Which FIA Bucket Seats Have A Classic Look Instead Of Big Racing Logos?
Customer question, classic looking FIA bucket seats
A customer rang us asking for a classic style FIA bucket seat. It is for racing, so it has to carry the FIA label, but they do not want the big racing logos and black velour of a modern bucket. It is a tricky one, because a period trim usually costs you the homologation.
We have more FIA seats with a classic look than most people expect, so here they are by look and by price.
- Every seat on this page carries FIA 8855-1999, so it is a racing seat first and a period piece second
- Prices start at £297.60 inc VAT per seat, for the OMP TR-S Legend, and while stock lasts we have two ready to go
- Houndstooth starts at £414.00 and tartan at £441.60 inc VAT
- Cobra seats come in several trims at different budgets, from houndstooth at £414.00 to tartan at £924.00
- The Mirco Classic has a period shaped shell and starts at £380.40 inc VAT
- All of them are seat only, so the frame and mounts for your car are extra
What makes an FIA seat look classic
Three things set the look: the cloth, the colour and the shape of the shell. A modern bucket usually has a large logo across the back and black velour. A classic look swaps those for a patterned centre panel, stitching or a shell colour chosen to suit the car, and in some seats a shell shaped like a period seat.
None of that touches the approval, because each seat is homologated as sold and carries its own FIA label. Every seat on this page is FIA 8855-1999, and if your class names a newer standard, tell us before you order. Our FIA 8855-1999 against 8855-2021 guide explains the two.
Here is the cheapest FIA seat in each look, so you can see where the money starts.
Houndstooth
Houndstooth is the cloth most people picture on a period performance car. The Cobra Monaco 40th Houndstooth is the cheapest way in at £414.00 inc VAT. It is a steel seat that takes base or side mounts, for drivers under 6ft with a 32 to 36 inch waist, and Cobra hand trim it in the UK.
Mirco do it on three shells. The GT Vinyl Houndstooth is £489.60 inc VAT, the Classic Vinyl Houndstooth is £512.40 on the period shaped shell, and the RTX-7 Vinyl Houndstooth is £520.80. The RTX-7 is the deeper sided shell, listed for drivers over and under 6ft in black or black and brown. All the Mirco seats are fibreglass and side mount, with shell colours and name embroidery to order.
Our Cobra houndstooth guide and houndstooth trim guide have the dimensions.
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From £484.80 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £489.60 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £512.40 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £520.80 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Tartan
Tartan on a homologated seat is the unusual one, and we have it at four price points. The Mirco GT Vinyl Tartan is £441.60 inc VAT, a fibreglass side mount seat for any height.
The Cobra Monaco 40th Tartan is £774.00 inc VAT. You choose from eight tartans: Blair Ancient, Boyd Modern, Earl of St Andrews, MacFarlane Clan Ancient, MacKenzie Dress Modern, MacMillan Old Modern, Stewart Dress Modern or Weir Ancient. Cobra let the tartan into the centre panel and hand trim it in the UK, and you tell us your choice at checkout.
The Corbeau Sprint System 1 Tartan is £888.00 inc VAT in wool tartan, made to order. The Cobra Imola Pro-Fit Tartan is £924.00 on a fibreglass side mount shell, 10.3kg and listed for all heights, made to order with 4 to 6 weeks. Cobra also trim the Suzuka, Sebring and Evolution Pro-Fit shells in tartan, and our Corbeau tartan guide has that range.
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From £441.60 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £774.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £888.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £924.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Period shapes, tan and coloured stitching
The Mirco Classic is the one with the period shape. It is an open shouldered fibreglass shell, side mount, listed for any height and a 32 to 36 inch waist, and it is £380.40 inc VAT in velour. The Diamond edition with diamond stitched velour is £476.40, and the Vinyl Velour edition is £488.40. The colours are black, or black with green, white, blue, grey, orange or red, and Mirco quote over 250 more.
For tan, the Mirco GT Classic in dark tan fabric and vinyl is £459.60 inc VAT. For a trim in the car’s own colours, the Cobra Monaco 40th in vinyl comes with black, blue, green, red, white or yellow stitching at £474.00.
If the floor and tunnel leave no room for side mounts, look at the steel seats that also take base mounting. The Cobra Monaco 40th is one. The Sparco Sprint Retro is another at £484.50 inc VAT, trimmed in vinyl with other trims to order, listed for all heights and for six point harnesses only. The Cobra Monaco Pro Lotus Gold has gold thread through the trim at £365.40.
The OMP TR-S Legend is the cheapest of the lot at £297.60 inc VAT. It is a tubular steel seat in black vinyl that takes base or side mounts, for drivers under 6ft with a 28 to 36 inch waist, and it takes 4 or 6 point belts. It is an FIA seat that does not look like a race seat. OMP have discontinued it, but while stock lasts we do have two of these seats ready to go, which makes it a great one for the money.
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From £380.40 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £476.40 Incl. VATPayPal Credit250+ coloursKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £459.60 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
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From £474.00 Incl. VATPayPal CreditKlarna ReadySelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Which way we would go
Garreth: For a historic racer I would start with the Mirco Classic. The shell is shaped like a period seat, so nothing about it says modern bucket, and it suits any height.
Cameron: I would look at the Monaco 40th first if the floor is awkward. It takes base mount or side mount, and an older car often has no room for side mounts.
Garreth: That is a fair point, and the Cobra gives you the cloth choice as well, from houndstooth at £414.00 to tartan at £774.00.
Cameron: The Mirco has the colours, though. Shells in black, blue, grey, orange, red, white or yellow, and your name embroidered if you want it.
