gearbox is four-speed-, you spend well over 4.000 laps in a car that is not soundproofed like those of now and in which the suspension it also has nothing to do with what is current. Then, the sensation of speed multiplies and, as you run a little, it will seem to you to be participating in a rally. The roar of the engine is wonderful, Unless you have to make a long trip, since then it is a true martyrdom.
In the end, the girl didn't feel comfortable with the car, so it was my turn. Needless to say, the owner was leaving it at a competitive price because he needed the money, and I knew this and didn't haggle. I got the Sport in the photos on April 14, 2012, and its sad owner made me promise that if I ever got rid of it, I would contact him so he could buy it back from me.
In our hobby each one sets the goals. Some are worth the restored classics, others like to restore them themselves, and still others do not even care that they have add-ons, ailerons and even tuning on its bodywork, interiors or equipment. Luckily or unfortunately, I like the most complicated, the 100% original car, not restored and in the best possible condition. That's why I had such a hard time finding this one.
Unit B-6593-CZ seems born to transmit History. It has served both for journalistic reports and of model in Wikipedia. It has even been used as a prototype for video games ...
BENEFITS, COMPARISON AND PERFORMANCE
Below is a table showing the pure performance of the SEAT Sport 1430. in relation to its European competitors in 1977. Let us also remember that many of the models reflected were not marketed in Spain.
THE SEAT SPORT 1430 VERSUS ITS RIVALS. PURE PERFORMANCE
| CAR | CYLINDER (IN DC) |
hp/rpm | SPEED (IN KM / H) | ACCELERATION (0-100 KM / H) |
| Seat Sports 1430 | 1.438 | 77 / 5.600 | 165 | 11,7 |
| Ford Capri GL 2.6 | 1.576 | 72 / 5.200 | 158 | 15,1 |
| Mitsubishi Celeste ST | 1.570 | 73 / 5.000 | 160 | 13,5 |
| Opel Kadett | 1.566 | 75 / 5.200 | 160 | 13 |
| Vauxhall Manta L 1.2 S | 1.187 | 60 / 5.400 | 147 | 19 |
| Toyota Celica | 1.588 | 75 / 5.200 | 160 | 14 |
| Volkswagen scirocco gt | 1.457 | 75 / 5.200 | 160 | 14 |
| Alfasud Sprint 1.3 | 1.286 | 75 / 6.000 | 165 | 12,5 |
| Datsun Sunny Coupe | 1.387 | 67 / 5.750 | 155 | 14 |
If already in Europe it was the best in its segment, where only the Alfasud Sprint was approaching, In Spain we can say that in the national production it had no rival. He won in everything except top speed, a category in which he was outdone by two models that we will mention later. Its behavior, therefore, is in accordance with its aggressive appearance.
The SEAT Sport 1430 has a powerful engine, starting with its elasticity, continuing with the raw power of high performance and ending with a transmission - with Borg Warner 1st and 2nd gear synchronisations, and Porsche-type 3rd and 4th gears - that is easy to use. Given the weight of the vehicle, which is only 800 kilos according to the catalogue - 810 real kilos with a full tank - the 77 hp give a weight/power ratio of 10,38 kg/hp.
With this excellent ratio, where approximately each horse must move only 10 kilograms, his road performance is brilliant, as befits a vehicle of sporting aspirations.
The front-wheel drive and the favorable weight distribution to the front axle determine a typically understeer behavior. The four-wheel independent suspension provides a good grip, the Bocanegra not being dangerous at all, as it enjoys great stability.
CONSUMPTION
In terms of consumption, it is excellent, and that it is not a utility but a fancy car. According to tests carried out by the publication Highway In 1977, it shows an expenditure of 6.39 L / 100 km, which was the second lowest obtained to date, since 128 L / 3 km was achieved with the 1200 / 6,35P-100 test. In tests with the 128-1430, the Fiesta 957 or the SEAT 127, the consumptions were higher, being between 6,6 and 6,7 L / 100 Km.
Let's go back to the matter of speed. Although the manufacturer announced 165 km / h, Autopista timed the Sport at an altitude of 700 meters and with a temperature between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius at 171 km / h real, above 6.500 rpm and therefore exceeding the tolerance of the graduated speedometer up to 180 km / h.
According to the tests carried out by the same publication on cars produced in Spain in 1977, the Sport 1430 was only surpassed in top speed by the FL-80 and the Citroën CX. And in acceleration and reprise, only for the FL-80. There were two more vehicles produced in the country by Renault, the Alpine and the R5 TS, which were not compared in the tests since FASA did not give them to experts or to the press of the motor world. In return, they did not have them either.
In any case, Autopista found that in acceleration over 400 and 1.000 meters at a standstill, the Sport achieved the figures 18´´ 2/10 and 33´´ 9/10, respectively, surpassing all cars already manufactured in both times national or not of up to 1.500 cm3, including the Simca TI, which until then held the record.
As for recovery in fourth, he achieved 19´´ 2/10 and 35´´7 / 10 over the same distances, advancing likewise to any other car of Spanish production except for the aforementioned FL-80. And according to the history until then, everyone except this one and the missing Seat 124 Sport Coupé.
