Here at LotPro.com we see that General Motors is once again dipping into the bin of nameplates past to come up with the moniker of its next mid-size sports sedan, the Buick Regal. The official announcement came at a meeting of Buick-GMC dealers this morning.

“The transformation of Buick began with our luxury crossover, the Buick Enclave and continued this year with the launch of the 2010 LaCrosse premium sedan,” said Susan Docherty, Buick GMC General Manager. “We’re thrilled to announce that the Regal will be the next member of the Buick family.”

The Regal nameplate

Originally introduced in 1973 as an upscale version of that year’s Century, the Regal was originally offered only as a hardtop coupe with rear opera windows (hey, it was the 70’s).

In 1978, the Regal was downsized and began its 9 year run (reign?) with the noteworthy option of a 3.8-liter turbocharged V-6 engine, making it one of only 2 turbocharged domestics (along with the Buick LeSabre) and one of only 4 turbocharged vehicles available in the U.S. (along with the Saab and the Porsche 930).

Third and fourth generation versions followed in 1988 and 1997, respectively, with the fourth generation Regal GS clocking a ¼ mile ET of 14.7 seconds from its 3.8-liter supercharged V-6 that produced 240 hp and 280 ft.-lb. of torque.

The General eighty-sixed the Regal in 2004 and it was replaced by the Buick LaCrosse in 2005. And although the brand has been famous for attracting the blue-haired crowd, it appears that these customers still remember the name since, according to the press release, it “continues to be one of the top Buick nameplates recalled by consumers even though it’s been out of the market for the past six years.”

The new Buick Regal

Unofficially, Bob Lutz confirmed to Scott Burgess of The Detroit News back in August that the new Regal will be the same vehicle (with minor cosmetic changes as reflected in the teaser photo) as the one that was launched in China in November of 2008, which is based on the same architecture as the Opel Insignia.

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