The Fiat Tipo is a compact golf class car designed by the I.DE.A design company. The car was developed on a new Fiat platform, which was later used in other Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia models. Launched in early 1988, the Fiat Tipo was only available as a five-door hatchback. The car was made of galvanized body parts to avoid the rust problem that was unfamiliar to Fiat cars. The Fiat Tipo stood out with its angular design similar to the smaller Fiat Uno that appeared earlier. And while such a style gradually began to lose its popularity at the time, the design of the Fiat Tipo was far more attractive than, say, the second-generation Volkswagen Golf produced at the time. But more importantly, the car had a large interior space - there was more space in the rear seats than in a much larger rear-wheel drive Ford Sierra. Inside the Type had an unusually designed minimalist instrument panel, the readings of which were presented in digital rather than analogue readings. It’s one of the first cars to feature key readings in this style. In 1989, the Fiat Tipo won the European Car of the Year award and the Irish Semperit Car of the Year title. The car was hugely popular in Brazil, where it surpassed the Volkswagen Golf itself, which has been the best-selling Brazilian car for more than twenty years.