From fix it again to ECOTY

1957 Fiat 500 Convertible

Way back in 1984, the Fiat Group was forced to retreat from the U.S. with its corporate tail between its legs. Many of its vehicles at the time were legendary for spending as much or more time in the repair shop than on the road and the onslaught of reliable Japanese vehicles into the American market was the final nail in the coffin.

Today, the company is the largest automobile manufacturer in Italy and its European market share is ahead of Toyota, Nissan and Honda. As recently as 2008, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne stated that he was looking for an “industrial partner” to manufacture the company’s retro-styled “500” sedan (and European Car of the Year winner in 2008) in the U.S. This means that if Chrysler can keep it together long enough for their partnership to come to fruition, we just might see the iconic sedan and its newest sibling, the 500 convertible, on this side of the pond in the next 2 years.

Cinquecento Convertible

Fiat continues the retro styling of the sedan by borrowing styling cues from the original 500 convertible. Equipped with a sliding canvas top a’la the original 1957 500 convertible, the newest 500 retains the same roofline and C-pillar as the hardtop version. This means that the droptop will retain a high degree of the sedan’s structural rigidity, minimizing the blind spots found in both the MINI convertible as well as the New Beetle soft top.

According to sources, the top will come in three colors – black, ivory and red, while a built-in spoiler, located at the trailing edge of the roof, will keep the center-mounted third brake light visible at all times, regardless of the position of the soft top.

Engine choices are carried over from the sedan with the availability of either a 1.2 or 1.4 liter engine. Also said to be in the offing is a 1.3 liter unit with start-stop technology.

Of what significance is ECOTY?

Here at LotPro.com, we thought that you might be interested in the winner of this year’s European Car of the Year award. Although many of the juried vehicles are not yet available in the U.S., with the movement of many American manufacturers to simplify their vehicle platforms and model mix, we are very likely to see North American versions of many of these vehicles in the next decade. In addition, manufacturers, such as Fiat, are in the process of evaluating the possibility of either importing or assembling vehicles in the NAFTA region.

2008 Ford Fiesta

History of the award

Established in 1964, the ECOTY award is overseen by automotive publications from 7 different countries (England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain and Sweden). In 2009, the jury consisted of 59 motoring journalists from 23 different European countries. In order to be eligible, vehicles must be released in the twelve months prior to the award. Although the vehicles, themselves, need not be European, the nominees must be available for sale in at least 5 European countries and have anticipated sales of at least 5,000 per year.

The object of the competition is to find a single, decisive winner. There are no categories (such as truck, sport utility or car) and no class winners. National representation is based on market size and its importance in vehicle manufacturing with France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain each with six members.

In September, the Jury Committee draws up a list of eligible vehicles from all new models over the previous 12 months. The Jury then selects a short list of 7 vehicles that are put to a simple vote. Each jury member is allowed 25 points to apportion to at least 5 cars, with a maximum 10 points for any one vehicle. Members then produce a statement of justification for the vote which is published at the time of the award presentation.

2009 Opel Insignia

Opel/Vauxhall entrant wins by one over Ford Fiesta

For GM, the award couldn’t have come at a better time. Beset by financial woes, the company has had very little to cheer about for most of the year. The Insignia is the first Opel to win in 22 years but General Motors’ European company has been runner-up four times – and in 2007 the Opel Corsa lost by just two points to the Ford S-Max. Ford has won the award five times but this is the second occasion it has lost by one point.

According to ECOTY, “This year’s narrow victory emphasizes the high level of this year’s competition, which has 37 initial candidates and seven finalists. Of the 59 car of the Year jurors representing 23 European countries, 20 gave the Insignia top points, while 19 put the Fiesta in first place. “

Technical data

Body:     4/5-door saloons, Sports Tourer wagon
Size:     4.83 X 1.86 X 1.50 m.
Front and four wheel drive
Petrol engines:     1.6 to 2.8 V6 Turbo (115 – 280 hp)
Diesel engines:     2.0 Turbo (110 – 190 hp)

2009 Award Standings

1. Opel Insignia           321 points
2. Ford Fiesta              320 points
3. VW Golf                    223 points
4. Citroen C5                198 points
5. Alfa Romeo MiTo    148 points
6. Skoda Superb          144 points
7. Renault Mégane      121 points

2009 Opel Insignia