The new Fiat 500C has made it Thai debut at the 26th Bangkok Motor Expo 2009 in the vast halls of the Impact Muang Thong Thani, located in Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of the capital city. Alongside the 500C on a stand totally dedicated to the tiny Fiat is the limited-edition 500 by Diesel which is only being imported to order.

In Thailand, as pretty much everywhere else in the world, the car industry has been hit, and the theme of the show this year is Driving...for Sustainability. The organisers expressing their wish that "all the stakeholders cooperate in ‘driving’ thailand’s automotive industry to prevail over the economic crisis and attain sustainable success in the future." The official logo of the show depicts light at the end of the tunnel, signifying waiting success. Emphasising the important role that the car industry plays here, the Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva is due to give a special talk entitled The Way forward for Thailand’s Automotive Industry and Energy Useage during the show, followed by an open forum for car companies to exchange views.

A pretty diverse array of automakers have rolled out their products on spacious stands. European brands present on the market here who have set up displays as well as Fiat include Audi, BMW, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo, Land Rover, Citroen and Skoda. The Japanese brands, who dominate new car sales here, are of course out in force with the biggest displays, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Mazda, Subaru and Suzuki, are all vying for attention while other Asian brands at the Expo include Hyundai, Kia, Tata and Proton. Several Chinese carmakers, including Chery Automotive, are also represented.

Fiat is smack bang in the middle of the hall with a stand that is based around the theme that has been used at major motor shows this year with round mirrors on curving stalks and green Astroturf that exudes the environmentally conscious theme the brand is presently trying to promote. The stand here is dedicated to the Fiat 500 which is the only model in evidence. Despite eye watering import duties, the streets of Bangkok are awash with brightly-coloured and much-customised versions of BMW’s MINI, and it would be nice to see the 500, currently invisible, making a similar sort of impact. Bangkok is a very fashion-conscious city and one regularly sees a Ferrari 430, Porsche Cayman or Lamborghini Gallardo, so successfully connecting the little Fiat with the hearts of the city's residents must be a possibility.

At the 26th Bangkok Motor Expo 2009 the 500C is making its Thai premier, nine months after the convertible, which features an innovative electrically-operated sliding canvas roof while retaining the stock B- and C-pillars, was offered for its world première at the Geneva Motor Show. One 500C is on display, in white with a red canvas roof, mounted on a raised platform. Three more 500s are on the stand, all 1.4 petrol FIRE format, as well as an immaculate original 500, in glossy light green. Also making its debut is the 500 by Diesel, a restyled limited edition version realised in conjunction with the reputable Italian fashion label. With distinct appendages that aim to introduce the well-known cues of the fashion house to the 500, it will be only brought in to the country to order. The car on display has already been sold to a customer.

Alongside the debut of the 500C some of the highlights of the show include the new Ford Fiesta, which is getting a lot of attention, Chevrolet has an example of their Camaro muscle sports car on its stand, Honda is showing the Insight, a mild hybrid featuring its Integrated Motor Assist system, as well as handing a Thai debut to its high-end PCX 125cc scooter, Toyota has handed centre stage to its latest executive-lugger, which sits at the top of a stepped platform, Hyundai have the ix-oni, the latest concept from its design centre in Russelheim, Germany, that offers a whole new design language to the family of SUVs that will replace the Tuscon, SsangYong, who possibly make the ugliest cars on the planet, have a couple of concept SUVs which have an environmental focus, but which also soften up the brand’s usual quirky design language.

Business here has been brisk. Despite a lack of marketing around Bangkok, the organisers are expecting around 1.6 million visitors and 15,000 orders are forecast to be taken at the show before it ends in a week-and-a-half’s time. This will be around 2,000 less than last year, which will be a pretty solid achievement bearing in mind the auto industry’s problems in getting customers to buy cars. Last year the organisers revised an initial projection of 15,000 orders booked, to 13,000 units, as the global economy hit the buffers, but in the end they were pleasantly surprised when the tally eventually reached 17,000.

In one corner of the Challenger Hall there is a classic car display put on by the Vintage Car Club of Thailand; numbering less than ten exhibits the lack of quantity is more than made up for by the amazing quality, with each being of great significance and in perfect condition. Italy is well represented by Fiat's pretty 508 Balilla Spider (1932) and Alfa Romeo's iconic Duetto (1962), English models comprise of an Austin Severn Tourer (1930), MG VA (1937), Lanchester LD10 (1947), Jaguar XK10 Roadster (1949), MG TF (1955) and Jaguar E-Type Series I (1964) while Germany is on show courtesy of a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing (1955)

Niche sports cars to stand out include the first showing of the Magante, a brand new Thai-built supercar, difficult to fully gauge its lines in the confines of the stand but the finish quality looks very high. Proton has a white supercharged Lotus Elise on its stand, reminding visitors that the Malaysian mass producer also owns the low-volume British sports car maker, there are a couple of examples of Porsche's new Panamera, a Ferrari 430 Scuderia, and in the trade section, a superb Lamborghini Diablo.

ItaliaspeedTV: 26th Thailand International Motor Expo 2009, Bangkok - Fiat stand