It was five past eleven (Spanish time), on April 6, 1968. The audience in London’s legendary Albert Hall, and the millions who saw her on television, were listening to a singer with a strong personality and a great vote… . “I sing till the morning my youth sees. And to the sun that day after day brings us new restlessness…”
It was the penultimate song of the XIII Eurovision Song Contest, the first to be broadcast in color (although not everyone, including Spain, had received this technology), in which seventeen countries took part. Then there would be a tight vote and at the end of it, by only one point difference, on the podium the presenter Katie Boyle (in reality her name was Caterina Irene Elena María Imperiali di Francavilla, and she was the daughter of an Italian Marquis) exclaimed the final score. And Federico Gallo’s voice reached millions of Spaniards: “Ladies and gentlemen, Spain has won in front of two hundred million viewers.” Cliff Richard, favorite with his ‘Congratulations’, looked surprised. And Massiel, dressed as Courreges, shook the walls of the round London theater with her incomparable voice… «I sing to my mother who gave life to my being. I sing for the country that has seen me grow. The. la la…” And millions of Spaniards of all colors and conditions trembled. It was a new goal from Zarra and even José María Gironella wrote an article entitled “La, la, la y Agustina de Aragón” about the Eurovision victory.
That was a revolution and when Massiel landed in Barajas two weeks later, she was different in a way, but something had changed in Spain too. Indeed, the success made Massiel a mass phenomenon and Seat saw her as the godmother of its latest model, the Seat 850 Special. You see, the topic of “influencers” and “brand ambassadors” is nothing new, it is not an invention of digital marketing…
But let’s go back to our year 1968. The chronicles say that “the baptism was of high rank. In addition to the directors of SEAT, the authorities and news media of the capital were present, as well as a large number of photographers and the cameras of Spanish television». Seat’s vice president, Francisco Urquijo de Federico, representing President Juan Sánchez-Cortés y Dávila, “did the honor of those present by imposing on Massiel the band that accredited her as godmother of the 850 Special”. By the way, the “No-Do” announced the news in the following terms: “the winner of the, the, and it is common knowledge that we are talking about Massiel, has been declared the meter of a new type of car recently launched by a well-known national factory Fortunately Massiel’s name was mentioned….
Actually, the novelty was not as a model, but as a version. Let’s see his story.
In 1966, the 850, which had been presented in Italy two years earlier, arrived in Spain. While technically an extension of the 600 launched four years earlier (with the same rear engine and drivetrain architecture), the 850 offered a more modern look, with its third volume outline on the rear, and also solved some of your problems. So the engine not only got more displacement and power, but also faced the problem of cooling, installing a classic thermostat in the cooling circuit. In addition, this allowed the installation of a classic heating system (not only taking advantage of the heat from the engine, as with the 600), with a small water radiator in front of it, so that the heater, equipped with a fan, entered the passenger compartment in the front area, thus also the demisting of the windscreen was improved.
In addition, after the 1st was already synchronized, the change was more comfortable for city use. The volume of the fuel tank increased to 30 liters, which improved autonomy. The increased power allowed for a more relaxed cruising speed, but the front leaf spring had a single anchor point, compared to two on the 600, and the truth is that in terms of stability, the 600 was preferred and in terms of performance, although superior, they were also not entirely satisfactory.
Thus, at the end of 1967 and as model year 1968, the 850 Special was born, the protagonist of our history.
The Special used the mechanics and chassis of the 850 Coupé (for sale in Italy from 1965 and in Spain from 1967). The engine kept the displacement of 843 cc, but was improved on a number of points: the compression ratio increased to 9.3 to 1; the camshaft was crossed; the largest inlet valves; the carburettor became two bodies and the exhaust manifold had independent tubes. For example, the power went from 37 hp at 5000 rpm to 47 hp at 6200 rpm. And torque increased from 5.6 mkg at 3400 rpm to 6.1 mkg at 3600 rpm. This increase in power and torque in a 690-pound car was noticeable and a lot. Since the engine reached its maximum power at a higher rpm than any previous one that had mounted this mechanism, Seat had intelligently chosen to fit a very short conical group. This in turn gave a final development that was in turn lower than that in the 600 D, in the 850 Normal and even in the 850 Coupé itself. The ability to increase the speed of the small four-cylinder, together with the short developments of the change, allowed it to boast a brilliant acceleration capacity and an agile ability to face the slopes of the ports.
The increase in performance, from a maximum speed of 125 km/h for the 850 Normal to 135 km/h for the Special (even journalist Arturo de Andrés noted that the car “flirted at the speed of 150 km/h, stopwatch in hand » ) led to the integration of 13-inch wheels with characteristic round cooling holes and front disc brakes.
For example, the 850 Special (of which there was also a four-door version) was a different world compared to the Normal, with driving appeal far above that. Incidentally, there was even a right-hand drive version for import into the UK.
But: “Everything in life is like a song, which they sing when you are born and also when you say goodbye.” And that of the 850 Special arrived in 1974 at the gates of a company, the Spaniard, that was about to say goodbye to an entire era and undergo an unimaginable change.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
