The European Car of the Year (ECOTY) award is an international Car of the Year award established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organising companies of the award are Auto (Italy), Autocar, Autopista (Spain), Autovisie (Netherlands), L'Automobile Magazine (France), Stern (Germany) and Vi Bilägare (Sweden).

The Renault 16 (R16) is a D-segment family hatchback manufactured and marketed over a single generation by French automaker Renault between 1965 and 1980 in Le Havre, France — and widely noted as the first French winner of the European Car of the Year award.