Italy 1988: Fiat Uno leads, Fiat Tipo close to 14% in December

Fiat Uno

* See the Top 20 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Many thanks to Andrea *

No surprise atop the 1988 models ranking in Italy: the Fiat Uno keeps the pole position with a solid 17.2% share and 374,850 units sold, down 12% on 1987. The big event this year is the arrival of the Fiat Tipo: it launched in January 1988 – I still remember discovering it eyes wide open while on ski holidays in Italy then! – and managed to finish the year at a massive 10% market share, landing directly in 2nd position with 217,410 sales. It even threatened the Uno towards the end of the year, grabbing a huge 13.9% share of the Italian market in December with the Uno at 16%.

Fiat Tipo

Fiat is back to monopolising the podium, with the Fiat Panda ranking third at 212,614 units and 9.7%. Excellent year for the Autobianchi Y10, up 37% and one spot to 4th place with 110,990 sales and 5.1%, ahead of the VW Golf, down 7% to 5th place and 4.6% share. The Renault 5 is down two spots to #6 while the Peugeot 205 is up one spot to #7.

Alfa Romeo 164

Notice the Opel Kadett breaking into the year-end Top 10 in 10th place, up 6 spots and 29% to 44,500 sales and 2% share. The Alfa Romeo 164 makes its first appearance in the Top 20 for its first full year of sales at #20, 29,620 units and 1.4% share.

Previous year: Italy 1987: Fiat Uno above 400,000 sales again

Next year: Italy 1989: Fiat Uno, Tipo and Panda on podium

Full Year and December 1988 Top 20 Ranking Tables below.