List of BTCC champions
Manufacturers'/Constructors ' championship winners
Table:
Year

Make

Car

Wins

1975

Chevrolet
Triumph

Chevrolet Camaro[8]
Triumph Dolomite[8]

1979

BL Mini[9]

Mini 1275 GT

1991

BMW

BMW M3

8/14

1992

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Cavalier

5/15

1993

BMW

BMW 318i

8/17

1994

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo 155

9/21

1995

Renault

Renault Laguna

10/25

1996

Audi

Audi A4

8/26

1997

Renault

Renault Laguna

14/24

1998

Nissan

Nissan Primera

9/26

1999

Nissan

Nissan Primera

13/26

2000

Ford

Ford Mondeo

11/24

2001

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Astra Coupé

25/26

2002

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Astra Coupé

15/20

2003

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Astra Coupé

11/20

2004

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Astra Coupé

11/30

2005

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Sport Hatch

8/30

2006

SEAT

SEAT León

11/30

2007

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Vectra

10/30

2008

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Vectra

8/30

By analysing the provided table plus the passages provided.

Respond to the question below: Where is the maker of the car that won in 2006 headquartered ? Respond with the correct answer (omit explanations) in JSON format as {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Do not introduce information beyond the provided sources.

Chevrolet ( /ˌʃɛvrəˈleɪ/ SHEV-rə-LAY ) , colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company , is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors ( GM ) . Louis Chevrolet and ousted General Motors founder William C. Durant started the company on November 3 , 1911 as the Chevrolet Motor Car Company . Durant used the Chevrolet Motor Car Company to acquire a controlling stake in General Motors with a reverse merger occurring on May 2 , 1918 and propelled himself back to the GM presidency . After Durant 's second ousting in 1919 , Alfred Sloan , with his maxim a car for every purse and purpose , would pick the Chevrolet brand to become the volume leader in the General Motors family , selling mainstream vehicles to compete with Henry Ford 's Model T in 1919 and overtaking Ford as the best-selling car in the United States by 1929 . Chevrolet-branded vehicles are sold in most automotive markets worldwide . In Oceania , Chevrolet is represented by Holden Special Vehicles , having returned to the region in 2018 after a 50-year absence with the launching of the Camaro and Silverado pickup truck ( HSV was partially and formerly owned by GM subsidiary Holden , which GM is retiring in 2020 ) . In 2005 , Chevrolet was relaunched in Europe , primarily selling vehicles built by GM Daewoo of South Korea with the tagline Daewoo has grown up enough to become Chevrolet , a move rooted in General Motors ' attempt to build a global brand around Chevrolet . With the reintroduction of Chevrolet to Europe , GM intended Chevrolet to be a mainstream value brand , while GM 's traditional European standard-bearers , Opel of Germany , and Vauxhall of United Kingdom would be moved upmarket . However , GM reversed this move in late 2013 , announcing that the brand would be withdrawn from Europe , with the exception of the Camaro and Corvette in 2016 . Chevrolet vehicles will continue to be marketed in the CIS states , including Russia . After General Motors fully acquired GM Daewoo in 2011 to create GM Korea , the last usage of the Daewoo automotive brand was discontinued in its native South Korea and succeeded by Chevrolet . In North America , Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles , from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks .
The Triumph Motor Company was a British car and motor manufacturing company in the 19th and 20th centuries . The marque had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann of Nuremberg formed S. Bettmann & Co. and started importing bicycles from Europe and selling them under his own trade name in London . The trade name became Triumph the following year , and in 1887 Bettmann was joined by a partner , Moritz Schulte , also from Germany . In 1889 , the businessmen started producing their own bicycles in Coventry , England . The company was acquired by Leyland Motors in 1960 , ultimately becoming part of the giant conglomerate British Leyland ( BL ) in 1968 , where the Triumph brand was absorbed into BL 's Specialist Division alongside former Leyland stablemates Rover and Jaguar . Triumph-badged vehicles were produced by BL until 1984 when the Triumph marque was retired , where it remained dormant under the auspices of BL 's successor company Rover Group . The rights to the Triumph marque are currently owned by BMW , who purchased the Rover Group in 1994 .
