Wolf in sheep’s clothes
Smaller cars with a manual gearbox and a relatively large amount of power from an atmospheric engine have not been made for years, so the ones that were once built must now yield quite a bit. For this Seat Cordoba with a healthy 150 hp, all that is not too bad.
The first Seat Cordoba is a typical 90s car that hardly anyone cares about. There are still too many of them to be remarkable and when the car was still in production it was ‘just a means of transport’. No one praised the Cordoba at the time for its progressiveness, design or technology and partly because of this, they often don’t even have to raise €1,000. No one ever cared, so now that they’re old and worn out they can go for next to nothing.
It is different for this copy, also witnessed by the asking price of just under €6,000. At first glance it is a regular two-door – two, because sedan hatch – Cordoba, but those who have an eye for detail will see the difference: a bumper lip, sideskirts, the spoiler, the (original!) Polished wheels: this is a sixteen-valve. A 2 liter, that is. The Seat Cordoba 2.0 16V is downright smooth with 150 hp at less than 1,100 kg, but a layman sees nothing of that. The color of this copy also contributes to this, because it is typical nineties dark red can be found on countless dull B-segmenters from that time.
That makes the Cordoba all the more fun for some, but not at all desirable for others. The price is proof. A while ago we called a Renault 19 16V with 137 hp thanks to its relative obscurity ‘not very expensive’ at an asking price of just under €10,000, but this Cordoba is still €4,000 below that. Okay: the Renault had just run more than 50,000 kilometers, but the Cordoba puts a stand of 83,691 kilometers against that. It may not be originally Dutch, but the maintenance history is complete, according to the provider.
See also the extra counters for the poker!
Handbrake bends
It has been allowed to call itself that for a while, because the car has been for sale for months and has an expired MOT. You will probably get a new one, because then the selling party in Friesland will finally get rid of it. There is little reason to assume that the Cordoba does not qualify for a fresh inspection certificate, because the condition of the car appears to be perfectly fine.
Also nice: the interior – especially compared to the outside – still has quite a few sporty features. White counters in front of you, extra counters for battery voltage and oil pressure in the center console and sporty seats with type designation are all present. It also has an air conditioner; it’s so nice when you’re poking yourself into a sweat. The left cheek of the driver’s seat is starting to get a little tired and the handbrake grip shows disproportionate wear. Would that point to a tough earlier life full of handbrake turns? You have to estimate that based on how the car feels during a test drive. Have fun!
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl