There's a timeless elegant styling beauty to Giorgetto Giugiaro's designs a lesson to be learnt from modern manufacturers. I love his other designs of that era: the 1983 Fiat Uno, 1979 Lancia Delta, 1981 Isuzu Piazza etc...
I’m the proud new owner of a 1989 Ibiza Special. Very nippy of a 903cc! I’ve lusted over these and the Malaga’s for years so very happy to finally get my hands on one!
My neighbours son had one in bright orange it never fired up in its first try but by god it was gorgeous! I love how the back end looks taller than the front.
My first car!.... The sistem porsche Seat Ibiza 1st generation. Very económic in fuel and maintence! And very fun to drive. A very good car that i miss very much
Had one of these. The 1.5, an absolute hoot to drive. Rev counter never went past 2k mark regardless of speed. The interior was just like this one, I remember the indicator stalk burned out and it cost the princely sum of £15 to have a new bought and fitted at a local garage. Great vid and brought back some great memories for me.
My first Seat experience was the Marbella followed by a 1.2 Malaga, which was a superb car and never let me down over 4 years of ownership and probably around 40,000 miles of motoring. Two ibizas followed before my love for Seat faded as they became VW's in all but name. Excellent video, brought back some happy motoring memories.
I’ve always wanted a mk1 Ibiza. Lovely cars. I ended up with a M plate mk2 1,4i, which was was a cracking little car. Excellent video as always Ian and Carly
My first car was a 1987 GLX, posh model with electric windows, radio with 4 speakers and wide alloy wheels. The alloys made the unassisted steering terrible and my steering wheel was always off-center due to the real physical exertion it took to move the wheels lock to lock. The cheap versions had very narrow tires which made steering butter smooth. Mine had a fuel injected 1.2 engine and produced 63bhp, quite modest horsepower for the vehicle weight. It was revvy enough, but driving in a conventional road you had to plan ahead carefully any overtake as the car had no spare power once committed. The car was very spacious and heavy as it was based in the Ronda, the Spanish version of the Ritmo/Strada. SEAT needed a new car as soon as possible and using the Ronda saved a lot of time and allowed to better position the car in the market as way bigger than the Fiesta or the Polo and with a very competitive price. After SEAT broke off from FIAT, the Italians sued SEAT and asked to stop the production of the Ronda (Ritmo/Strada based) and the Marbella (based on the Panda).However, SEAT used a Ronda were all the new parts were painted in bright yellow and won as the judges deemed the Ronda different enough from the Italian original. The worst part of the car was interior furnishings. At 7 years old, the cheap interior plastics were crumbling away. The control satellites failed one after another and the door seals fell off. The radio was a “Punto Azul” (Blaupunk) included with the car and also failed, as the internal fan. I kept it until the engine (only 53.000km) started to overheat for no discernible reason and I traded it for a brand new Peugeot 206 which, at the time (2000), looked like a spaceship with CD, aircon and power steering! A few months later I saw my Ibiza on the road, apparently repaired and kept running for a few more years. It was, by the way, the only car I ever owned with a rust spot in one of the rear doors
Thanks Ian, hugely educational. I always thought this was on Volkswagen platform, probably just because it looks like it. I didn’t realize they developed some thing on their own between the Fiat and Volkswagen years, never realized there was a gap there
I owned 2 examples. 1.2 Designer - base model - and a 1.2 GLX with the Polo dashboard. Both examples had auto chokes from new, but there was a kit to change it to manual choke as with this example. Very poor running from cold, ages to warn up and the indicator switch kept on sticking. Next car was a ZX Aura diesel. But returned to Seat in 2014, owning a Leon and Ibiza.
The only thing I remember about the Mk1 Ibiza, when it first came out, was a complaint in a road test report that it didn't have roof gutters, so when the door was opened in the rain, you could get a shower of water off the roof. It was blamed on being designed for a warm sunny Spanish climate 🙂
Me too. From what I remember, they were great cars. Faster than a Golf GTI but the seats were too slippery for the grip. I used to worry about sliding over to the passenger side on a hard right. 😂
I owned one of these, bought in the summer, regretted in the winter, problems starting, the windows took forever to demist, to be perfectly honest I remember it being a load of rubbish and a real garbage car. I think I kept it until the next summer where I sold it on to another victim much to my shame. It was a fun car at times but far too problematic and poorly made and many of the parts like the single wiper blade weren't fit for purpose. You can imagine with a single wiper and a window that wouldn't properly demist it was like driving in a London fog on a wet day. It was the styling that drew me to it in the first place. I was suckered in by the System Porsche logos and from what I remember the fuel consumption would probably match a proper Porsche it was awful, something like 22mpg on average although my commute was only a few miles in fairness. I'd like to say I have fond memories seeing one again but if anything I'm starting to feel a bit depressed watching this video, not my normal reaction to hubnut videos which I normally get a nostalgic buzz from. The only way I could have got any satisfaction from this video is if it was driven into a crusher at the end.
Oh wow you have a really bad case of motoring PTSD! Doesn’t it mean that this vehicle is quintessentially Hubnut though? Thank you for sharing your unfortunate experience, it is interesting and very well written.
I'm having a similar experience with a Dacia Spring electric car at the moment. In really wet weather all you can do is crank the fan and the heat up to the max and turn the AC on and hopefully you'll have a tiny peephole on the windscreen (that you need to clear yourself with a rag) and the rest is about as see through as a Tupperware lid. How they managed that performance with quite a strong fan, a good enough heater *and* AC is beyond me, you'd almost have to put a design effort in to make it crappy. It also has a single wiper. 😁 It kinda spoils an otherwise quite ok car a tiny bit.
My friend had one of these, the heater refused to work. I also got hypothermia after suffering a four hour journey in one, then the bastard thing broke down, and another 4 hours trying to get it running again 😱😱😱 I still had a soft spot for it though 😂
These things were so overlooked when I was a kiddo in the 90's. It's pure sadness they all rusted away and weren't loved. The same can be said about the Fiat Uno. I had personally no idea the mk1 Seat Ibiza was this cool!
Back in Finland these came with headlamp wipers (some form of headlamp washing equipment was mandatory at the time). I always loved the styling but as far as I remember owners complained of winter driving issues, poor heating/demisting, starting problems etc.