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet , classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car . It went on sale on September 29 , 1966 , for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang . The car shared its platform and major components with the Pontiac Firebird , also introduced for 1967 . Four distinct generations of the Camaro were developed before production ended in 2002 . The nameplate was revived on a concept car that evolved into the fifth-generation Camaro ; production started on March 16 , 2009 . Over 5 million Camaros have been sold .
The Triumph Dolomite is a small saloon car produced by the Triumph Motor Company division of the British Leyland Corporation in Canley , Coventry between October 1972 and August 1980 .
The Mini is a small economy car produced by the English-based British Motor Corporation ( BMC ) and its successors from 1959 until 2000 . The original is considered an icon of 1960s British popular culture . Its space-saving transverse engine and front-wheel drive layout - allowing 80% of the area of the car 's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage - influenced a generation of car makers . In 1999 , the Mini was voted the second-most influential car of the 20th century , behind the Ford Model T , and ahead of the Citroën DS and Volkswagen Beetle . The front-wheel-drive , transverse-engine layout of the Mini was copied for other supermini designs including the Honda N360 ( 1967 ) , Nissan Cherry ( 1970 ) , and Fiat 127 ( 1971 ) . The layout was also adapted for larger subcompact designs . This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis . It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England , the Victoria Park/Zetland British Motor Corporation ( Australia ) factory in Sydney , Australia , and later also in Spain ( Authi ) , Belgium , Chile , Italy ( Innocenti ) , Malta , Portugal , South Africa , Uruguay , Venezuela , and Yugoslavia . The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates - the Mark II , the Clubman , and the Mark III . Within these was a series of variations , including an estate car , a pick-up truck , a van , and the Mini Moke , a jeep-like buggy . The performance versions , the Mini Cooper and Cooper S , were successful as both race and rally cars , winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 , 1965 , and 1967 . In 1966 , the first-placed Mini ( along with nine other cars ) was disqualified after the finish , under a controversial decision that the car 's headlights were against the rules .
The Mini is a small economy car produced by the English-based British Motor Corporation ( BMC ) and its successors from 1959 until 2000 . The original is considered an icon of 1960s British popular culture . Its space-saving transverse engine and front-wheel drive layout - allowing 80% of the area of the car 's floorpan to be used for passengers and luggage - influenced a generation of car makers . In 1999 , the Mini was voted the second-most influential car of the 20th century , behind the Ford Model T , and ahead of the Citroën DS and Volkswagen Beetle . The front-wheel-drive , transverse-engine layout of the Mini was copied for other supermini designs including the Honda N360 ( 1967 ) , Nissan Cherry ( 1970 ) , and Fiat 127 ( 1971 ) . The layout was also adapted for larger subcompact designs . This distinctive two-door car was designed for BMC by Sir Alec Issigonis . It was manufactured at the Longbridge and Cowley plants in England , the Victoria Park/Zetland British Motor Corporation ( Australia ) factory in Sydney , Australia , and later also in Spain ( Authi ) , Belgium , Chile , Italy ( Innocenti ) , Malta , Portugal , South Africa , Uruguay , Venezuela , and Yugoslavia . The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates - the Mark II , the Clubman , and the Mark III . Within these was a series of variations , including an estate car , a pick-up truck , a van , and the Mini Moke , a jeep-like buggy . The performance versions , the Mini Cooper and Cooper S , were successful as both race and rally cars , winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964 , 1965 , and 1967 . In 1966 , the first-placed Mini ( along with nine other cars ) was disqualified after the finish , under a controversial decision that the car 's headlights were against the rules .
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG , translated in English as Bavarian Motor Works , commonly referred to as BMW ( German pronunciation : [ ˈbeːˈʔɛmˈveː ] ( listen ) ) , is a German multinational company which produces automobiles and motorcycles . The company was founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines , which it produced from 1917 until 1918 and again from 1933 to 1945 . Automobiles are marketed under the brands BMW , Mini and Rolls-Royce , and motorcycles are marketed under the brand BMW Motorrad . In 2015 , BMW was the world 's twelfth-largest producer of motor vehicles , with 2,279,503 vehicles produced . BMW is headquartered in Munich and produces motor vehicles in Germany , Brazil , China , India , South Africa , the United Kingdom , the United States and Mexico . BMW has significant motorsport history , especially in touring cars , Formula 1 , sports cars and the Isle of Man TT .
