As a follow up to euro car of the year choose the car you think was most deserving of the title from the following. Thanks to "peterb" for the list.
2004 Fiat Panda
2003 Renault Megane II
2002 Peugeot 307
2001 Alfa Romeo 147
2000 Toyota Yaris
1999 Ford Focus
1998 Alfa Romeo 156
1997 Renault Scenic
1996 Fiat Brava / Bravo
1995 Fiat Punto
1994 Ford Mondeo
1993 Volks Wagen Golf
1992 Nissan Micra
1991 Renault Clio
1990 Citroen XM
1989 Fiat Tipo
1988 Peugeot 405
1987 Opel Omega
1986 Ford Granada
1985 Opel Kadett
1984 Fiat Uno
1983 Audi 100
1982 Renault 9
1981 Ford Escort
1980 Lancia Delta
1979 Simca-Chrysler Horizon
1978 Porsche 928
1977 Rover 3500
1975 - 76 Simca 1307-1308 ( Chrysler Alpine )
1974 Citroen CX
1973 Mercedes 450
1972 Audi 80
1971 Fiat 127
1970 Citroen GS
1969 Fiat 128
1968 Peugeot 504
1967 NSU Ro80
1966 Fiat 124
1965 Renault 16
1964 Austin 1800
1963 Rover 2000
I would choose the Rover 2000. and what a superb car this was with the V8 3500cc engine
|
My heart says Porsche 928 because it was so radically different, and massively engineered, but i think its a bit expensive compared.
I'd vote Audi 100 as its aerodynamics and styling were so ahead of their time in 1983, and led to a lot of what we see now.
|
|
the Alfa every time - on body styling alone (not reliability, tho) - Italian designers manage to excite and be bold. Now if the Japanese could take on board a few Luigis and Giovannis, what a winning combination that would be.
|
the Alfa every time - on body styling alone (not reliability, tho) - Italian designers manage to excite and be bold. Now if the Japanese could take on board a few Luigis and Giovannis, what a winning combination that would be.
You don't remember the Alfa Arna - the Nissan Cherry with an Alfasud engine from the early 1980s? Uggghhhh
I love the Rover 2000 P6 and the NSU Ro80, I'd have to toss a coin!
Gareth
|
|
|
|
just as a slight variation....
My bottom three would be....
37. Fiat Brava / Bravo
36. Chrysler Alpine
35. Fiat Tipo
CF.
|
just as a slight variation....
My bottom three would be....
37. Fiat Brava / Bravo
36. Chrysler Alpine
35. Fiat Tipo
think i would have to replace the (37) with the simca,(didn't you have to remove a back wheel to change the plugs on them?)
billy
|
I agree with El Hacko, its the Alfas for me, probably the 156 (I DO drive one after all), plus it won by a record amount of votes!)
A surprising omission is the original Renault Espace, probably due to a slow start?
|
I'm biased, the Rover 2000, uber-advanced for its time and defined a new market segment. Excellent ride and can still put many modern saloon cars to shame, great build quality and construction. Won more than COTY, designed for safety and aerodynamics, designed for take a gas turbine engine, first car to run on radials, all round disks, 30mpg and could do a ton. What more would a driver need in 1963! Proven rally car competing in several Monte Carlo rallies, highest British finisher in 1965.
Audi 100 because that to me put Audi on the map, still see them around as well, superb car.
|
Not attempting to needle, and not speaking directly of a EuroCOTY, but wasn't the Rover 2000 rather heavily influenced by the Citroen DS, which came out 8 years earlier?
Just look at the line of the front wings and bonnet as they reach the windscreen, the windscreen itself, the shut line of the leading edge of the front doors, the roof, the rear window, the rear roof pillars (weren't they even going to fit high-level indicators at one point?), the shall-we-shan't-we enclosure of the rear wheels...
The DS: Excellent ride - yes; designed for safety and aerodynamics - yes; first car to run on radials - are you sure that wasn't Citroen's Traction Avant? All round discs - please correct me but didn't the DS have discs on the rear too? Proven rally car competing in several Monte Carlo rallies...
|
The Rover owed some ideas to the Citroen but was still an excellent car in its own right. And no, the DS never had rear disks. The DS was designed for straight line stability and a fine ride with such a pronounced forward weight distribution that it can run with a rear wheel missing. These virtues weren't (and aren't) compatible with the agile handling needed for a rally car. I believe that all DS rally cars used the rapid (for its day) and (nearly) faultless hydraulic-powered semi-automatic 4-speed gearbox.
Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land
|
Alfa 156 or either the Citroen CX or GS. Possibly also the Rover SD1.
Bottom would have to be the awful Renault 9. How could such a dull car get voted COTY? Thankfully Renault learned their lesson quickly and seem to have taken the place of Citroen in terms of pushing the boundaries of different design.
|
Amazingly, given my name, I can't agree with the Alfa 156. Yes a fabulous looking car, next on my list for ownership, but apart from the super styling, what was so innovative about it? And it's got a poor reputation for reliability even amongst members of AROC.
One of the best on the list IMO is the Renault 16. The first real hatchback (not the Maxi!), superbly comfortable, bags of room and loads of different ways to alter the seating configuration. If there were any still about, I'd get one tomorrow.
Most desirable? The NSU Ro80. Beautiful.
|
As a variation on this theme, and given the vast amount of knowledge among the BR contributors, what was the most unworthy choice and what SHOULD have won in any particular year?
eg What should have won instead of the Renault 9?, Opel Kadett?, Chrysler Horizon? and Alpine?,any of the FIATs(!) Surely there must have been more inspiring cars in those years? Why is there no BMW on the list? If the Nissan Micra can make it to the list why no other Japanese cars? (Oops - except Yaris)Is it all down to the balance of voting panel - lots of French and Italians by the look of it!
|
|
|
|
![2021 Kia Picanto 1.0 2 5dr Auto [4 seats]](http://images.honestjohn.co.uk/imagecache/url/crop/90x60/https/assets.heycar.co.uk/t_default-export/f_auto/application_assets/vehicles/pictures/8aad05ef63d6b6850f26e396bdb49ca5/5513fe3742002dd567df5da3f262b551.jpg)