This certainly brought back memories! I had the facelifted '93 last-of-the-line MK1 1.2i as a first car. It was a bit rudimentary and it was indeed very noisy, especially with a cheap aftermarket exhaust - at 2000rpm it sounded like I was redlining it! Great little car though!
Absolutely brilliant! Clear Giugiaro design, pretty wheels, two mirrors and a quality BASF Glasurit painting in «Nero». A real beauty! The Citroën dealer in the neighbour village started to sell SEAT cars in the early eighties. I often rode there with my bicycle to get a brochure or to watch whats new. In 2CVs and Visas I wasn't that interested at this time... Then a tyre dealer in my village tried it with SEAT. As far as I remember he sold one. It was a light blue SEAT Fura, based on the Fiat 127. Thanks for showing this rare SEAT Ibiza, dear Carly and Ian. Have a nice weekend and see you soon --- Martin
My brother had a metallic blue 5 door one of these. It had front fogs built into the grill which I suspect were aftermarket which my brother called "Bertie Fisher mode"! I should explain Bertie Fisher was a Northern Irish rally driver. He loved it and sold it in the end for £100 as it had seen considerably days at that point. It was a 1.2 that he had.
My old car. It had a terrible Pierburg carb with auto choke when I bought it, I got the last Weber carb conversion kit in the UK at some expense and it greatly improved things. It's 35 years old, it was a fun and individual little thing but my initial issues kinda put me off it. Got a great home now though.
Pierburg carbs were terrible. We had the same problem with the one in a 1989 VW Jetta. Conversion to Weber carb was like the difference between night and day.
For a split second, I thought it was my ex-neighbour Seat Ibiza SXI 😂 Two years ago, I visited the block where I lived for so many years in Portugal. My neighbour's Ibiza SXI was still there in the garage, abandoned for almost 20 years, exactly like the one Ian's is now testing. The Ibiza was an interesting alternative to the popular Uno, Fiesta, Polo, AX, 205, Corsa, and R5 or Supercinque. Was roomier and with excellent visibility. The steering and suspension system derived from the Fiat 128/Ritmo/Strada was heavy, and the suspension was bouncy, uncomfortable. The "System Porsche" was interesting for the show off but only for that purpose. MK2 Ibiza was an improvement in comparison.
I actually had a Malaga back in the ‘90s. It was the top of the range 1.5SX in a vibrant metallic green with electric windows and lots of other goodies, some of which worked. It was a good car but eventually contributed to the extinction of the species when it ate its Porsche designed gearbox. I wish I still had it. I’d love to see another.
This takes me back to 1993, my friend's first car was a Graphite colour Ibiza. I was so envious of his "Engineered by Porsche" sticker on the tailgate. My first car was a £200 1977 Geranium red 2cv6 not even a Club.
I had a black 1989 2door with the Fiat engine, it threw a main bearing and I remember getting a second hand Yugo 45engine straight swap,although the distributor was in a different position -when cars were simple to swap,out an engine.
Great video, I loved that. In the mid 1990s when I was shopping for my first car I used to wait for the newsagents to open at 6am on Autotrader day. I'd then do to the cafe and trawl the ads earmarking what was worth a phone call. The local car dealers would be doing the same thing. I really wanted an Ibiza. They were so pretty. I never got one. Loved watching this though, took me back to the cafe with my Autotrader. Thanks guys.
A fabulous review. Lovely example there Ian. My friend in college had one back in the day and she used to take us on blasts and equal blasts in my 1.1 AX. Both Basic spec cars but lots of fun back then. Memories come flooding back when you havent seen one in years. Good Times indeed !
Ah, I just picked up a 1990 Seat(🪑💺) Ibiza Cronos four door. The fellow I bought it from had shipped it in from Portugal in 2/19 just in time for the for the "Chi-Com-Sniffle" which meant he wasn't able to get hold the car until nearly October of '19. I forked over $4400 for it💰. Mine's a LHD car. Love the Wiper👀😜!
The parents of a friend of mine had an E reg 1.2 L in white. I think they owned it from new and then traded it in for a facelifted J reg 1.2 CLX 5 door in metallic blue. That one had a dodgy automatic choke. I was a passenger in it when said friend passed his driving test and was insured on it. They had a few more SEATs after that. I owned a mark 2 Ibiza 1.4 S (1999 T reg) during the 2000s and it was excellent. Very reliable and passed each MOT 1st time bar one time - down to a messed up number plate. The second best car I have owned. Coincidentally my aforementioned friend owned a facelifted mark 2 Ibiza (2000 W reg) around this time.
That’s a blast from the past! I was working for the company that did the vinyl graphic logos on these for SEAT UK, no idea why they didn’t have them from the factory?
No, just a small specialist graphics company that made vinyl cutting machines down in Bournemouth. We made the side stripes and ghosted Ibiza logo on the rear quarter.
@@Trinet-TA Did they do the tailgate graphics too? My poverty-spec Ibiza Special had vinyl graphics instead of plastic badges on the tailgate, presumably because they were cheaper.
I would have thought that Spain joining the European single market was the primary reason for Seat producing its own cars. The Ibiza carried over the floorpan and suspension from the Ritmo/Ronda I think, including the transverse rear leaf spring.
What a great video, you're lucky nothing broke during your drive 😅...brings back memories for me. I had an 1986 Ibiza for a year back in 1995! It was hands down the worst built car I have ever owned. Once the MOT ran out I scrapped it and replaced it with an Austin Metro which I kid not, felt like a Rolls Royce compared to the Ibiza! In one year I had: Alternator failure Handbrake failure (ratchet teeth all broke off one day) Drivers internal door handle failed Drivers window winder failed (spline teeth all rounded) Bolt that attaches clutch cable to pedal sheared Heater fan switch failed Headlight switch intermittent (all lights would turn off, usually at 60 mph ish on a dark B road) Speedometer failed Wiper failed A leak that filled the rear footwells with water in heavy rain On the plus side it was definitely character building 😂, and the 1.2 engine didn't miss a beat and always started first time (as long as the battery wasn't flat).
Before I passed my test in the early 90s, I’d pegged one of these as top of my list for a first car: cheap to buy/run/insure, but looked cool in a way other small cars didn’t, apart from maybe a Y10/Uno. I’d underestimated the cost, so used to look enviously at drivers of them as I chugged along in my battered orange Skoda Rapid.
