This is not Will Smith in I Am Legend, but its legacy shows that like the last man on earth in the movie, neither time nor age (which I consider as the worst virus on earth ever!) can stop it from becoming 2008’s Car of the Year.  I’m referring to Fiat.

For the record, this is definitely not the first time Fiat bagged the same award. According to autobloggreen.com, the Fiat 124 got it in 1967, Fiat 128 (1970), Fiat 127 (1972), Lancia Delta (1980), Fiat Uno (1984), Fiat Tipo (1989), Fiat Punto (1995), Fiat Bravo or Brava in 1996, Alfa (1998), Alfa 147 (2001), Fiat Panda (2004) and recently, the Fiat 500 that preceded Mazda and the Ford Mondeo with 385 votes from 58 European journalists that composed the jury members.

The Fiat 500 or “Cinquecento,” Italian word for 500, was first launched about 50 years ago. Take note: it sold about 3,893,294 units and was labelled as the top-selling Fiat that time.  It is said to be a great contributory factor in Italy’s industrialization progress.

According to worldcarfans.com, the Fiat 500 was also awarded the Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) five-star crash safety rating with its standard equipment including two dual stage front airbags, two front side airbags, two window bags and a driver’s knee airbag. It also features a high performance braking system, an ABS anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Electronic Stability Program (ESP). 

Cute and eco-friendly, the Fiat 500 comes in a retro-look but modern small car package, a 3-door model bearing compact dimensions - 355 centimeters long, 163 centimeters wide, 149 centimeters tall (does height measurement include the hood lift?)  and with a wheelbase of 230 centimeters.

It is considered as the most economical car in New Zealand with a choice of three engines designed to meet both the Euro-4 and Euro-5 environmental standards.

You can avail the Fiat 500 for $26,990 and get intimate with the legendary 2008 Car of the Year.