Apart from the highways, their natural habitat was and is the road, place where it was unrivaled in its segment. Its maintenance on the ground is exceptional and beyond all criticism, showing an irreproachable hard suspension-based stability. As we mentioned above, its active safety was the best of the moment.
Thanks to its light weight and powerful engine, the car lends itself to driving viva. This is a true sports car, capable of competing with and beating foreign models of similar pretensions, as shown in the corresponding table. A pure nerve on the move, which can even surpass vehicles with larger cylinder capacities. Given its virtues, it would be used successfully in races, rallies and by speed lovers. Its mechanics were used in the first national promotion formula with single-seaters, Formula 1430.
The best of all is that the Sport presents a very contained average consumption for its time: 6,95 liters per 100 at a constant speed of 100 km / h, 11,32 liters in sports driving and 7,5 liters / 100 km on average.
If we value its aesthetics and its behavior, It has all the necessary elements to seduce to those potential clients with sporting aspirations who also do not want to go unnoticed.
The Sport It was also driven by young people without adequate experience., which, with the roads of that time and without the current security, earned it the status of widow's car. However, it has not lasted with this nickname -as happened to the Dauphine-, but with that of Black mouth. The first and precursor of the SEAT sports line of the same name.
PERSONAL APPRECIATIONS
When I was little I was given a miniature SEAT 1200 SportI remember asking about this racing car - as we called our little cars with racing stickers at the time - and I noticed that my question often created controversy among older people. Some said that the miniature was a SEAT 127, others said no, that it was not a 127 and that this car really existed even though it was not seen on the streets. I told them that underneath it was written SEAT 1200 Sport, that there was nothing about 127... in the end I believed the version that claimed it was a 127 prepared for racing.
Until one day I came across a real one. It really shocked me because it was unlike anything I had ever seen. If we think back, we will remember that the cars that were manufactured back then, except for the pioneering R5, They were still wearing chrome metal bumpers. On the other hand, in sports cars, all-wheel drives such as the R8 TS, the Simca 1000 Rallie, or the Alpine were still in vogue…
We will say now that the Bocanegra is valued less than many other models because it looks a lot more modern than it is. And, because of its advanced line -which includes one of the first spoilers-, it may even look more like an old vehicle than a classic. The same thing happens to the R5, although it is precisely cheaper than the Boca.
With its pros and cons, for me Sport is something special, which I fell in love with from the first moment. Sometimes I have wondered why I am attracted to this model, and I find the answer in a line that struck me, which was a true crush.
When I was old enough to get my license, my mother gave me a Special Seat 850; since it fell into my hands I wanted to sell it and buy my dream. But of course, around 850 they gave me little, and I was also a student ... As you have seen, I would have to wait a little longer.
Beauty of lines, attractiveness, refined styling of the Bocanegra. The first thing that comes into view is its originality and that it is unlike any other. Subsequently, its beautiful and aggressive front end and the striking body line. Also, being related to the world of motoring, I have to say that it is one of the cars that I have tried the most fun to drive. With one horse for every 10 kilos and a CX of 0,37, it's a real shot.
It is an original model little seen, almost unknown. With him you do not go unnoticed wherever you go. I think that any self-respecting Spanish collector must have in his garage a copy of the first completely Spanish series sports car in history.
SEAT SPORT 1430 «BOCANEGRA» TECHNICAL DATA SHEET
Motor
• Position: Front transverse, inclined 17º forward
• Type: 4 cylinders in line
• Bore / Stroke: 80 / 71,5 mm
• Displacement: 1.438 cc
• Carburettor: A vertical double body Weber 32 DMTR-33 carburettor
• Fuel pump: Mechanical
• Oil tank capacity: 4 liters
• Cooling: By water
• Distribution: Valves in cylinder head, with lateral camshaft
• Compression: 9: 1
• Power: 77 DIN CV at 5.400 Rpm
• Maximum torque: 11,3 mkg DIN at 3.400 Rpm
Transfer
• Clutch: Dry, diaphragm, cable-actuated single disc
• Gearbox: Manuel, 4-speed
• Gear ratios: 1st 3,583: 1 / 2nd 2,235: 1 / 3rd 1,455: 1 / 4th 1,042: 1
• Front-wheel drive
Frame
• Structure: Self-supporting monocoque bodywork
• Front suspension: Independent, MacPherson type
• Rear suspension: Independent, MacPherson with cross spring
• Front brakes: Disc, 227mm diameter, servo-assisted
• Rear brakes: Drum, diameter 180 mm
• Direction: Zipper
• Turning diameter: 9,6 m
• Turns of the steering wheel lock to lock: 3,4
• Wheels: 13 inches
• Tires: 165/70 SR-13
• Fuel tank: 30 liter capacity
Bodywork
• Type: Coupé
• Battle: 2,22 m
• Front track: 1,31 m
• Rear track: 1,32 m
• Length: 3,67 m
• Width: 1,55 m
• Height: 1,25 m
• Weight: 800 Kg
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