@@twobob8585Even then model names could be somehow inflated. Skoda “Rapid”? Well, ok, it was rapid to rust. But, to be honest, I have been told there was a Skoda Rapid in the early ages before World War II, but that was quite another matter. Later in the eighties Daewoo was sold in Europe as Chevrolet. Some promotion one must say.
I had one exactly like that. My mates called it a Spanish Lada but I loved it. Great handling car. It would lift an inside rear wheel when cornering hard.
I knew a girl at college in the 90s who had a ibeza. Nice car but the thing I will never forget was the totally mismatched drivers door which came from a breakers but whoever did it hadn't bothered to swap the door card, or lock for the original ones.. Red car with a blue door (with a stripe!) and brown door card but grey for the rest of the interior.....
Porsche also designed a cab for a CASE International tractor. One of the differences with a modern car from an older onnis the wiperwssh. On a newish car, working the washer automatically turns on the wiper. Older cars, you have to turn the wipers on manually.
Excellent review Ian and Carly, i remember my Primary 7 teacher having a J Plate facelift one of these with System Porsche graphics on the side back in 1994/1995, i never realised Porsche were responsible for the Zafira seats that fold down.
My dad had one till I was 7 years old. Bought used in 1986, somehow managed to resist till 1997, between engine problems and low quality interior that deteriorates only by watching them. But surely it was a good looking car, with a clean design e a great interior space/dimensions ratio
I wish I still had my F registration 1.2 Seat Ibiza Perla Blanca Del Sol (White Pearl of the Sun) Special Edition or the H registration Seat Ibiza 1.5 Sxi Hot Hatch that followed it. Beautiful cars and just a little bit different :-) Thank you for reminding me how beautiful these cars were and appreciating them too.
This was one of Dicky Braithwaites old cars ... remember photographing this on the way back from Washington. Have to admit I had a real fondness for these and this was a lovely thing!
Fun review of a great car, looking smart in black paint. Appreciate the styling very much. Cool straight lines. Thank you HubNut and beautiful backdrop to film. Cheers 👍😊
I remember road testing the SXI version of these in 1990 as a replacement for my XR2. It was rough and ready for a new car and the system Porsche engine was disappointing, more of a marketing ploy rather than advanced engineering. After I opened the bonnet and found missing bolts and loose bolts scattered round the engine bay I did not buy. Subsequently I worked on several in the 1990’s. They were rusty and very troublesome. The dealer tried to describe them as being of VW quality, in my opinion most of the running gear was FIAT at the time.
I had a G reg 1.5GLX in five door trim. Switch gear was revised on mine with Normal Stalks ect and it was way faster than my mates Golf’s. Wish I kept it.
Always had a soft spot for the early Ibizas. I had a mk 11 and it was so much better than the polo on which it was largely based - went way better, handled better, sounded better, was cheaper faster etc etc. Wish I still had it as IMHO it was a perfect blend of size/performance/equipment in its era.
It was the sudden depressurisation of the hydraulics on my BX which lead me to own a hastily purchased Mk1 Ibiza bought locally on the criteria of nearest, cheapest, and had MOT. I paid a full £80 with a years MOT and 3 months tax (back when it was transferable). It would cut out entirely (total electrical loss) if you went over a big bump in the road, the speedo worked when it felt like it and would pull a fair bit under breaking. Knowing that it absolutely wouldn't pass a real MOT, I took it in for a test anyway. Garage called saying they were abandoning the test. The only calliper with any measurable function was the front nearside, it was so rusty underneath it was only the underseal holding it together in some places. The seatbelt anchors were pulled off by hand as a demonstartion of how rotten it was. Scrapped it for £100. It was a dicey but fun drive. Engine loved to be thrashed.
I had a 1.2 model,did many miles up n down motorways it never had an easy life always driven to the max but it never ever went wrong,they were good cars.
In a way it's quite amusing how VAG can produce so many different VW/Skoda/SEAT and even Audi models using the same engines, switchgear, platforms and similar bodyshells (but not identical designs). Whilst looking at modern Škoda Rapids a few years back to buy, I was surprised to be offered a similar but slightly different bodyshell SEAT Toledo alongside on a forecourt, being told by the salesman that they were basically the same car, and were built alongside each other at the Škoda factory in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic.
Back in the day a buddy of mine had one as a hire car, a 1.2 in black 3 door just like this one. It was quite a hoot if I recall correctly. Nothing broke and dare I say it did everything that was needed of it given the driver (not me) was let's just say one who preferred to drive with a modicum of spirit at every opportunity. Wonderful design that looked better than the MKII that had the VW Polo interior in my humble opinion. Many thanks for sharing.
In the late 80's I worked in a small garage with a Practical Used Car Rental franchise. We bought a pair of 1.2 Ibizas and a pair of 1.5 Malagas, all new because they were so cheap. Most renters returned them with nothing but praise, even for the switch layout. They didn't stay on our fleet long, the idea being, if you liked the rental car, you bought it. We also had Seat Terra van which was a Marbella (Panda) with a huge cube on the back, that was popular because most van hirers didn't go smaller than a Transit.
I haven't seen one of those in 30 odd years. I love the system Porsche engines. Very rare now, even more rare are the FIAT Regatta and Strada based Malagas. I hope to see you again at the NEC.
Loved the old SEAT and especially the Ibiza. Such a great looking car, the dash was different from anything else but so easy to use. And it drove so incredibly well.
I bought a VW Golf Mk 1 when new, and always loved the Giugiaro styling… elegant simplicity, really. Every line was there for a reason, without any merely decorative frippery as seen on so many cars today. When I first glimpsed the Ibiza in your video, I could tell immediately that it was also a Giugiaro design. I like it a lot! And yes, that switchgear is just cool. 😎
This has just made me notice that the Seat logo started with even more lines in between the top and bottom half of the S. This has 4, it later got reduced to two, and is currently just one if I recall. I suggest that a mk2 Toledo is reviewed sometime if you manage to find one!
Mk2 Toledos are everywhere in Spain specially the TDI versions, mk1 Toledos aren't quite as common, in fact it's starting to get difficult to see one, specially pre-facelift ones.
when i was learning to drive initially my instructor was part of BSM and the school car was a Metro and was not a nice car, i detested it. he then went independent with a seat Ibiza I dont recall the controls being anything like the ones in this example i do remember it had a big logo "System Porsche" possibly on the back window and it was amazing compared to the Metro, I also had by then purchased a 1968 Triumph herald that was a year older than me (I Was 17) i think I was driving the Seat when i left some black lines across the A30 when the instructor told me to turn left fast when pulling out of a b road onto it. Always reminded me of the Fiat Uno one of which i bought a few years later and never got the smell of wet labradors out of.
