FIAT History, Vol. 9
The (European) Car of the Year
The European Car of the Year award, known in many countries simply as the Car of the Year, is one of the most presitigous awards a vehicle can recieve in the automotive industry. And it isn't just for European cars brands.
Back in 1963, Fred van der Klugt, then editor of a Dutch car magazine, thought about creating a car award that would be different from all the various auto magazines who picked the top cars of the year in various different categories. His idea was to create an award for a single, decisive winning automobile.
He talked to 26 different expert car testers in Europe, from 9 separate countries, to form an independent Car of the Year panel of jurors. The award was financially supported by 7 European car magazines. It receives zero income from car manufacturers, making it a truly independent award.
Over the years, the panel of testers has grown to the present day 59 jurors. The award is now financed by 9 automotive magazines which they call "The Nine Pillars of Support": Auto (Italy), Revue Automobile (Switzerland), Autocar (UK), Autopista (Spain), Auto Trends (Belgium), Autovisie (TheNetherlands), AutoMobil Das Vox Automagazin (Germany), L'Automobile Magazine (France), and Vi Bilagare (Sweden).
The panel of jurors consists of 6 jurors each from France, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and Spain with the remaining 29 jurors split between 18 other European nations. Every year, all jury members are required to certify that car testing comprises the major portion of their work.
To be eligible for an award, a vehicle must have been released in the 12 months prior to the award. Cars must be new models, not cosmetic changed models from previous years. Cars must also be available for sale in at least 5 European countries. Vehicles from any manufacturer worldwide are eligible as long as they meet the above three conditions.
Throughout the year, the panelists test all cars which meet the above conditions. They pick 7 finalists for the second phase.
In the second phase of testing, jury members each have 25 points to award to at least 5 cars. No car may receive more than 10 points from a single juror. Criteria considered are: design, comfort, safety, economy, handling, performance, functionality, price, driver satisfaction, and environmental requirements. Besides road tests, they also conduct a moose test (basically a slalom) to help assess emergency handling.
Now, if you've read this far, you may be wondering how this relates to FIAT.
Well, since the Car of the Year was first awarded in 1964, the FIAT family of cars has won an industry leading 13 times! (And they have placed 2nd and 3rd 16 times, too.)
Here are the Fiat family cars which have won:
1967: Fiat 124 Sport Spider
For you purists who will say, "That Jeep is not Italian", you're only partly correct. It was designed in Italy and is built in Tychy, Poland. But it is a member of the Fiat family. Don't despair. Even if you don't include it, the Fiat family of cars still leads the way with 12 wins.
So, the next time you hear someone deride your vehicle with the "Fix It Again Tony" line or you hear people talking about how Fiat is insignificant in North America; remember, you are driving a car with a rich heritage in the automotive and racing worlds - including winning one of the most highly regarded car awards in the world more times than any other family of cars!
Here are our models which have won the European Car of the Year award: