Antonio Amat was the father of Seat Sport 1200 “Bocanegra”, the first genuinely post-war Spanish coupe, and told in first person that "Birth".

The company Inducar It was a great adventure and Seat 1200 Sport "Black mouth", the great challenge of this story. It is the ultimate reflection Antonio Amat, father, or mother, as he consideration of this coupé. Forty years after the release of Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra, Antonio Amat looks back and remember how and under what circumstances the development of this car, made in tandem between Seat and the newly created took place Inducar.

Germ Inducar It must be sought in a firm historically linked also Seat: coachwork Costa. It founded in the forties by Esteban Costa Net and consolidated by his son Enrique Costa Sellés, Barcelona those workshops came out bodies for motorcars manufactured and finished the van Costa almost a carbon copy of the Formichetta of Siata-, Seat 800 -he Seat 600 4-door– and finally Seat 850 4 doors.

Costa collaboration with Seat was fluid during the sixties and in that period, two technical and Franco Ambrosini -from Siata and as advisor and external- Antonio Amat -Director technical-, they carried weight in institutional relations and the creation of successive models manufactured by Costa.

However, it was on purpose manufacturing agreement 850 four-door Seat when internal conflicts and disagreements surfaced between the direction of Costa and other employees, including technicians and even suppliers. The new project became clear that widespread unrest and, above all, limiting the factory in Tarrasa, especially for the painting process 4-door 850, which put in a bind the contract with Seat. Surprisingly, the proposal by the own Enrique Costa solution was unexpected: it gave employees the opportunity to form a new company that would allow meeting the demand for Seat, raised in about 120 cars a day.

Inducar born, Origin Bocanegra

And so, championed by Antonio Amat and Josep María Samara, as CEO, it was established in 1969 Inducar, Industrial Bodywork. “In record time, we made the provision of machinery, presses and tools and the transfer of production of 850 four doors recalls Antonio Amat, with the ambitious project to expand the catalog models quickly and ensure the viability of Inducar.”

As indicated Luis Angel González in his book “Inducar and Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra ‘“The key issue [the survival of Inducar] lay in the own Seat, because if there was a vote of confidence [and support] to the conversion of Inducar, there would be nothing to do. ”

Günter Oistrach, head of engineering and projects Seat at that time, was the catalyst and supporter from within the state firm to Inducar cast forth to ride fast and surefooted. Antonio Amat soon understood that the Seat 127 would represent the focus on the Spanish market in the near future. “So we ventured to make several prototypes Seat I could estimate feasible. Input, a four-door on Seat 127 already they had them [Seat] raised, and a van. Now a sport car based on the Seat 127, itself could be an interesting model. ”

In fact, self amat I had already thought about it. “I presented my project with this model made in epoxy to 1/10 scale that I had done. Managers Seat they saw with good eyes and wanted to immediately begin developing a full-scale. However, I insisted that we should intervene an Italian stylist I had known long ago, Aldo Sessano, and could provide a modern image to my project. ”

Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra, first guidelines

This engineer had joined Fiat in 1949, in 1956 was appointed chief designer of the study center of Turin and, from 1968, was established on his own. For Amat, “Sessano was presented at the 1971 Turin Motor Show a prototype on the basis of a NSU Prinz, the Nergal, a coupe that impressed me deeply by its aggressive line and purity of surfaces. We quickly understood and began to trace the outlines of New Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra. Sessano designed a car much like my model in terms of size, aspect of mandatory because We started casting Seat 127 [In his case, a Fiat 127 acquired in Italy, since Seat had not yet even started manufacturing in Spain]. But also able to give a special touch to jump immediately to the eye, ie, integrated black bumpers and a more square and lifelines. ”

Sessano perfectly he interpreted the idea of amat about him Seat Ibiza Bocanegra 1200 Sport. “It was agreed volumes, but was able to apply more aggressive and impactful than my model forms. He had a clear view of the large surfaces cleaner and smooth. As for the rear, the Nergal had the stern lifted, bringing back a lot of strength through three quarters. Aldo wanted to keep that style, so fashionable then and extolling the sporty image of a coupe. ”

Yet here they had doubts and differences of criteria Seat. “It was not possible to carry out the original approach Aldo because visibility [back] should be a point to take into account. Again, we had to balance the compromise between aesthetics and functionality. So we tried to properly distribute a space for the rear window, one for the luggage compartment lid and another for the whole forming bumpers and headlights lighting. ”

As if that were not enough, Seat especially repairs put behind. “No convincing them finished and came to submit up to three different designs, life-size plaster, plaster and finished painting to chose which they saw fit. Finally, they opted for the latter, which, by the way, for me was not the most successful. I preferred the first option, but Seat argued, curiously, that resembled the Renault 5 …. ”

Chassis and interior Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra

The frame rigidity also it constituted another important chapter. “In this sense, we introduced the Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra a truly novel and successful approach: crystals windshield and rear window are glued and act as structural elements that result in the torsional strength of the assembly. In a car, the front pillar is the main nerve center around which has given birth to spin a good project. ”

He inside of the Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra He was practically learns Sessano work. “It also left his personal stamp, some criticized as the size of the seats. But in this chapter, the aesthetic prevailed against functional. And yet, habitability does not lose volume with respect to only 127. Yes, the front section of the car much improved aerodynamic appearance relative to 127. ”

Motor Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra

In the mechanical part, Technical Center Seat He took the reins and toyed with various options, which initially passed by the range of 843/903 cc Seat 133 and 127; 1.197 / 1,438 of the Seat 124 and 1430; Y the “biárbol” 1,600 and 1,800 of the 1430 Seat FU, 132 and 131. The decision was quite eclectic neither above nor below, but Intermediate 1,200, which met with plenty of sports expectations without compromising further complicated and expensive maintenance, if you chose the latter.

There was only adapt motor and the transmission to Configuration “all forward”. The Ddauto coach in Madrid, took to modify the four cylinders to be implanted in a transverse position -in 124 will longitudinally and changes box used was of 127. Axles, primary shaft and bearings were dimensioned to withstand the torque upper 1,200. Another pitfall solved literally pulling what was available in Seat had to do with the carburetor. Not having a dual specific body for a transverse engine, it modified a Bressel 32.

For two and a half years, Antonio Amat, Aldo Sessano and an enthusiastic team of technicians, which included, Josep Badía, Joan Casas, Juan Menor, Doménec Arán, Pere Roqueta, Isidre Martí, Sabino Muñoz, Pere Roqueta, Josep Balles, Isidre Roig and José Giles, configured plans and models of the different prototypes of Seat 1200 Sport Bocanegra, they defined tooling chapistería, monocoque, auxiliary parts and materials and structured trim the complex manufacturing process of the monocoque body.

In the workshops Tarrasa, Inducar mounted a construction line which he ran from the stamping of the sheet, to the assembly of the profiles and panels and monocoque welding the various elements. From there, the whole body would be transported to the factory Seat in Barcelona where they were painted and assembled the mechanical components and interior trim.

“In 1973 our colleague recalls also Arturo de Andrés-, Eduardo Villacieros and I made a visit [ghost] to Inducar, when the project was still in its infancy. I caught my attention that the plans were made on special paper, and not with reference numerals, but geometric, showing the actual size of the useful stamping body. I saw great enthusiasm in all the participants in the project. ”

In December 1975, in Pomegranate, Seat He presented to the press 1200 Sport, then known as “Black mouth” for his characteristic front. “Unfortunately, Seat Inducar ignored at the time. Not a single mention of any of us having been working in an atmosphere of cordiality and full cooperation. ”

Inducar fully assembled five hundred first unidades and then stood at 30 copies a day the bar body to supply Seat. 1200 Sport Bocanegra was in production for four intense years, until September 1979. In between, in 1977, joined the Sport 1430 version of 77 CV and equipped with the gearbox of his alter ego, the berlineta Seat 128. But that’s another story …