From 1998 to 2001 I had a very late one of these as my 3rd car also a black 3dr 1.2 but had the later facelift grill and more conventional dashboard and had fuel injection so had 70bhp was fun to drive....
God looking things, especially the last of the line models. Mk2 was always my favourite though. Did a journey to Prague and back and it never missed a beat. Mk2 Malaga was gorgeous.
Now you are talking Ian. One of those that got away from me. However my mum was ill and my Dad had a rusty Ford and due to an unexpected windfall I was able to buy him a 1.2 base model 2nd hand to ferry mum to hospital. He loved it and bangs on about it today nearly 40 years on. He has had loads of cars and its only a Picasso ( not Pass the Picasso territory mileage ) and his Ibiza he misses...... he is 85 and drives a modern Audi so you can see why I respect his views. Oh BTW I am sure somewhere upstairs I have a contemporary What Car mag feat a test between a 1.2SX and Nova 1.3SR and a Fiesta 1.1 Ghia ( I bought myself the Fiesta....doh !! )
Holiday in Jersey, 1995.....I had a red 1993 1.2 SLXi as a hire car for a week.....I have never known a petrol car to consume as little fuel as this did. Incredible !!!!
Oh my gawd! Was on about these a bit back...used to lust after the racier models of these when I was a young un...this one's a beauty! Would like one for bezzin about in nowadays! Great vid Ian
Very nice car indeed. My friends mum had one of these, it was the 1.5 three door, and when it had to be finally scrapped because it was too rusty, she was sad. Now, they are a complete rarity, last time I've seen one was two years ago. I also used to see one Seat Malaga in my town when I was a kid, which looked kind like a booted Ibiza, but the doors looked a bit more like the ronda/Ritmo doors. Btw there are some parts similar to the VW, like the end of the air intake, which was used by VW cars and later also by the 40kW Bosch fuel injected Skoda Favorit and Felicia. And Porsche seems to have done a lot of front wheel drive consultation, as they also did the Lada Samara at that time and also a bit later the Skoda Favorit (I like that you mentioned it 😉).
I had a D reg 1.5 GLX it,was a concourse car and very non standard. It had lots over VW bits. All the suspension was from a golf and the ignition system was Bosch made herring spares interesting as the model spec said fiat suspension and Martello ignition which confused parts suppliers. Great car surprisingly quick and great economy as well. I loved it the seats were the just so comfy.
What a gorgeous little car, a guys mum I used to go to school with had one in a lovely light blue with the black stripes along the bottom of the door and the diamond cut multi spoke wheels like this one, such a shame there's not many left
just had a quick look around and there are quite a few for sale here including 2 diesels for reasonable money. The diesel produces 55bph , i could be tempted I have a soft spot for Saet
I worked in a multifranchise garage mid 80's dealing with VW Audi, Peugeot, Citroën, Talbot, Seat and towards the end Nissan. The Seat was frequently bought buy wealthier customers as a cheaper Golf option for their offspring or by regular customers as an upgrade to the Horizon which was a bigger car but rapidly going out of fashion. Ohhh and Simca as well we had 3 Ranchos in the showroom at once at one point again bought as estate (as in rich man's big house and land estate) cars by the local landowners as a smaller option to the Range Rover. Ahhhh the 80's the time of horrendous cold starts (I lived in Cumbria) misted windows and crap heaters!
My father had one of those Seat Ibiza Mk1 when I was a child. It was white with a red stripe on the sides. It had no rear seatbelts, so i traveled free or over the lap of my mother during my first 4 years of life. He has a fairly good memory of that car. But in 1994 he sold it and got a Citroën ZX (which became a great family car for 25 years), much safer and comfortable.
My wife had a Mk1 Ibiza SXi in lovely red. It was a great car to drive - comfortable, reasonably economical, rapid rather than fast. Sad to see that there are so few registered now.
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I still have a rear windscreen for one of these for free if anyone is interested, Collection in Scotland.
I've got a rear bumper for the Face-lift model in the shed too
@@davyturner9187 Hey, if we get more people commenting saying they have parts we might just be able to build a "new" one 🤣
In Spain we have a magnificent climate where many of these Ibiza continue on our roads with good results without being the perfect car. 👍
There's a timeless elegant styling beauty to Giorgetto Giugiaro's designs a lesson to be learnt from modern manufacturers. I love his other designs of that era: the 1983 Fiat Uno, 1979 Lancia Delta, 1981 Isuzu Piazza etc...
I've always liked the styling of the first Ibiza, especially the wheels, they are gorgeous!
Yes, these wheels are timeless classics!
I’m the proud new owner of a 1989 Ibiza Special. Very nippy of a 903cc! I’ve lusted over these and the Malaga’s for years so very happy to finally get my hands on one!
They used to catch my eye back in the 80s. I used to walk past a dealership on the way from school and always had time to stop and look.
My neighbours son had one in bright orange it never fired up in its first try but by god it was gorgeous! I love how the back end looks taller than the front.
My first car!.... The sistem porsche Seat Ibiza 1st generation. Very económic in fuel and maintence! And very fun to drive. A very good car that i miss very much
Still looking sharp almost 40 years later, love those Alloys too
I think it is a very beautiful car. Also, the wheels fit the car perfectly. This is what I like about 80's styling.
Had one of these. The 1.5, an absolute hoot to drive. Rev counter never went past 2k mark regardless of speed. The interior was just like this one, I remember the indicator stalk burned out and it cost the princely sum of £15 to have a new bought and fitted at a local garage. Great vid and brought back some great memories for me.
My first Seat experience was the Marbella followed by a 1.2 Malaga, which was a superb car and never let me down over 4 years of ownership and probably around 40,000 miles of motoring. Two ibizas followed before my love for Seat faded as they became VW's in all but name. Excellent video, brought back some happy motoring memories.
As a Spaniard I'm glad you liked it.
