Driving with a real roof over your head seems to be in vogue again, since for two consecutive years no convertible cars have been crowned with « Gay Car of the Year » awards. Instead, fixed head coupé's have won the title and, again, this year's winner comes from a popular Italian car manufacturer of Milan..

The final battle for the 2009 title has been fiercely fought between the Volkswagen Scirocco and the Alfa Romeo MiTo, but the Italian has triumphed on the home stretch, beating the Volkswagen by a nose. Thus, Alfa Romeo secures its second title in the history of the election of the Gay Car of the Year. This might very well be considered a serious indication of the successful resurrection this mythical car manufacturer with its renowned competition history...

The manufacturer with the four-leaf clover trademark presents its small, but endearing Mito for the year 2009. Mito stands for Mi as in Milan and To as in Torino (or Turin) being the home bases of respectively Alfa Romeo and Fiat (owner of Alfa Romeo). This also indicates that the new car is predominantly a Fiat production. With this new Mito, Fiat clearly aims at a well established rival in the automotive world: the Mini (coincidentally also a winner of this election, in the convertible version). The design exhibits all characteristic style elements of its transalpine manufacturer ; a typical snout with a low cut beak-like radiator grille, a number plate shifted to the left side of the bumper, a raised tail, pleasant, circular rear lights and a general design severely influenced by its bigger sister, the 8C Competizione, which has good features and provided sound genes.

The Mito is strictly a 2+2, clearly aimed at couples and bachelors with its slightly awkward access to a somewhat cramped back seat and minute fixed windows. In the age of globalization however, the refreshing Italian design has proved felicitous. Italian car design is still held in high regard by automotive enthusiasts and this Mito has plenty of Latin charm. The key question remains however: does it meet all the requirements to successfully attempt to dethrone the Mini?