The champagne must have flowed in Luton, unlikely home of General Motors in the UK (although given the state of GM’s finances, it was more likely a few pints of Wells Bombardier Bitter), when news first came that the 59 worthy European Car of the Year judges (57 men and two women) had, after a mix of hard thinking and hard driving, finally reached a decision. The Vauxhall/Opel Insignia is Car of the Year!
Few people will want one. Not one single British judge put it in first place. And the result neatly ignores the uncomfortable truth that the Ford Mondeo – same class, same money and a COTY failure last year – is better.
Never mind. After such a wretched centenary year, GM deserves a bit of luck…
Wait! News just in! The Volkswagen Scirocco is Car of the Year! Those chirpy, scruffy lads on Top Gear have just told me.
But hark! Jaguar, only a few months earlier, won Car of the Year for its XF. It was all over Auto Express. And at the beginning of this year, Jaguar celebrated when the XF picked up its first 2008 Car of the Year trophy, this time from those serious-minded gentlemen on What Car? There was a big black-tie shindig to celebrate.
Scottish readers will know that their Car of the Year, recently announced, is the new Ford Fiesta. Other Cars of the Year include the brilliantly minimalist Toyota iQ (Japanese Car of the Year) and blatantly mediocre Chevrolet Malibu (North American Car of the Year). In Australia, the Mercedes C-class is Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year. The Mazda2 is World Car of the Year, surely the supreme COTY prize? There is also, confusingly, an International Car of the Year (the Honda Accord).
A Car of the Year for everyone!
A news release has just reached my desk proclaiming the amazing Nissan GT-R as Car of the Year from Motor Trend magazine in America. Motor Trend was the first magazine to award a COTY prize, back in 1949, so surely this is the Granddaddy of all awards? Oh, and Audi won 2008 Car of the Year with its fabulous R8, according to that rich man’s mag, the Robb Report. (Previous winners: Bentley Continental GTC and Aston DB9.) And as if the world needs another one, there is now a Dave TV (111 on your Sky box, since you wondered) Car of the Year – the Aston DBS.
So there we have it. If you want to buy the current Car of the Year, you have a choice of at least 12 cars. Not including Supermini of the Year, Family Car of the Year, MPV of the Year, SUV of the Year, Estate Car of the Year, Diesel Car of the Year, Convertible Car of the Year, Executive Car of the Year, Luxury Car of the Year, Fleet Car of the Year, Track Car of the Year, Tow Car of the Year, Chauffeur Car of the Year (three 2008 winners: Bentley Continental Flying Spur, Lexus LS600h and Jaguar XJ), Car Ad of the Year, Green Car of the Year (Ford Focus Econetic) and Gay Car of the Year (2008 winner: the Fiat 500 – the first time the award has gone to a non-convertible).
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