I’ve always wanted a mk1 Ibiza. Lovely cars. I ended up with a M plate mk2 1,4i, which was was a cracking little car. Excellent video as always Ian and Carly
My first car was a 1987 GLX, posh model with electric windows, radio with 4 speakers and wide alloy wheels. The alloys made the unassisted steering terrible and my steering wheel was always off-center due to the real physical exertion it took to move the wheels lock to lock. The cheap versions had very narrow tires which made steering butter smooth. Mine had a fuel injected 1.2 engine and produced 63bhp, quite modest horsepower for the vehicle weight. It was revvy enough, but driving in a conventional road you had to plan ahead carefully any overtake as the car had no spare power once committed. The car was very spacious and heavy as it was based in the Ronda, the Spanish version of the Ritmo/Strada. SEAT needed a new car as soon as possible and using the Ronda saved a lot of time and allowed to better position the car in the market as way bigger than the Fiesta or the Polo and with a very competitive price. After SEAT broke off from FIAT, the Italians sued SEAT and asked to stop the production of the Ronda (Ritmo/Strada based) and the Marbella (based on the Panda).However, SEAT used a Ronda were all the new parts were painted in bright yellow and won as the judges deemed the Ronda different enough from the Italian original. The worst part of the car was interior furnishings. At 7 years old, the cheap interior plastics were crumbling away. The control satellites failed one after another and the door seals fell off. The radio was a “Punto Azul” (Blaupunk) included with the car and also failed, as the internal fan. I kept it until the engine (only 53.000km) started to overheat for no discernible reason and I traded it for a brand new Peugeot 206 which, at the time (2000), looked like a spaceship with CD, aircon and power steering! A few months later I saw my Ibiza on the road, apparently repaired and kept running for a few more years. It was, by the way, the only car I ever owned with a rust spot in one of the rear doors
Thanks Ian, hugely educational. I always thought this was on Volkswagen platform, probably just because it looks like it. I didn’t realize they developed some thing on their own between the Fiat and Volkswagen years, never realized there was a gap there
Turns out there's more Fiat in it than I really realised!
@@HubNut There’s a bit of Ritmo in there
Had one as a hire car in Greece in 1990. I wish I could find one now as a classic 👍 another excellent informative review from Mr Hubnut 👍
Love the controls, heading into Citroën style bonkers ideas. Stylish design too. I had forgotten all about these cars. Thank you for the review Ian
I owned 2 examples. 1.2 Designer - base model - and a 1.2 GLX with the Polo dashboard. Both examples had auto chokes from new, but there was a kit to change it to manual choke as with this example. Very poor running from cold, ages to warn up and the indicator switch kept on sticking. Next car was a ZX Aura diesel. But returned to Seat in 2014, owning a Leon and Ibiza.
The only thing I remember about the Mk1 Ibiza, when it first came out, was a complaint in a road test report that it didn't have roof gutters, so when the door was opened in the rain, you could get a shower of water off the roof. It was blamed on being designed for a warm sunny Spanish climate 🙂
That slider switch for the wipers looks pretty naughty!
lovely cars Ian. I use as a daily a mk 1 Cordoba Estate, quite rara now here in Spain, probably non existant in the UK by now. mine is now on 400,000k
I didn't think there were any left on the roads. I had one of these Seat Ibizas, and i had a Malaga as well..! Both were Black..!👍👍
I learnt to drive in the Mk1 1.5 Sxi, it was a nice car.
Me too. From what I remember, they were great cars. Faster than a Golf GTI but the seats were too slippery for the grip. I used to worry about sliding over to the passenger side on a hard right. 😂
I owned one of these, bought in the summer, regretted in the winter, problems starting, the windows took forever to demist, to be perfectly honest I remember it being a load of rubbish and a real garbage car. I think I kept it until the next summer where I sold it on to another victim much to my shame. It was a fun car at times but far too problematic and poorly made and many of the parts like the single wiper blade weren't fit for purpose. You can imagine with a single wiper and a window that wouldn't properly demist it was like driving in a London fog on a wet day. It was the styling that drew me to it in the first place. I was suckered in by the System Porsche logos and from what I remember the fuel consumption would probably match a proper Porsche it was awful, something like 22mpg on average although my commute was only a few miles in fairness. I'd like to say I have fond memories seeing one again but if anything I'm starting to feel a bit depressed watching this video, not my normal reaction to hubnut videos which I normally get a nostalgic buzz from. The only way I could have got any satisfaction from this video is if it was driven into a crusher at the end.
Not designed for our weather 😮 I had a ritmo and used to have many cloths for wiping the windows as the heater took ages to get warm...
Oh wow you have a really bad case of motoring PTSD! Doesn’t it mean that this vehicle is quintessentially Hubnut though? Thank you for sharing your unfortunate experience, it is interesting and very well written.
I'm having a similar experience with a Dacia Spring electric car at the moment.
In really wet weather all you can do is crank the fan and the heat up to the max and turn the AC on and hopefully you'll have a tiny peephole on the windscreen (that you need to clear yourself with a rag) and the rest is about as see through as a Tupperware lid. How they managed that performance with quite a strong fan, a good enough heater *and* AC is beyond me, you'd almost have to put a design effort in to make it crappy.
It also has a single wiper. 😁
It kinda spoils an otherwise quite ok car a tiny bit.
My 1986 Seat Málaga was also a bad car, it suffered many problems. I sold it when it was only 5 years old.
(I am Spanish).
My friend had one of these, the heater refused to work. I also got hypothermia after suffering a four hour journey in one, then the bastard thing broke down, and another 4 hours trying to get it running again 😱😱😱
I still had a soft spot for it though 😂
Deliciously understated styling
These things were so overlooked when I was a kiddo in the 90's. It's pure sadness they all rusted away and weren't loved. The same can be said about the Fiat Uno. I had personally no idea the mk1 Seat Ibiza was this cool!
Back in Finland these came with headlamp wipers (some form of headlamp washing equipment was mandatory at the time). I always loved the styling but as far as I remember owners complained of winter driving issues, poor heating/demisting, starting problems etc.
This certainly brought back memories! I had the facelifted '93 last-of-the-line MK1 1.2i as a first car. It was a bit rudimentary and it was indeed very noisy, especially with a cheap aftermarket exhaust - at 2000rpm it sounded like I was redlining it! Great little car though!
I love the way it scuttles down the road with its bum up in the air. The grey and red stripe looks ace too.
Absolutely brilliant! Clear Giugiaro design, pretty wheels, two mirrors and a quality BASF Glasurit painting in «Nero». A real beauty!