The BMW M3 is a high-performance version of the BMW 3 Series , developed by BMW 's in-house motorsport division , BMW M GmbH . M3 models have been produced for every generation of 3 Series since the E30 M3 was introduced in 1986 . The initial model was available in a coupé body style , with a convertible body style added soon after . M3 sedans were available during the E36 ( 1994-1999 ) and E90 ( 2008-2012 ) generations . Since 2015 the M3 has been solely produced in the sedan body style , due to the coupé and convertible models being rebranded as the 4 Series range , making the high-performance variant the M4 . Upgrades over the regular 3 Series models include engines , handling , brakes , aerodynamics , lightweight materials and various interior upgrades .
Vauxhall Motors Limited [ note 2 ] ( /ˈvɒksɔːl/ ) is a British car company , subsidiary of French car manufacturer Groupe PSA and based in Chalton , Bedfordshire , England . Vauxhall 's vehicle lineup is identical to that of Opel , but the Vauxhall brand is exclusively used in the United Kingdom , the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man . Vauxhall is one of the oldest established vehicle manufacturers and distribution companies in the United Kingdom . Vauxhall sells passenger cars and light commercial vehicles under the Vauxhall marque , and formerly sold vans , buses , and trucks under the Bedford Vehicles brand . Vauxhall has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for more than two decades . Vauxhall was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer . It was bought in 1863 by Andrew Betts Brown , who began producing travelling cranes ; he named the company Vauxhall Iron Works . It began manufacturing cars in 1903 . It was acquired by American automaker General Motors ( GM ) in 1925 . Bedford Vehicles was established as a subsidiary of Vauxhall in 1930 to manufacture commercial vehicles . It was a luxury-car brand until it was bought by General Motors who thereafter built mid-market offerings . From the time of the Great Depression Vauxhall became increasingly mass-market .
The Vauxhall Cavalier was a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall from 1975 to 1995 . It was based on a succession of Opel designs throughout its production life , during which it was built in three incarnations . The first generation of Cavalier , launched in 1975 and produced until 1981 , was based on the existing Opel Ascona and Opel Manta with a few minor visual differences . The second generation of Cavalier , launched in 1981 and produced until 1988 , was launched simultaneously with the identical new generation of Opel Ascona , which was sold across the world in various guises on the General Motors J-car . The third and final generation of Cavalier , launched in 1988 and produced until 1995 , was based on the first generation of Opel Vectra with the same production span .
The BMW E36 is the third generation of the BMW 3 Series range of compact executive cars , and was produced from 1990 to 2000 . The initial models were of the four-door sedan body style , followed by the coupe , convertible , wagon ( Touring ) and hatchback ( Compact ) bodystyles in later years . The E36 was the first 3 Series to be offered in a hatchback bodystyle . It was also the first 3 Series to be available with a six-speed manual transmission ( in the 1996 M3 ) , a five-speed automatic transmission and a four-cylinder diesel engine . The multi-link rear suspension was also a significant upgrade as compared to the previous generations of the 3 Series . The E36 was named in Car and Driver magazine 's 10Best list for every year it was on sale . The high performance E36 M3 is powered by the BMW S50 or BMW S52 straight-six engine ( depending on country ) . The E36 M3 was introduced in 1992 and was available in coupé , sedan and convertible bodystyles . Following the introduction of its successor , the E46 3 Series in 1998 , the E36 began to be phased out and was eventually replaced in 1999 .
During its history , Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport , including Grand Prix motor racing , Formula One , sportscar racing , touring car racing and rallies . They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier , via works entries ( usually under the name Alfa Corse or Autodelta ) and private entries . The first racing car was made in 1913 , three years after the foundation of A.L.F.A. , the 40-60HP had 6 liter straight-4 engine . Alfa Romeo quickly gained a good name in motorsport and gave a sporty image to the whole marque .
