Motor Trend Car of the Year

The Motor Trend Car of the Year is an award given by Motor Trend magazine, an American monthly that is published since 1949.

Contents

Background

Motor Trend magazine, an automobile enthusiast publication that debuted in 1949, was the first to name a Car of the Year in its inaugural year.[1] Since then, the designation has been used to distinguish a variety of vehicles as evaluated by numerous other groups and organizations.[1]

Motor Trend's first award went to Cadillac in 1949 for its V8 engine models[2] (the earliest awards were given to the manufacturer, not to a specific vehicle). It has since expanded the award category to include the pickup truck and sport utility vehicle (SUV) of the year, awarding these separately from the Car of the Year. Until 1999, the award was only eligible to American-made cars; imports had their own category, the Import of the Year. The rationale for the combination was explained by editor Angus Mackenzie as "because it's so hard to say that, for example, a Toyota Camry, built in Kentucky and designed in California, is less American than a Ford that may have been built in Canada or Mexico and designed in Europe." Since the combination of the awards, American cars have won the award seven times, and imports have won five times.

Motor Trend's Car of the Year is "one of the most prestigious honors bestowed in the auto industry."[3] The trophy for the winner, a depiction of calipers, is often used in the winning automaker's marketing and advertising.[4][5] Most cars that win the award report a spike in sales.[6][7] However, receiving the Motor Trend magazine's recognition is no guarantee of success. This was the case of the nostalgic 2002 Ford Thunderbird, which did not meet expectations and was pulled from the market three years later.[8]

To be eligible for the award, a car must be an "all-new" or "substantially upgraded" vehicle that has been on sale within 12 months from the previous November, vehicles that have been on sale for over five years are ineligible for the award).[9] In recent years, each contender is ranked in the following three areas: superiority, significance, and value.[9] It is not a comparison test.[9]

Vehicles are subjected a battery of tests: standard car tests such as skid-pad ratings, acceleration and quarter-mile times, and evaluations of the interiors are combined with a track run conducted by SCCA-licensed testers and taking the cars out on normal roads to test their drivability under normal conditions, and fuel economy. Trucks and SUVs add towing capacity and speed, plus an off-road course, to the normal regimen.

Car of the Year

2012 Volkswagen Passat
2011 Chevrolet Volt[10]
2010 Ford Fusion[11]
2009 Nissan GT-R
2008 Cadillac CTS
2007 Toyota Camry
2006 Honda Civic
2005 Chrysler 300
2004 Toyota Prius
2003 Infiniti G35
2002 Ford Thunderbird
2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser
2000 Lincoln LS
1999 Chrysler 300M
1998 Chevrolet Corvette
1997 Chevrolet Malibu
1996 Dodge Caravan
1995 Chrysler Cirrus
1994 Ford Mustang
1993 Ford Probe GT
1992 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
1991 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ
1990 Lincoln Town Car
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC
1988 Pontiac Grand Prix
1987 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
1986 Ford Taurus LX
1985 Volkswagen GTI (eligible due to it being built in VW's now-defunct Pennsylvania plant)
1984 Chevrolet Corvette
1983 AMC / Renault Alliance
1982 Chevrolet Camaro Z28
1981 Chrysler K Cars, Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant
1980 Chevrolet Citation
1979 Buick Riviera S
1978 Chrysler, Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon
1977 Chevrolet Caprice
1976 Chrysler, Dodge Aspen and Plymouth Volare
1975 Chevrolet Monza 2+2
1974 Ford Mustang II
1973 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
1972 Citroën SM (an imported vehicle that was selected overall "Car of the Year")
1971 Chevrolet Vega
1970 Ford Torino
1969 Plymouth Road Runner
1968 Pontiac GTO
1967 Mercury Cougar
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
1965 Pontiac Motor Division
1964 Ford Motor Company (not for the Mustang)
1963 American Motors (AMC) Rambler (all models: American, Classic, and Ambassador)
1962 Buick Special
1961 Pontiac Tempest
1960 Chevrolet Corvair
1959 Pontiac Motor Division
1958 Ford Thunderbird
1957 Chrysler Corporation (all makes: Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler, and Imperial)
1956 Ford Motor Company
1955 Chevrolet Motor Division
1954 No award
1953 No award
1952 Cadillac Motor Division
1951 Chrysler Corporation
1950 No award
1949 Cadillac Motor Division

Import Car of the Year

Introduced in 1970 for one year and then brought back in 1976 due to distinguishing differences between imports and American cars, was discontinued after the 1999 model year when the line between what is truly American and what isn't became very blurry.

1999 Volkswagen New Beetle
1998 Lexus GS
1997 BMW 5-Series
1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
1995 Nissan Maxima
1994 Honda Accord
1993 Mazda RX-7
1992 Lexus SC 400
1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4
1990 Nissan 300ZX Turbo
1989 Mitsubishi Galant GS
1988 Honda CRX Si
1987 Acura Legend Coupe
1986 Mazda RX-7
1985 Toyota MR2
1984 Honda Civic CRX
1983 Mazda 626
1982 Toyota Celica Supra
1981 Mercedes-Benz 300SD
1980 Honda Civic
1979 Datsun 280ZX
1978 Toyota Celica
1977 Mercedes-Benz 280E
1976 Toyota Celica Liftback
1971-1975 no award
1970 Porsche 914

