The Panda Terra was the most unconventional and daring version of the popular SEAT small car. It was a soft-roader pick-up of rural and fun-loving vocation, which was unveiled at the end of April 1983 at the Barcelona Motor Show..

In the SEAT Panda line-up, the Terra went on to be placed price-wise just below the luxurious Panda Marbella, with which it shared some details. For example, the Terra had two wing mirrors, just like the Panda Marbella and unlike the rest of the range, which only had a left outer rear mirror.

And, to further distinguish itself, the Panda pick-up sported the modern black plastic front grille premiered by the Panda Marbella in 1982, instead of the asymmetrical metal grille of standard Pandas. It also showed a specific all-black inner finish and black imitation leather seats. The Terra was available in two unique colours: lime yellow and rally red.

However, the Panda Terra's powertrain differed from the Panda Marbella's. The pick-up was powered by the 42 HP, 903cc low-compression engine for 2-star petrol used by the Panda 40 since September 1982. The 45 HP, 903cc high-compression unit for 4-star petrol remained exclusive to the Panda Marbella.

The pick-up structure of the Panda Terra was very well engineered. Side and rear bars formed a roll cage that increased rigidity and doubled as support for the detachable hood, combining practicality with safety. The waterproof soft-top had transparent plastic side and rear windows, and was easily attached to the vehicle by elastic tensioners that attached the hood eyelets with the fixed hooks on the Panda's body.

The back of the hood served as a tailgate and could be opened independently. When the soft-top cover was detached, a simple chain "discouraged" access to the loading area.

However, a Panda pick-up was not an absolute novelty in the SEAT family. At the Barcelona Motor Show the previous year, in 1982, the Emelba coachbuilder - specializing in SEAT derivatives - had unveiled the Pandita, a pick-up that remained a prototype. And in October of that year, a group of technicians from SEAT's factory in Zona Franca had transformed a Panda into a pick-up to create the unique one-off Panda Popemobile, on the occasion of the first official visit to Spain of then Pope John Paul II.

Nor was the Panda Terra the only leisure-oriented Panda made by the brand. In February 1982, coinciding with the launch of the Panda Marbella, SEAT also presented the Panda Montaña, a kind of soft-roader but with a standard closed body, and which was only available for a few months.

Finally, in the same 1983 Barcelona Motor Show where the Panda Terra appeared, a Panda convertible was also unveiled, with a soft-top inspired by the old SEAT 600 convertible, where the metal roof was replaced by a folding canvas cover. However, in the Panda the roof structure was divided into two independent halves, so that it could be fully opened or only the front or rear seats.

SEAT called it Panda Practicable Roof, Open Roof or simply Convertible. It was intended for leisure, whereas the Panda Terra was more rural-oriented. In practice, however, the Terra was very popular as a rent-a-car in Mallorca, making good its advertising slogan: "For those who are or feel young. Or for lovers of the practical. For fun, loaded to the bridges or to discover the pleasure of adventure."

The Panda Terra was discontinued in April 1985, at the same time as the Panda Marbella. Instead, the Panda convertible remained available until early 1987, when the Panda's successor, the SEAT Marbella, arrived.

Interestingly, SEAT also revived the Terra designation in 1987, this time to name the SEAT Terra, the Marbella-derived van that replaced the Trans (the Panda van). Based on the Marbella, SEAT would unveil in 1991 the concept car Marbella Playa and later a more austere pick-up prototype, which could have been the successors of the Panda Terra.

SEAT HISTÓRICOS recently acquired this Panda Terra, registered in Barcelona at the end of 1983. The brand has thus filled a sensitive gap in the Collection with the more multifunctional and unconventional rendition of the Panda's theme.