The Alfa Romeo 155 ( Type 167 ) is a compact executive car produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo between 1992 and 1997 . It was released in January 1992 in Barcelona , and the first public launch was in March 1992 , at the Geneva Motor Show . It was built in 192,618 units .
Groupe Renault ( UK : /ˈrɛnoʊ/ REN-oh , US : /rəˈnɔːlt , rəˈnoʊ/ rə-NAWLT , rə-NOH , French : [ ɡʁup ʁəno ] ; legally Renault S.A. ) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899 . The company produces a range of cars and vans , and in the past has manufactured trucks , tractors , tanks , buses/coaches , aircraft and aircraft engines , and autorail vehicles . According to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles , in 2016 Renault was the ninth biggest automaker in the world by production volume . By 2017 , the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance had become the world 's biggest seller of light vehicles , bumping Volkswagen AG off the top spot . Headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt , near Paris , the Renault group is made up of the namesake Renault marque and subsidiaries , Alpine , Automobile Dacia from Romania , Renault Samsung Motors from South Korea , and AvtoVAZ from Russia . Renault has a 43.4% controlling stake in Nissan of Japan , and a 1.55% stake in Daimler AG of Germany ( since 2012 , Renault manufactures engines for the Daimler 's Mercedes A-Class and B-Class cars ) . Renault also owns subsidiaries RCI Banque ( automotive financing ) , Renault Retail Group ( automotive distribution ) and Motrio ( automotive parts ) . Renault has various joint ventures , including Oyak-Renault ( Turkey ) , Renault Pars ( Iran ) . The French government owns a 15% share of Renault . Renault Trucks , previously known as Renault Véhicules Industriels , has been part of AB Volvo since 2001 . Renault Agriculture became 100% owned by German agricultural equipment manufacturer CLAAS in 2008 . Together Renault and Nissan invested €4 billion ( US $ 5.16 billion ) in eight electric vehicles over three to four years beginning in 2011 .
The Renault Laguna is a large family car by European standards , and was marketed by the French manufacturer Renault from 1994 to 2015 . The first Laguna was launched in 1994 , the second generation was launched in 2000 , and the third generation was launched in October 2007 . The regular production Renault passenger models are unrelated to the concept car of the same name , the Laguna , a two-seater roadster presented by the automaker during the 1990 Paris Motor Show . The name was also previously used from 1973 to 1976 by Chevrolet , for a top of the line Chevelle model , the Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna . In February 2012 , Renault discontinued the Laguna , Espace , Kangoo , Modus , and Wind lines in the United Kingdom . In 2015 , the Laguna was replaced by the Talisman .
Audi AG ( German : [ ˈaʊ̯di ʔaːˈɡeː ] ( listen ) ) is a German automobile manufacturer that designs , engineers , produces , markets and distributes luxury vehicles . Audi is a member of the Volkswagen Group and has its roots at Ingolstadt , Bavaria , Germany . Audi-branded vehicles are produced in nine production facilities worldwide . The origins of the company are complex , going back to the early 20th century and the initial enterprises ( Horch and the Audiwerke ) founded by engineer August Horch ; and two other manufacturers ( DKW and Wanderer ) , leading to the foundation of Auto Union in 1932 . The modern era of Audi essentially began in the 1960s when Auto Union was acquired by Volkswagen from Daimler-Benz . After relaunching the Audi brand with the 1965 introduction of the Audi F103 series , Volkswagen merged Auto Union with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969 , thus creating the present day form of the company . The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder , August Horch . Horch , meaning listen in German , becomes audi in Latin . The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi 's predecessor company , Auto Union . Audi 's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik , meaning Being Ahead through Technology . However , Audi USA had used the slogan Truth in Engineering from 2007 to 2016 , and have not used the slogan since 2016 . Audi , along with fellow German marques BMW and Mercedes-Benz , is among the best-selling luxury automobile brands in the world .
