1972 Seat 600 EV – Auction Car of the Week

It’s surely an undeniable fact that Fiat and Seat were the kings of cute back in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Yes, they were essentially the same cars just for different markets but with the likes of the Fiat 500 and 126 and the Seat 600 and 133 the pair were churning out wonderfully designed, affordable little city cars better than anyone. It was a trend that would continue into the future too, with cars like the Panda and Cinquecento carrying the torch initially set ablaze by those early examples. Hell, the 500 is still very much being made today and remains incredibly popular, although it has grown somewhat over the years. But those original teensy little runabouts are adorable and we love them.

Do you know what else we love? A decent debate. A cracking confabulation. An enriching exchange. Some might call it an argument but that’s a little negative for our liking. A discussion, between open minded enthusiasts is what we prefer, and indeed encourage, which is why we’ve decided to showcase this Seat 600 as our Auction Car of the Week today. Yep, we’re diving right back into the world of EV conversions. Hold on to your batteries folks!

Before we get too bogged down with the ins and outs of this particular conversion let’s take a look at the original Seat 600 for a minute. Here was a car that was very much a part of that lineage and legacy of diminutive, economic superminis we mentioned above that was ostensibly a Fiat 600 but built in Spain and sold to the Spanish market.

Built under license from Fiat and based on the original Dante Giacosa designed 600, the Seat didn’t differ all that much from its Italian counterpart. It looked the same, retaining that car’s iconic, two-door layout, along with its rear engine, rear-wheel drive set up and proved just as popular in Spain as the Fiat was in its native Italy.

It was cheap, easy to maintain and perfect for the busy Spanish city streets, proving incredibly popular with the public, breaking cover at a time when the country’s economy was still recovering from the ravages of civil war, and subsequently becoming part of Spain’s economic uplift in the ’60s.

But what about the conversion itself? In our eyes it’s cars like the Seat 600 that are the perfect candidates for electrification. Leaning into the car’s original, intended purpose as an economical runaround used for short jaunts it makes sense to us to strap a bunch of batteries in the boot. On the other end of the spectrum, let’s look at a car like the Ferrari 250 GTO for instance. That car’s V12 engine is its very soul, it’s part of what makes it so special. Remove that glorious Gioacchino Colombo powerplant and you lose the essence of what the GTO is. Remove the little four-pot from a Seat city car and it’s still essentially a Seat city car. Its spirit is defined by other factors; by its stature, by how economical it is, by its charming looks – factors that remain undisturbed by converting its power source to electricity.

Which is why we’re very much on board with this particular Seat 600 EV conversion. Yep, you heard right, we approve. The car’s original 767cc engine was toast anyway so it’s not as though a perfectly good motor has gone in the bin either. Imported from a dry and sunny southern Spain in 2021 as a rust-free example the car was then converted using parts supplied by Thunderstruck Motors and Electric Classic Cars, two leaders in the field.

The Seat features two batteries in the rear and one in the front in order to replicate the original car’s engine and fuel tank weight and therefore the balance and handling of the thing, whilst also retaining the factory running gear which has all been overhauled. It was then treated to a full respray in period correct Positano Yellow. The interior is your typical budget-friendly ’70s econobox fare but the heated MX5 seats are a welcome addition and the dash has been modified for purpose. The full run down of specs can be found on the listing so go and have a proper read but suffice to say this is a professional job with a clear attention to detail and quality.

With a range of up to 60-odd miles and a top speed of 78mph this 600 is a capable little machine that can be charged using a standard 13amp domestic plug socket via the hidden connector behind the rear number plate. The perfect car then for those who want a quirky, characterful EV for day to day driving that appears indistinguishable from the original, at least externally. Oh, and it’s registered as an historic vehicle meaning it’s MOT and tax exempt as well as ULEZ compliant. Hurrah.