EVERY driver looks back fondly on their first car… and King Felipe is no exception.

The Spanish monarch was reunited with his teenage ride during a recent visit to Seat’s factory in Catalunya.

While he was given an insight into the company’s future models, the King was overcome with nostalgic joy when he spotted his first-ever car, a 1.5 litre metallic gold first-generation Ibiza.

The car was a gift from his father, the then King Juan Carlos, for his 18th birthday in 1986.

Head of Classic Cars at Seat, Isidre Lopez, said restoring the old motor was a ‘painstaking process’ that took several months

He said: “It wasn’t an easy job, as the car had not been started up for more than 16 years, with the odometer reading 152,000 kilometers.

“The most difficult part was getting the fuel feed and injection system up and running, since the car had not been on the road for many years.”

The car will now go into Seat’s historical collection in Martorell, Catalunya which includes more than 250 classic cars.

 

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