The Audi A4 is a line of compact executive cars produced since 1994 by the German car manufacturer Audi , a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group . The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platform . The first generation A4 succeeded the Audi 80 . The automaker 's internal numbering treats the A4 as a continuation of the Audi 80 lineage , with the initial A4 designated as the B5-series , followed by the B6 , B7 , B8 and the B9 . The B8 and B9 versions of the A4 are built on the Volkswagen Group MLB platform shared with many other Audi models and potentially one Porsche model within Volkswagen Group . The Audi A4 automobile layout consists of a front-engine design , with transaxle-type transmissions mounted at the rear of the engine . The cars are front-wheel drive , or on some models , quattro all-wheel drive . The A4 is available as a sedan and station wagon . The second ( B6 ) and third generations ( B7 ) of the A4 also had a convertible version , but the B8 version of the convertible became a variant of the Audi A5 instead as Audi got back into the compact executive coupé segment .
Nissan Motor Co. , Ltd. ( Japanese : 日産自動車株式会社 , Hepburn : Nissan Jidōsha Kabushiki-gaisha ) , usually shortened to Nissan ( /ˈniːsɑːn/ or UK : /ˈnɪsæn/ ; Japanese pronunciation : [ ɲissaɴ ] ) , is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku , Yokohama . The company sells its cars under the Nissan , Infiniti , and Datsun brands with in-house performance tuning products labelled Nismo . The company traces its name to the Nissan zaibatsu , now called Nissan Group . Since 1999 , Nissan has been part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance ( Mitsubishi joining in 2016 ) , a partnership between Nissan of Japan , Mitsubishi Motors of Japan and Renault of France . As of 2013 , Renault holds a 43.4% voting stake in Nissan , while Nissan holds a 15% non-voting stake in Renault . From October 2016 onwards , Nissan holds a 34% controlling stake in Mitsubishi Motors . In 2013 , Nissan was the sixth largest automaker in the world , after Toyota , General Motors , Volkswagen Group , Hyundai Motor Group , and Ford . Taken together , the Renault-Nissan Alliance would be the world 's fourth largest automaker . [ citation needed ] Nissan is the leading Japanese brand in China , Russia and Mexico . In 2014 , Nissan was the largest car manufacturer in North America . Nissan is the world 's largest electric vehicle ( EV ) manufacturer , with global sales of more than 320,000 all-electric vehicles as of April 2018 . The top-selling vehicle of the car-maker 's fully electric lineup is the Nissan LEAF , an all-electric car and the world 's top-selling highway-capable plug-in electric car in history .
The Nissan Primera is a large family car which was produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1990 to 2007 , for the Japanese and European markets . In Japan , it replaced the Auster/Stanza , and was exclusive to Nissan Prince Store locations . In North America , it was the entry level luxury sports sedan for the Infiniti brand . The word primera is Spanish for first class or finest . [ clarification needed ]
Ford Motor Company , commonly known as Ford , is an American multinational automaker that has its main headquarters in Dearborn , Michigan , a suburb of Detroit . It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16 , 1903 . The company sells automobiles and commercial vehicles under the Ford brand , and most luxury cars under the Lincoln brand . Ford also owns Brazilian SUV manufacturer Troller , an 8% stake in Aston Martin of the United Kingdom and a 32% stake in Jiangling Motors . It also has joint-ventures in China ( Changan Ford ) , Taiwan ( Ford Lio Ho ) , Thailand ( AutoAlliance Thailand ) , Turkey ( Ford Otosan ) , and Russia ( Ford Sollers ) . The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is controlled by the Ford family ; they have minority ownership but the majority of the voting power . Ford introduced methods for large-scale manufacturing of cars and large-scale management of an industrial workforce using elaborately engineered manufacturing sequences typified by moving assembly lines ; by 1914 , these methods were known around the world as Fordism . Ford 's former UK subsidiaries Jaguar and Land Rover , acquired in 1989 and 2000 respectively , were sold to the Indian automaker Tata Motors in March 2008 . Ford owned the Swedish automaker Volvo from 1999 to 2010 . In 2011 , Ford discontinued the Mercury brand , under which it had marketed entry-level luxury cars in the United States , Canada , Mexico , and the Middle East since 1938 . Ford is the second-largest U.S.-based automaker ( behind General Motors ) and the fifth-largest in the world ( behind Toyota , VW , Hyundai-Kia and General Motors ) based on 2015 vehicle production . At the end of 2010 , Ford was the fifth largest automaker in Europe .
The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993 . The first Ford declared a world car , the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide ( the European Ford Sierra , the Ford Telstar in Asia and Australia , and the Ford Tempo/Mercury Topaz of North America ) . The Mondeo nameplate is derived from Latin mundus , meaning world . For its first two generations , the Ford Mondeo was produced using the Ford CDW27 platform , with the third generation shifting to the EUCD platform . The fourth ( current ) generation uses the Ford CD4 platform ( the first car to do so ) .
