Unbelievable! This SEAT Ibiza was forgotten for 30 years and came back to life

It's a 1.5 CLX from the first series, which appeared in a dealership in León, and is now part of the SEAT Históricos collection.

Abandoned classic SEAT Ibiza

By: Javier Llorente

Published by: Brian Potter

Jun 10, 2024 at 6:51am ET

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Accustomed to stories of forgotten classic cars and abandoned sports cars that always turn up in a barn or shed, barn finds often seem a long way off until you come face to face with one of those classics that have fallen into oblivion and that, today, looks almost better than new.

During our visit to the A122 Building, where SEAT Históricos preserves and cares for the brand's legacy and history, we were able to see once again one of the most interesting models in the collection and one that hides an incredible story.

Indeed, we are talking about a first-generation SEAT Ibiza, the model that saw the light of day four decades ago, in 1984. Specifically, an example with the 1.5-litre petrol engine and CLX trim, painted in the colour Rallye 911 Red... and with just 846 km (526 miles) on the clock. Not bad for a model from the mid-1980s.

A classic SEAT Ibiza, forgotten in a dealership

But... how is it possible to enjoy an 'eighties' classic like this, practically brand new, in the middle of 2024? In the reel below, you can find the answer.

"It's a very special car, it sat in a dealership, it sat for 30 years practically. And we had the opportunity to recover it", says Isidre López, head of SEAT Historics, who is particularly proud of this model.

And no wonder, since after locating it at a dealership in León and making a couple of attempts to add it to the collection, the Ibiza ended up arriving at Zona Franca in 2016... when the odometer showed only 69 kilometres.

Interior of the car at the dealership

Odometer with 69 km

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Today, this first-generation Ibiza is one of the cult models in the A122 warehouse, which has gained prominence, especially since the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the model that changed (and internationalised) the history of the brand forever.

And as for the historic number plate it sports today, an aspect that attracted a lot of attention on social networks as it was unregistered, when SEAT Históricos got hold of it, the car received its corresponding and 'unreal' modern European number plate (in E 0000 BBB format). Of course, now that it has become a historic car, its new plate looks much better... don't you think?

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