March 11, 2006 One of Europe's leading styling and design companies, Fioravanti, revealed an open top version of the new Fiat Punto it has dubbed the Skill, and which is the star of the company’s stand at the Geneva Show. Indeed, the Skill would appear to be the ideal small car for a summer lifestyle, with its combination of a flip-top glass roof that drops down behind the seats in a matter of seconds and a pick-up load bay.
The flip-top roof uses technology and design that Fioravanti developed for the Ferrari Superamerica and enables the Punto Skill to combine a hard top, open top motoring and a massive 750 litre load area that isn't affected by the roof, something none of its conventional rivals can match. The B-pillar that enables the flip-top to work also provides roll-over accident protection and a useful mount for items such as speakers for the audio system.
The rear window drops vertically into the same storage area as the roof and may also be left in the raised position as a wind-block.
The convertible model of the previous Punto was one of the most popular versions of Fiat's small car, so it is no surprise that ideas for a roofless version of the new car should appear so quickly after the launch of the new Punto.
