During the ’60s, SEAT’s 600 became the driving force behind motorization in Spain. But when the 600 E version was unveiled in 1970, it was no longer an aspirational family vehicle but a city car with good road skills or the perfect second car. With the same powertrain as the 600 D, the great novelty are the front-hinged doors… (read more)
Launch: February 1970
End of production: August 1973
Price: 68,100 Pts.
Number built: 244,386 (total E & L)
Petrol, 4 cylinders in-line
Position: At rear, longitudinal
Bore x stroke: 62 mm x 63.5 mm
Capacity: 767 cc
Valvetrain: Overhead valves, push-rods and rocker arms
Carburettor: 1 single Weber
Max. power: 25 HP at 4800 rpm
Max. torque: 50 Nm at 2500 rpm
Top Speed: 108 km/h
Drive: Rear-wheel drive
Gearbox: 4-speed manual, plus reverse
Clutch: Dry single-plate
Front suspension:
Independent, transverse leaf spring and dampers
Rear suspension:
Independent, swing axles, coil springs and dampers
Steering: Worm-and-sector
Front/rear: Drums
5.20-12
Body: 2-door small car
Length/width/height: 3320/1380/1400 mm
Wheelbase: 2000 mm
Weight: 605 kg
During the ’60s, SEAT’s 600 became the driving force behind motorization in Spain. But when the 600 E version was unveiled in 1970, it was no longer an aspirational family vehicle but a city car with good road skills or the perfect second car. With the same powertrain as the 600 D, the great novelty are the front-hinged doors.
SEAT’s 600 had taken a decisive step forward in 1963. That year the 600 D version was launched, with a bigger, more powerful engine. From 633 cc and 18 HP in the 600 N it grew to 767 cc and 25 HP in the D version. The 600 D was the "six-hundred" par excellence, as more than half of the nearly 800,000 units built were 600 D versions.
However, the 600 D kept one of the distinctive features of the 600 since its launch in 1957: the rear-hinged, “suicide-type” doors. This changed on the 600 E, which went on to be fitted with “normal”, front-hinged doors. Besides, the hinges disappeared from view in the 600 E, as they were now integrated into the body structure, giving the car a neater and more modern look. It was the E’s biggest novelty, but not the only one.
The 600 E also incorporated wing windows, very useful for the ventilation of the interior. At first, the 600 E’s door handles were still lever-type (as in the D), but soon became pushbutton, incorporating the 850’s handles and locks. On the front end, SEAT's badge was moved from the bonnet to the grille.
Headlights and rear lights grew in size, for the sake of safety, and the bumpers got rubber-faced guards (a detail that increased the length of the 600 by a couple of centimetres). Inside a new upholstery and bucket tray under the dashboard stood out. Like the 600 N and D, the E was also sold in saloon, convertible and commercial versions.
In the domestic market, the SEAT 600 E was losing the pre-eminence that the previous versions had held. You must bear in mind that, in 1963, the 600 D was the only SEAT in production alongside the large 1500 saloon. In contrast, in 1970 the SEAT line-up included the 600, 850, 124, 1430 and 1500. In addition, in 1972 the 600 E began to coexist with the new 127 supermini, the first front-wheel drive SEAT, which made obsolete the rear-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of the 600 and also the 850. However, on exports the SEAT 600 E was king.
The reason was that in 1970 the 600 was discontinued in Italy, and from that year SEAT’s 600 E had to meet the demand that this popular model still had in selected European markets. This meant that SEAT's exports skyrocketed: from 3,304 units exported in 1969, SEAT exported 34,224 in 1970, and more than 50,000 the following two years. The main protagonist of this export boom was the 600 E, with around 90,000 exported units (including the L version in 1972 and 1973).
Interestingly enough, SEAT’s 600 E was the best-selling car in Finland three years in a row (from 1970 to 1972). In fact, thanks to the export boost, SEAT’s 600 record production year was 1970, with more than 78,000 units built, despite the model’s lower domestic demand.
SEAT’s growing European dimension meant that in 1971 the brand had for the first time its own stand at the prestigious Paris Motor Show. The SEAT 600 E was one of the models on display, along with two other SEAT-exclusive models, the long-wheelbase, 4-door 850 Especial 4 Puertas Lujo and the 124-derivative called 1430.
Also in 1971 two units of SEAT 600 E starred in an incredible odyssey: the African Crossing in SEAT 600, which ended in Cape Town after two months and 24,000 kilometres travelled, mostly on desert tracks and the savannah. The expedition had the full support of SEAT and caused great excitement.
The 600 E remained in production until the 600 was discontinued in mid-1973, although from October 1972 it coexisted with a new version, the L Especial (more luxurious and powerful).
This SEAT 600 E is part of SEAT HISTÓRICOS’ Collection. It was registered in Barcelona in 1971 and is preserved in perfect running order. The car is a regular entrant in events of all kinds. The SEAT HISTÓRICOS Collection also keeps examples of the other versions of the 600, as well as derivatives such as the 4-door 800 or the Formichetta van.