The Citroën dealer in the neighbour village started to sell SEAT cars in the early eighties. I often rode there with my bicycle to get a brochure or to watch whats new. In 2CVs and Visas I wasn't that interested at this time... Then a tyre dealer in my village tried it with SEAT. As far as I remember he sold one. It was a light blue SEAT Fura, based on the Fiat 127.
Thanks for showing this rare SEAT Ibiza, dear Carly and Ian. Have a nice weekend and see you soon --- Martin
Excellent, loved these, especially the 1.5SXI mark 1, can't be many left
My brother in law got an immaculate 1.5 sxi in white, 38k rare as rocking horse poo
Wow I had a white H registration Ibiza Sxi, that I bought as a demonstrator, perhaps this was the same car :-) @@stuhollyhead4294
@@stuhollyhead4294I had a white one. I stupidly got rid of it for a Golf. I haven't seen a MK1 sxi for sale in the u.k, for over a decade.
@@alfsmith4936 Mals is white, H126DFD
My brother had a metallic blue 5 door one of these. It had front fogs built into the grill which I suspect were aftermarket which my brother called "Bertie Fisher mode"! I should explain Bertie Fisher was a Northern Irish rally driver. He loved it and sold it in the end for £100 as it had seen considerably days at that point. It was a 1.2 that he had.
My old car. It had a terrible Pierburg carb with auto choke when I bought it, I got the last Weber carb conversion kit in the UK at some expense and it greatly improved things. It's 35 years old, it was a fun and individual little thing but my initial issues kinda put me off it. Got a great home now though.
Pierburg carbs were terrible. We had the same problem with the one in a 1989 VW Jetta. Conversion to Weber carb was like the difference between night and day.
Thanks Ian quite a classy, very attractive little car.
For a split second, I thought it was my ex-neighbour Seat Ibiza SXI 😂 Two years ago, I visited the block where I lived for so many years in Portugal. My neighbour's Ibiza SXI was still there in the garage, abandoned for almost 20 years, exactly like the one Ian's is now testing.
The Ibiza was an interesting alternative to the popular Uno, Fiesta, Polo, AX, 205, Corsa, and R5 or Supercinque. Was roomier and with excellent visibility. The steering and suspension system derived from the Fiat 128/Ritmo/Strada was heavy, and the suspension was bouncy, uncomfortable. The "System Porsche" was interesting for the show off but only for that purpose. MK2 Ibiza was an improvement in comparison.
I actually had a Malaga back in the ‘90s. It was the top of the range 1.5SX in a vibrant metallic green with electric windows and lots of other goodies, some of which worked. It was a good car but eventually contributed to the extinction of the species when it ate its Porsche designed gearbox. I wish I still had it. I’d love to see another.
Oh ❤ love the mk1 Ibiza. Excellent Giugaro boxy design, Porsche System engine, and I even more liked as my mother owned a black facelift
This takes me back to 1993, my friend's first car was a Graphite colour Ibiza. I was so envious of his "Engineered by Porsche" sticker on the tailgate. My first car was a £200 1977 Geranium red 2cv6 not even a Club.
I had a black 1989 2door with the Fiat engine, it threw a main bearing and I remember getting a second hand Yugo 45engine straight swap,although the distributor was in a different position -when cars were simple to swap,out an engine.
Great video, I loved that. In the mid 1990s when I was shopping for my first car I used to wait for the newsagents to open at 6am on Autotrader day. I'd then do to the cafe and trawl the ads earmarking what was worth a phone call. The local car dealers would be doing the same thing. I really wanted an Ibiza. They were so pretty. I never got one. Loved watching this though, took me back to the cafe with my Autotrader. Thanks guys.
A fabulous review. Lovely example there Ian. My friend in college had one back in the day and she used to take us on blasts and equal blasts in my 1.1 AX. Both Basic spec cars but lots of fun back then. Memories come flooding back when you havent seen one in years. Good Times indeed !
Ah, I just picked up a 1990 Seat(🪑💺) Ibiza Cronos four door. The fellow I bought it from had shipped it in from Portugal in 2/19 just in time for the for the "Chi-Com-Sniffle" which meant he wasn't able to get hold the car until nearly October of '19. I forked over $4400 for it💰. Mine's a LHD car. Love the Wiper👀😜!
Very nice - I always liked the mk1 Ibiza. Agree with you on the styling - one of Giugiaro’s best small car designs imho.
The parents of a friend of mine had an E reg 1.2 L in white. I think they owned it from new and then traded it in for a facelifted J reg 1.2 CLX 5 door in metallic blue. That one had a dodgy automatic choke. I was a passenger in it when said friend passed his driving test and was insured on it. They had a few more SEATs after that.
I owned a mark 2 Ibiza 1.4 S (1999 T reg) during the 2000s and it was excellent. Very reliable and passed each MOT 1st time bar one time - down to a messed up number plate. The second best car I have owned. Coincidentally my aforementioned friend owned a facelifted mark 2 Ibiza (2000 W reg) around this time.
I love this car beautiful and underrated. Always wanted one
That’s a blast from the past! I was working for the company that did the vinyl graphic logos on these for SEAT UK, no idea why they didn’t have them from the factory?
Avery Aquila?
No, just a small specialist graphics company that made vinyl cutting machines down in Bournemouth. We made the side stripes and ghosted Ibiza logo on the rear quarter.
@@Trinet-TA Did they do the tailgate graphics too? My poverty-spec Ibiza Special had vinyl graphics instead of plastic badges on the tailgate, presumably because they were cheaper.
@@Zeem4 quite possibly, yes… it was a long time ago though so can’t 100% remember.
I would have thought that Spain joining the European single market was the primary reason for Seat producing its own cars.
The Ibiza carried over the floorpan and suspension from the Ritmo/Ronda I think, including the transverse rear leaf spring.
I had the 1.5 of these. And loved it, but was a bit noisy. And a bit weary on long journeys. But looked great and was "chuck able" .. thanks Ian...
My brother had a very distinctive metallic green one of these in the eighties. I always liked the wheels.
What a great video, you're lucky nothing broke during your drive 😅...brings back memories for me. I had an 1986 Ibiza for a year back in 1995! It was hands down the worst built car I have ever owned. Once the MOT ran out I scrapped it and replaced it with an Austin Metro which I kid not, felt like a Rolls Royce compared to the Ibiza!
