SEAT Sport's operations had started at the end of 1985. The first prototype run by the new competition department of the brand was the Ibiza Bimotor, intended for the Spanish gravel rally championship. In 1987 SEAT launched the Gravel SEAT Marbella Cup, which joined the Ibiza Cup on tarmac rallies. Finally, in 1988 SEAT Sport decided to build a second competition prototype for the gravel championship's 2-wheel drive category, called Marbella Proto.

The Marbella Proto was powered by a 1.272 cc, 110 HP Volkswagen Polo engine, mounted in a SEAT Marbella monocoque reinforced with a welded roll cage. Towards the end of the season, in the RACE-Toledo rally, a Polo G40 engine was fitted. Thanks to a G-type supercharger, the Marbella Proto's power output would be able to reach 140 HP.

Besides, in a clear example of racing improving the breed, the experience acquired thanks to the Marbella Proto proved instrumental in the design of the Terra Diesel van -the Marbella's commercial derivative-, which in 1990 was the first SEAT production car powered by a VW engine.

With composite doors, bonnet, wings and so on, and devoid of anything nonessential -the headlights were disguised as stickers-, the Marbella Proto weighted a little more than 600 kg, so its power-to-weight ratio was unbeatable. Driven by Antoni Rius, it became the fastest car in the category in 1988 and won the title in 1989, with 6 wins in 7 rallies.

In 1990, the car was given to the previous year's Marbella Cup winner, Jordi Puigdellívol, who finished runner-up. So the Marbella Cup proved its value as a promotional driver's championship, following in the footsteps of the earlier Panda Cup. The first Panda Cup winner in 1981 had been a certain Carlos Sainz, the future two-time world rally champion and Dakar winner whose first works drive was the Group 2 SEAT Panda in 1982, as a prize for his title.

In its first year in 1988, the Marbella Proto was painted red. Then in 1989, when the car was raced in black paint, Toni Rius drove for the first time a second Marbella Proto car in the RACE-Lugo rally. Then in the last event of the season, the RACE-Madrid, Rius drove one of SEAT Sport's VW Golfs instead and the Martorell team entrusted the two existing Marbella Protos to two international riders, Àlex Crivillé and Joan Garriga, a promotional stunt that had a big impact.

Crivillé had just won that year's 125cc world championship, whereas Garriga had been 250cc runner-up in 1988. The former had an accident and retired, and Garriga finished the rally despite a gentle rollover. SEAT Sport did it again in 1990, also in the last championship event in Madrid. Puigdellívol was promoted to the Golf and Jordi Tarrés took the wheel of the Marbella Proto.

With his brother Francesc as co-driver, the world trial king astonished the rally scene in his debut on four wheels. Tarrés was leading the 2-wheel drive category at the halfway point, but paid dearly for a mistake in a checkpoint that led to their exclusion from the event.

SEAT HISTÓRICOS keeps one of the two Marbella Protos ever built. The car is kept in totally original condition and in perfect running order, and is a regular entrant in historical exhibitions like the Eifel Rallye Festival.