hThere are cars that have the privilege of receiving a nickname, which is already an extraordinary sign because only what receives the love of countless users manages to have it. But the case of Seat 600 is unique in our country because this emblematic model had even three.
It is true that the fact that the Seat 600 lived almost a ‘monopoly’ situation; launched on the market in 1957for many Spaniards it became almost the only possibility of car for four occupants (although five, six… entered) who by making numbers believed they reached the 65,000 pesetas what it cost then Hence, in any street and highway during the 60’s and 70’s the 600 were legion.
four versions
He Seat 600 It was sold in four versions: The first was called N (for ‘normal’)had 633 cc, had 21 hp and in principle it did not exceed 95km/halthough from 1961 to 1963 he was able to reach 101km/h thanks to mechanical changes. In 1963 the D emerged, already with the front indicators under the headlights and not on the top of the wing. The engine had increased its displacement to the 767ccand the power of 25 hp allowed him to reach 108km/h.
Two units of 600 D.
With the 600E (1969-1973) the same mechanics of the D was initially adopted, but the substantial change was aesthetic, since the headlights included some much more prominent cerci and, most importantly, the doors they no longer opened with the hinge behindbut with it in front, as in practically all cars.
And in 1972, and until 1973, the L Specialwith details such as the heated rear window, the covered dashboard instead of being made of exposed sheet metal and a engine boosted up to 29 CV thanks to which I could roll 115km/h.
during their 16 years production, the Seat 600 would establish itself as the most important car in our history and the person responsible for largely motorize a Spain that tried to take off in every way. And being something so popular, having a nickname or even more was something that was going to happen sooner or later.
Pelotilla, Seilla and…
If we take into account all the decades in which seeing a 600 was commonplace, perhaps the most popular nickname it received was that of “pellet”. This nickname fell for being Something small even compared to cars that today would also seem tiny to us, such as the Renault 4 or the Citroën 2CV (not to mention the larger Seat 124, Renault 8…), but also because of the rounded shape that he had from the middle to the back.
Both the 600 N and the D could have a canvas roof.
Another of the nicknames with which many referred to the 600 in an affectionate way was that of “seilla”. At a time when it coincided with larger Seat models, such as the 850said 124, the 1430, the 1400B and C and the 1500, the 600 was the most modest and smallest option. That is why Seilla alluded to his tiny size.
Mirapanties
And the third nickname, which of course everyone knew, was that of “mirapanties”which today would make the still minister enraged Irene Montero (already a majority of women) and that did not come from Seat at all, but from the popular occurrence of a Spain that then could not show its talent by devising memes. This nickname is due to the fact that the 600 N&D (from 1957 to 1970) opened their doors upside down; that is to say, with the lock and the handle in front and the hinges behind. And this coincided with the appearance and popularization in the 60s of the mini skirt.
If we combine this item of clothing and the way the car door opened, we will understand that when the driver or passenger got out of the 600 she had the risk of teaching more than you wanted. And so habitual did this oversight become that he even gave it a nickname, the same thing he might have given for someone to write a song.