In one year I had:
Alternator failure
Handbrake failure (ratchet teeth all broke off one day)
Drivers internal door handle failed
Drivers window winder failed (spline teeth all rounded)
Bolt that attaches clutch cable to pedal sheared
Heater fan switch failed
Headlight switch intermittent (all lights would turn off, usually at 60 mph ish on a dark B road)
Speedometer failed
Wiper failed
A leak that filled the rear footwells with water in heavy rain
On the plus side it was definitely character building 😂, and the 1.2 engine didn't miss a beat and always started first time (as long as the battery wasn't flat).
Before I passed my test in the early 90s, I’d pegged one of these as top of my list for a first car: cheap to buy/run/insure, but looked cool in a way other small cars didn’t, apart from maybe a Y10/Uno. I’d underestimated the cost, so used to look enviously at drivers of them as I chugged along in my battered orange Skoda Rapid.
Its strange how things change, I would not have been seen dead in a Rapid in the day but would love have one now.
@@twobob8585Even then model names could be somehow inflated. Skoda “Rapid”? Well, ok, it was rapid to rust. But, to be honest, I have been told there was a Skoda Rapid in the early ages before World War II, but that was quite another matter. Later in the eighties Daewoo was sold in Europe as Chevrolet. Some promotion one must say.
Love those wheels !!
I had one exactly like that. My mates called it a Spanish Lada but I loved it. Great handling car. It would lift an inside rear wheel when cornering hard.
I knew a girl at college in the 90s who had a ibeza. Nice car but the thing I will never forget was the totally mismatched drivers door which came from a breakers but whoever did it hadn't bothered to swap the door card, or lock for the original ones.. Red car with a blue door (with a stripe!) and brown door card but grey for the rest of the interior.....
Absaloutly brilliant video ian miss hubnut ❤❤️👍👍what an amazing little car absaloutly brilliant
Porsche also designed a cab for a CASE International tractor. One of the differences with a modern car from an older onnis the wiperwssh. On a newish car, working the washer automatically turns on the wiper. Older cars, you have to turn the wipers on manually.
Excellent review Ian and Carly, i remember my Primary 7 teacher having a J Plate facelift one of these with System Porsche graphics on the side back in 1994/1995, i never realised Porsche were responsible for the Zafira seats that fold down.
My dad had one till I was 7 years old. Bought used in 1986, somehow managed to resist till 1997, between engine problems and low quality interior that deteriorates only by watching them. But surely it was a good looking car, with a clean design e a great interior space/dimensions ratio
I wish I still had my F registration 1.2 Seat Ibiza Perla Blanca Del Sol (White Pearl of the Sun) Special Edition or the H registration Seat Ibiza 1.5 Sxi Hot Hatch that followed it. Beautiful cars and just a little bit different :-) Thank you for reminding me how beautiful these cars were and appreciating them too.
I had the H reg SXi, too. Mine was H539AVL, a great little car
I remember these being launched and always loved the look, never owned one though
A stunning looking car.
This was one of Dicky Braithwaites old cars ... remember photographing this on the way back from Washington. Have to admit I had a real fondness for these and this was a lovely thing!
My dad had one like this. One car I've never seen in person before but would love too
Was pleased to see quite a few mk1 Ibizas on my last holiday in Spain, an earlier one like this & one of the last from ‘92.
Fun review of a great car, looking smart in black paint. Appreciate the styling very much. Cool straight lines. Thank you HubNut and beautiful backdrop to film. Cheers 👍😊
I remember road testing the SXI version of these in 1990 as a replacement for my XR2. It was rough and ready for a new car and the system Porsche engine was disappointing, more of a marketing ploy rather than advanced engineering. After I opened the bonnet and found missing bolts and loose bolts scattered round the engine bay I did not buy. Subsequently I worked on several in the 1990’s. They were rusty and very troublesome. The dealer tried to describe them as being of VW quality, in my opinion most of the running gear was FIAT at the time.
They were quicker and handled better than a Golf but I agree, they were a bit rough and ready.
I had a G reg 1.5GLX in five door trim. Switch gear was revised on mine with Normal Stalks ect and it was way faster than my mates Golf’s. Wish I kept it.
Always had a soft spot for the early Ibizas. I had a mk 11 and it was so much better than the polo on which it was largely based - went way better, handled better, sounded better, was cheaper faster etc etc. Wish I still had it as IMHO it was a perfect blend of size/performance/equipment in its era.
It was the sudden depressurisation of the hydraulics on my BX which lead me to own a hastily purchased Mk1 Ibiza bought locally on the criteria of nearest, cheapest, and had MOT. I paid a full £80 with a years MOT and 3 months tax (back when it was transferable).
It would cut out entirely (total electrical loss) if you went over a big bump in the road, the speedo worked when it felt like it and would pull a fair bit under breaking.
Knowing that it absolutely wouldn't pass a real MOT, I took it in for a test anyway. Garage called saying they were abandoning the test. The only calliper with any measurable function was the front nearside, it was so rusty underneath it was only the underseal holding it together in some places. The seatbelt anchors were pulled off by hand as a demonstartion of how rotten it was.
Scrapped it for £100. It was a dicey but fun drive. Engine loved to be thrashed.
I had a 1.2 model,did many miles up n down motorways it never had an easy life always driven to the max but it never ever went wrong,they were good cars.
In a way it's quite amusing how VAG can produce so many different VW/Skoda/SEAT and even Audi models using the same engines, switchgear, platforms and similar bodyshells (but not identical designs). Whilst looking at modern Škoda Rapids a few years back to buy, I was surprised to be offered a similar but slightly different bodyshell SEAT Toledo alongside on a forecourt, being told by the salesman that they were basically the same car, and were built alongside each other at the Škoda factory in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic.
Back in the day a buddy of mine had one as a hire car, a 1.2 in black 3 door just like this one. It was quite a hoot if I recall correctly. Nothing broke and dare I say it did everything that was needed of it given the driver (not me) was let's just say one who preferred to drive with a modicum of spirit at every opportunity. Wonderful design that looked better than the MKII that had the VW Polo interior in my humble opinion. Many thanks for sharing.
I owned a 1989 1.2 petrol back in the late 90's. Paid £250 for it, great little car
Great Video. My granny had one when i was very young, same colour too. From memory I was sure the rear wheels were larger than the front
In the late 80's I worked in a small garage with a Practical Used Car Rental franchise. We bought a pair of 1.2 Ibizas and a pair of 1.5 Malagas, all new because they were so cheap. Most renters returned them with nothing but praise, even for the switch layout. They didn't stay on our fleet long, the idea being, if you liked the rental car, you bought it. We also had Seat Terra van which was a Marbella (Panda) with a huge cube on the back, that was popular because most van hirers didn't go smaller than a Transit.