Garreth: Either one carries FIA 8855-1999, so it comes down to the car and the look you want.
Cameron: Tell us the car and whether the floor takes side mounts, and we will say which one.
The seats side by side
Every seat on this page, cheapest first. Prices are per seat and start at the figure shown, because the trim and colour options on some listings change them. Click a name to open the listing.
| Seat | Look | Shell and mounting | Fits | From, inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OMP TR-S Legend | Black vinyl, period look | Tubular steel, base or side mount | Under 6ft, 28 to 36 in waist | £297.60 |
| Cobra Monaco Pro Lotus Gold | Gold thread, spacer fabric or vinyl | Steel, base or side mount | Under 6ft, 32 to 36 in waist | £365.40 |
| Mirco Classic | Period shaped shell, velour | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £380.40 |
| Cobra Monaco 40th Houndstooth | Houndstooth centre, vinyl | Steel, base or side mount | Under 6ft, 32 to 36 in waist | £414.00 |
| Mirco GT Vinyl Tartan | Tartan centre, vinyl | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £441.60 |
| Mirco GT Vinyl Diamond | White vinyl, diamond stitch | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £441.60 |
| Mirco GT Classic | Dark tan fabric and vinyl | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £459.60 |
| Cobra Monaco 40th | Vinyl, six stitching colours | Steel, base or side mount | Under 6ft, 32 to 36 in waist | £474.00 |
| Mirco Classic Diamond | Diamond stitched velour | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £476.40 |
| Sparco Sprint Retro | Vinyl, other trims to order | Tubular steel, base or side mount | All heights, 32 to 36 in waist, six point only | £484.50 |
| Mirco Classic Vinyl Velour | Vinyl bolsters, velour centre | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £488.40 |
| Mirco GT Vinyl Houndstooth | Houndstooth centre, vinyl | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £489.60 |
| Mirco Classic Vinyl Houndstooth | Houndstooth centre, vinyl | Fibreglass, side mount | Any height, 32 to 36 in waist | £512.40 |
| Mirco RTX-7 Vinyl Houndstooth | Houndstooth centre, black or black and brown | Fibreglass, side mount | Over or under 6ft, 32 to 36 in waist | £520.80 |
| Cobra Monaco 40th Tartan | Eight tartans, hand trimmed | Steel, base or side mount | Under 6ft, 32 to 36 in waist | £774.00 |
| Corbeau Sprint System 1 Tartan | Wool tartan, made to order | Fibreglass | 32 to 36 in waist | £888.00 |
| Cobra Imola Pro-Fit Tartan | Eight tartans, made to order | Fibreglass, side mount, 10.3kg | All heights, 32 to 36 in waist | £924.00 |
Some of these in our showroom: Cobra Monaco 40th houndstooth, Mirco GT Classic in tan, the Mirco Classic and Corbeau tartan seats.
What every seat needs
Every seat here is seat only. The Mirco and Cobra Pro-Fit seats side mount, so they need side mounts and a frame for your car. The Cobra Monaco 40th and the Sparco Sprint Retro take base or side mounts, which helps in an older car where the floor and tunnel leave little room.
The Cobra Monaco, Mirco and Pro-Fit seats take 4 or 6 point belts, and the Sparco Sprint Retro is listed for six point only. Our bucket seat mounting guide explains base mount against side mount. Tell us the car and we will match the frame and mounts.
The FIA label
Each seat carries a label with the standard, a manufacture date and a not valid after year. Ask us to read the manufacture date off current stock if you are buying close to a season.
For competition the seat has to be in date, and our FIA guide explains what that means for track days and private use. Check which standard your class names before you order.
Questions about classic looking FIA seats
Is there an FIA bucket seat that looks classic?
Yes. Every seat on this page carries FIA 8855-1999 with a period look: houndstooth, tartan, diamond stitch, tan or coloured stitching. Prices start at £297.60 inc VAT.
What is the cheapest classic looking FIA seat?
The OMP TR-S Legend at £297.60 inc VAT, a black vinyl steel seat that OMP have discontinued. While stock lasts we have two ready to go. After that comes the Cobra Monaco Pro Lotus Gold at £365.40, then the Mirco Classic in velour at £380.40.
Can I get tartan on an FIA seat?
Yes. The Mirco GT Vinyl Tartan is £441.60 inc VAT, and the Cobra Monaco 40th Tartan is £774.00 with a choice of eight tartans. The Corbeau and Cobra Pro-Fit tartan seats are made to order.
Does a classic trim change the FIA approval?
No. Each seat is homologated as sold, whether the difference is the cloth or the shape of the shell, and carries its own FIA label. Check which standard your class names before you order.
Which of these take base mount?
The Cobra Monaco 40th seats and the Sparco Sprint Retro take base or side mounts. The Mirco and Cobra Pro-Fit seats are side mount only.
Do they take a 4 point harness?
The Cobra Monaco, Mirco and Pro-Fit seats take 4 or 6 point belts. The Sparco Sprint Retro is listed for six point only.
Which one fits me?
The Mirco Classic and GT seats are listed for any height with a 32 to 36 inch waist. The Cobra Monaco 40th is cut for drivers under 6ft with the same waist. Tell us your height and waist and we will check.
Can I get a different colour or trim?
Ask us. Mirco shell colours and name embroidery are made to order, and Mirco quote over 250 more colour options. Cobra trim their seats to order in the UK.
Tell us about your car
Come and see the seats, or ring Garreth and Cameron on 0115 647 8650. Give us your car, the class it runs in, and your height and waist size. We will say which classic look and which frame go together.
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