The 2010 European Gay car is the FIAT 500C!

It figures! Indeed, it appears quite logical that the FIAT 500C wins the prize for the 2010 European gay car. As in previous years, convertible cars have won regularly and in 2008 the FIAT 500 hatchback has captured the gay car laurels. So, the following calculation, Einstein worthy, can be done: FIAT 500 + convertible + nostalgia + renowned design + friendly snout = FIAT 500C! Someone simply had to do the math and FIAT did...

Decidedly, the revival of this Italian chubby-face of 1960’s and 1970’s continues to please. It must be said FIAT pushed the nostalgia detail by providing not a pure and plain convertible like the Mini, but rather a drop-top coupé. Like the Fifties original, the newcomer isn’t a full convertible, but instead uses a full-length canvas sunroof that stretches from the top of windscreen to the tailgate. It is important to note that FIAT 500C is the only one to offer this type of body today and has done so for many years! FIAT remained faithful to the good old soft top and does not try to offer a CC version. This being said, the size of the car and especially the size of the boot would have made it extremely complicated to fit a rigid roof somewhere in this car.

During the vote, the battle raged between 4 models: Aston Martin DBS Volante, the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider, FIAT 500C, being all 3 convertible cars, and the Toyota IQ, a small intelligent city car like the Smart but with seating for four. And only during the last days of the election, two of them took the lead, the Aston Martin and the FIAT. What strikes the most is the fact the more popular of the two has won, indeed a model that we will come across on our streets more frequently. In short, retro design strikes again, after the continuing success of the new Mini and the New Beetle (although the last one is more successful in the US of A, than in Europe) and finally with the rebirth of the FIAT 500. One can only regret that not more manufacturers with a glorious past draw from their prestigious heritage to produce a model that is out of the ordinary.