The Group 4 SEAT 124 D Especial 1800 is the main protagonist of the brand's major international sporting achievement until the arrival of SEAT Sport to the 2-Litre World Rally Championship for Makes in 1996, with the Ibiza Kit Car. In the 1977 Monte-Carlo Rally, the 124-1800s driven by Antonio Zanini-Juan Petisco and Salvador Cañellas-Daniel Ferrater finished third and fourth overall, respectively.

The cars prepared by SEAT Competición in Zona Franca (Barcelona), under the technical leadership of engineer Vicenç Aguilera, proved their speed and strength in the most famous road race in the world. And the drivers of the team run by José Juan Pérez de Vargas showed their skills and talent against the best international rally aces.

With cars directly derived from mass-production vehicles and against the strong works teams of Lancia, Fiat, Opel and Alpine, as well as the competitive private Porsches, the work and preparation of the team allowed SEAT to rub shoulders with the rally greats. Thanks to the 124's third and fourth positions and the seventh of the semi-works 1430-1800 driven by Salvador Servià-Jordi Sabater, SEAT was the event's surprise performer and won the award to the best works team.

SEAT didn't choose the Monte-Carlo Rally by chance to prove its international stature. Then as now, not only it's the world's oldest rally - the first edition dates back to 1911 - it's also the most prestigious road race. The event's repercussion drew the main manufacturers, eager to strengthen their image and prove the performance of their cars in the traditional opening round of the world rally championship - an event unanimously considered as the hardest test a car manufacturer could tackle.

SEAT had already prepared the terrain in the 1976 edition, with a positive 12th place for Antonio Zanini-Juan Petisco. The total length of the 1977 rally was 2.610 km (plus 2.000 km more in the concentration route), between 22 and 28 January. The route included a timed distance of 475 km with 26 special stages in dry tarmac, snow and ice. One stage is won by Zanini, whereas Cañellas is second overall in another one.

Among the 217 cars in the entry list, only the 60 fastest were entitled to compete in the famous final leg, the Mountain Circuit, which only 47 crews were able to finish. The fact shows how commendable SEAT's effort was - and the great reliability of the Barcelona-prepared cars.

SEAT celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Monte-Carlo exploit in 2017 with a replica of the Group 4 SEAT 124-1800 built by SEAT HISTÓRICOS in the Nave A122 workshop. It was a project SEAT HISTÓRICOS had been planning for four years, and that took 3.200 working hours to complete. This 124 D Especial 1800 has been prepared from a series production unit, as it was done in its time, although using the very best modern safety features.

The car has taken part in three editions of the Rally Monte-Carlo Historique, 2017, 2018 and 2019, driven by none other than Salvador Cañellas, one of the main figures in the 1977 exploit. In the first two occasions he was accompanied by Daniel Ferrater, his co-driver in the 1977 legendary edition.

The SEAT HISTÓRICOS' Group 4 SEAT 124-1800 is still being used in other regularity rallies for historic vehicles, and the car has even won one of them. It was the 2019 Rally Catalunya Històric - Rally de les Caves, where the indefatigable Salvador Cañellas and his co-driver Carles Jiménez claimed victory in the very last stage. So the Group 4 SEAT 124 D Especial 1800 is proving that 40-odd years on it remains a winner.