I remember the top of the range Malagas had seats like sofas.
I haven't seen one of those in 30 odd years. I love the system Porsche engines. Very rare now, even more rare are the FIAT Regatta and Strada based Malagas. I hope to see you again at the NEC.
Loved the old SEAT and especially the Ibiza. Such a great looking car, the dash was different from anything else but so easy to use. And it drove so incredibly well.
I bought a VW Golf Mk 1 when new, and always loved the Giugiaro styling… elegant simplicity, really. Every line was there for a reason, without any merely decorative frippery as seen on so many cars today. When I first glimpsed the Ibiza in your video, I could tell immediately that it was also a Giugiaro design. I like it a lot! And yes, that switchgear is just cool. 😎
I can't think that I've ever seen one in N Ireland, I think I'd remember something that looked like a mini Golf.
This has just made me notice that the Seat logo started with even more lines in between the top and bottom half of the S.
This has 4, it later got reduced to two, and is currently just one if I recall.
I suggest that a mk2 Toledo is reviewed sometime if you manage to find one!
Mk2 Toledos are everywhere in Spain specially the TDI versions, mk1 Toledos aren't quite as common, in fact it's starting to get difficult to see one, specially pre-facelift ones.
when i was learning to drive initially my instructor was part of BSM and the school car was a Metro and was not a nice car, i detested it. he then went independent with a seat Ibiza I dont recall the controls being anything like the ones in this example i do remember it had a big logo "System Porsche" possibly on the back window and it was amazing compared to the Metro, I also had by then purchased a 1968 Triumph herald that was a year older than me (I Was 17) i think I was driving the Seat when i left some black lines across the A30 when the instructor told me to turn left fast when pulling out of a b road onto it. Always reminded me of the Fiat Uno one of which i bought a few years later and never got the smell of wet labradors out of.
Hi from SEAT Ibiza FR 2017 owner:) always want to try this model.. thanks👍
I had a 1.5GLX 5 door for my 1st car in 1995. D642VRG.
From 1998 to 2001 I had a very late one of these as my 3rd car also a black 3dr 1.2 but had the later facelift grill and more conventional dashboard and had fuel injection so had 70bhp was fun to drive....
God looking things, especially the last of the line models. Mk2 was always my favourite though. Did a journey to Prague and back and it never missed a beat. Mk2 Malaga was gorgeous.
Remember the System Porsche stripes on the sides when they where new.
Now you are talking Ian. One of those that got away from me. However my mum was ill and my Dad had a rusty Ford and due to an unexpected windfall I was able to buy him a 1.2 base model 2nd hand to ferry mum to hospital. He loved it and bangs on about it today nearly 40 years on. He has had loads of cars and its only a Picasso ( not Pass the Picasso territory mileage ) and his Ibiza he misses...... he is 85 and drives a modern Audi so you can see why I respect his views.
Oh BTW I am sure somewhere upstairs I have a contemporary What Car mag feat a test between a 1.2SX and Nova 1.3SR and a Fiesta 1.1 Ghia ( I bought myself the Fiesta....doh !! )
Holiday in Jersey, 1995.....I had a red 1993 1.2 SLXi as a hire car for a week.....I have never known a petrol car to consume as little fuel as this did. Incredible !!!!
I have always liked the design of these.
What a lovely car I like very much and a very enjoyable video cheers Ian and carly
Oh my gawd! Was on about these a bit back...used to lust after the racier models of these when I was a young un...this one's a beauty!
Would like one for bezzin about in nowadays!
Great vid Ian
Very nice car indeed. My friends mum had one of these, it was the 1.5 three door, and when it had to be finally scrapped because it was too rusty, she was sad. Now, they are a complete rarity, last time I've seen one was two years ago. I also used to see one Seat Malaga in my town when I was a kid, which looked kind like a booted Ibiza, but the doors looked a bit more like the ronda/Ritmo doors. Btw there are some parts similar to the VW, like the end of the air intake, which was used by VW cars and later also by the 40kW Bosch fuel injected Skoda Favorit and Felicia. And Porsche seems to have done a lot of front wheel drive consultation, as they also did the Lada Samara at that time and also a bit later the Skoda Favorit (I like that you mentioned it 😉).
Lovely camera work and editing guys 🙂
I had a D reg 1.5 GLX it,was a concourse car and very non standard. It had lots over VW bits. All the suspension was from a golf and the ignition system was Bosch made herring spares interesting as the model spec said fiat suspension and Martello ignition which confused parts suppliers. Great car surprisingly quick and great economy as well. I loved it the seats were the just so comfy.
What a gorgeous little car, a guys mum I used to go to school with had one in a lovely light blue with the black stripes along the bottom of the door and the diamond cut multi spoke wheels like this one, such a shame there's not many left
just had a quick look around and there are quite a few for sale here including 2 diesels for reasonable money. The diesel produces 55bph , i could be tempted I have a soft spot for Saet
Where abouts are they for sale? Can’t find any
I worked in a multifranchise garage mid 80's dealing with VW Audi, Peugeot, Citroën, Talbot, Seat and towards the end Nissan.
The Seat was frequently bought buy wealthier customers as a cheaper Golf option for their offspring or by regular customers as an upgrade to the Horizon which was a bigger car but rapidly going out of fashion.
Ohhh and Simca as well we had 3 Ranchos in the showroom at once at one point again bought as estate (as in rich man's big house and land estate) cars by the local landowners as a smaller option to the Range Rover.
Ahhhh the 80's the time of horrendous cold starts (I lived in Cumbria) misted windows and crap heaters!
My father had one of those Seat Ibiza Mk1 when I was a child. It was white with a red stripe on the sides. It had no rear seatbelts, so i traveled free or over the lap of my mother during my first 4 years of life. He has a fairly good memory of that car. But in 1994 he sold it and got a Citroën ZX (which became a great family car for 25 years), much safer and comfortable.
My wife had a Mk1 Ibiza SXi in lovely red.
It was a great car to drive - comfortable, reasonably economical, rapid rather than fast.
Sad to see that there are so few registered now.