Fiat sales climbed by 26.1 per cent in Australia according to official VFACTS figures released this week with Fiats little and large flying out of showrooms across Australia and enabling the Italian car maker to record 2,156 sales in 2008.

Leading the Fiat sales charge in Australia last year was the Fiat Ducato van which, thanks to the demand from the Australian Motorhome Industry, was able to maintain its position as the best selling Fiat in Australia, despite the launch in 2008 of its brash little sibling, the Fiat 500. Demand for the new baby Fiat – which could comfortably fit inside the biggest Fiat Ducato Van – comfortably outstripped supply in Australia as it has in every market in which it is sold with near 600 bambinos being delivered in Australia during 2008.

“The Ducato and the Fiat 500 may be at opposite ends of the scale when it comes to size, but they share everything that makes them a Fiat,” commented Andrei Zaitzev, the General Manager for Fiat in Australia. “They share a commitment to safety, value for money, economy, performance and low emissions that makes them an eminently sensible purchasing decision.

"But they are also stylish, great to drive and designed with intelligence and flair," adds Zaitev. "It is this combination intelligent common sense and the pleasure of ownership that has made the reborn Fiat such a success and which will continue to drive Fiat forward in 2009."