The Vauxhall Astra Coupe is a BTC-Touring class racing car that was built for the 2001 British Touring Car Championship season by Triple 8 Race Engineering , who ran Vauxhall 's official works program . It was the first BTC Touring-specification car to be unveiled in late 2000 . Triple 8 had worked on the Astra in the summer of that year and as a result , with 4 cars - 2 with Vauxhall sponsorship ( driven by Jason Plato and Yvan Muller ) and 2 with Egg Banking sponsorship ( driven by James Thompson , Phil Bennett , and a one-off appearance by Andy Priaulx ) had given themselves a head start on the rest of the field at the start of the 2001 season . In the end , it was far more advanced in its development than anything else in the field , allowing to win 25 out of 26 races in 2001 ( although the only non-Vauxhall win was a non-points scoring victory by Anthony Reid for MG , so they picked up maximum constructors points in every race ) . A 3-way battle for the championship lasted throughout the season , with Jason Plato emerging victorious by 18 points . In fact , so dominant were the cars that the lowest placed Astra driver , Phil Bennett , who finished 4th in the Driver 's Championship , was 58 points clear of the next driver . In 2002 , the Astra Coupes proved less reliable , with multiple problems and failures for all 4 works drivers throughout the season . Triple Eight once again entered 2 Vauxhall-sponsored and 2 Egg-sponsored Astra 's - with James Thompson replacing the departing Plato in the Vauxhall Motorsport car , and Matt Neal and Paul O'Neill replacing him and Bennett in the egg : sport cars . Despite the multitude of technical issues , a full time MG campaign , and the debut of both Honda and Proton , Vauxhall won a clean sweep of the titles again , with all of the top 3 positions in the Driver 's Championship filled by drivers of the cars - Thompson this time finishing the victor , by 20 points . Aaron Slight also came second in the Independent 's Cup in his first and only full BTCC season . 2003 saw Triple Eight lose the Egg sponsorship , and instead expanded to a 3 car Vauxhall-run team . Matt Neal departed for Honda Racing , but O'Neill was retained , and thus moved into the Vauxhall Motorsports car .
The BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch is a BTC-Touring class racing car that was built for the 2005 British Touring Car Championship season by Triple 8 Race Engineering , who ran Vauxhall 's official works program .
SEAT , S.A. ( English : /ˈseɪɑːt/ , Spanish : [ ˈseat ] ; Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo ) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer with its head office in Martorell , Spain . It was founded on May 9 , 1950 , by the Instituto Nacional de Industria ( INI ) , a Spanish state-owned industrial holding company . It quickly became the largest supplier of cars in Spain . In 1986 , the Spanish government sold SEAT to the German Volkswagen Group of which it remains a wholly owned subsidiary . The headquarters of SEAT , S.A. are located at SEAT 's industrial complex in Martorell near Barcelona . By 2000 , annual production peaked at over 500,000 units ; in total up to 2006 , over 16 million cars have been produced including more than 6 million from the Martorell plant , with three-quarters of the annual production being exported to over 70 countries worldwide . SEAT today is the only major Spanish car manufacturer with the ability and infrastructure to develop its own cars in-house .
The SEAT León ( Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈse.at leˈon ] , also spelled Leon outside of Spain , ( means Lion , or also León , a old Kingdom of Spain ) is a hatchback compact car built by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since October 1998 . The first two León generations used two differing variants of the Volkswagen Group A platform , and shared many components with other Volkswagen Group cars . The third and fourth ( current ) generation use the Volkswagen Group MQB platform , also used by the Audi A3 Mk3 and Mk4 , Volkswagen Golf Mk7 and Mk8 and Škoda Octavia Mk3 , Mk4 and Scala .
The Opel Vectra is a large family car that was engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel . In the United Kingdom , the car was sold under the Vauxhall marque as the Vauxhall Cavalier and later as the Vauxhall Vectra , from 1995 onwards . It has also been sold by Holden in Australasia as the Holden Vectra , and by Chevrolet in Latin America as the Chevrolet Vectra . The Vectra was introduced in October 1988 , as a replacement to the Opel Ascona , and itself was replaced in November 2008 by the Opel Insignia , the nameplate spanning almost twenty one years and three generations of the car .