Truck of the Year

2012 Ford F-150
2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD [12]
2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty [13]
2009 Ford F-150
2008 Toyota Tundra
2007 Chevrolet Silverado
2006 Honda Ridgeline
2005 Toyota Tacoma
2004 Ford F-150
2003 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty
2002 Chevrolet Avalanche
2001 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty
2000 Toyota Tundra
1999 Chevrolet Silverado
1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
1997 Ford F-150
1996 Chevrolet Tahoe
1995 Chevrolet Blazer
1994 Dodge Ram
1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee
1992 Ford Van Chateau Club Wagon
1991 Mazda Navajo
1990 Ford Aerostar
1989 Toyota Truck Xtracab SR5
1980-1988 No award
1979 Chevrolet LUV

Sport/Utility of the Year

2012 Range Rover Evoque
2011 Porsche Cayenne
2010 Subaru Outback
2009 Subaru Forester
2008 Mazda CX-9
2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
2006 Nissan Xterra
2005 Land Rover LR3
2004 Volkswagen Touareg
2003 Volvo XC90
2002 GMC Envoy
2001 Acura MDX
2000 Nissan Xterra
1999 Lexus RX300

Car of the Year in China

Motor Trend magazine's China-market cousin, Auto Club-Motor Trend, also issues a "Car of the Year" award for that market.

Car of the Year

2011:Bmw-Brilliance 5 Series（Long wheel base)
2010:Shanghai-GM Buick Regal
2009:GAC-Honda Accord
2008:FAW-Volkswagen Magotan（Passat B6）
2007:GAC-Toyota Camry
2006:FAW-Toyota Crown
2005:Changan-Ford Mondeo
2004:FAW-Mazda 6
2003:Shanghai Volkswagen Polo

SUV of the Year

2011:FAW-Volkswagen Audi Q5
2010:GAC-Toyota Highlander
2009:Dongfeng-Nissan X-Trail
2008:[GAC-Honda] CRV
2007:countermand
2006:Shanghai GM SRX
2005:[GAC-Honda] CRV
2004:Changfeng Automobile Liebao Feiteng

References

  1. ^ a b "You Auto Know: Silver Arrows and backwards riding". National Post. 2010-02-05. http://www.nationalpost.com/related/links/story.html?id=2524027. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  2. ^ Mueller, Mike (2006). American Horsepower: 100 Years of Great Car Engines. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. p. 79. ISBN 9780760323274. http://books.google.com/books?id=69qYnoohrMYC&pg=PA79&dq=1949+Motor+trend+car+of+the+year+award. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  3. ^ Fifty years of Motor Trend. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. 1999. ISBN 9780760307816. 
  4. ^ Fombrun, Charles J. (1996). Reputation: Realizing Value from the Corporate Image. Harvard Business Press. p. 172. ISBN 9780875846330. http://books.google.com/books?id=m_4Cbz5f5uUC&pg=PA172&dq=pay+close+attention+to+Motor+Trend+car+of+the+year+award. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  5. ^ "Rambler wins 1963 Motor Trend "Car of the Year" award". Life 54 (10): 105. March 8, 1963. http://books.google.com/books?id=oU8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105&dq=Motor+Trend+car+of+the+year+Rambler. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  6. ^ Dudley, Kathryn Marie (1997). The End of the Line: Lost Jobs, New Lives in Postindustrial America. University of Chicago Press. p. 11. ISBN 9780226169101. http://books.google.com/books?id=1YVxDd3FHsQC&pg=PA11&dq=Motor+Trend+car+of+the+year+boost+sales. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  7. ^ Hyde, Charles K. (2003). Riding the Roller Coaster: A History of the Chrysler Corporation. Wayne State University Press. p. 214. ISBN 9780814330913. http://books.google.com/books?id=aQhTq18vi7AC&pg=PA214&dq=Motor+Trend+car+of+the+year+boost+sales. Retrieved 2010-10-19. 
  8. ^ Tast, Alan; Newhardt, David (2004). Thunderbird Fifty Years. MotorBooks/MBI Publishing. p. 183. ISBN 9780760319765. http://books.google.com/books?id=fvT4L6Kb78IC&pg=PA183&dq=Motor+Trend+car+of+the+year+Thunderbird+sales. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  9. ^ a b c "2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year: The Contenders are revealed, what's your pick?". Motor Trend Blogs. 2008-09-25. http://blogs.motortrend.com/6301350/car-of-the-year/2009-motor-trend-car-of-the-year-the-contenders-are-revealed-whats-your-pick/index.html. Retrieved 2010-10-20. 
  10. ^ Angus MacKenzie. "2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Chevrolet Volt". Motor Trend. http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1101_2011_motor_trend_car_of_the_year_chevrolet_volt/index.html. Retrieved 2010-11-16. 
  11. ^ "Motor Trend Names Ford Fusion 2010 Car of the Year(R)". Marketwire.com. http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Motor-Trend-1078146.html. Retrieved 2010-09-17. 
  12. ^ "2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD named Motor Trend Truck of the Year". CheersandGears.com. http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/73824-2011-chevrolet-silverado-hd-named-motor-trend-truck-of-the-year/. Retrieved 2010-12-11. 
  13. ^ "2010 Ram Heavy Duty - 2010 Motor Trend Truck of the Year". Motor Trend. 2007-02-26. http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/truck/112_1002_2010_motor_trend_truck_of_the_year_winner_ram_heavy_duty/index.html. Retrieved 2010-09-17.