Car of the Century

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Template:Short description The Car of the Century (COTC) is an international award that was given to the world's most influential car of the 20th century.[1] The election process was overseen by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation.[2] The winner, the Ford Model T, was announced at an awards gala on December 18, 1999 in Las Vegas, Nevada, US.[3]

File:Oldtimer Ford T.jpg
1st place: Ford Model T

The selection process

An elaborate and formal process for deciding the Car of the Century was devised. It started in October 1996, when a list of 700 cars was offered by the COTC organising committee as candidates for the award, which their experts had selected from recommendations made from within the car industry and from car clubs.[4]

In February 1997 a list of 200 eligible cars was announced at the AutoRAI motor show in Amsterdam, having been selected from the 700 by an honorary committee of experts who were all independent and highly respected and experienced automotive experts.[5]

The next step was for a jury of 133 professional automotive journalists [6] from 33 countries, under the presidency of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu,[7] to reduce the list to 100, and the result was announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1997.[8]

The elimination process proceeded with an Internet-based public vote [9] to select 10 cars, and for 25 cars to be selected by the jury of professionals. In the event, 9 out of the 10 cars selected by the public were also amongst the 25 selected by the journalists (the AC Cobra being the extra car selected by the public), so 26 cars were announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999, as the nominees for the next round.[10]

File:Morris Mini-Minor 1967.jpg
2nd place: Mini
File:Citroën DS 20, Bj. 1974 (Foto Sp 2016-06-05).JPG
3rd place: Citroën DS
File:Vw kaefer ovali v sst.jpg
4th place: Volkswagen Beetle
File:Porsche 911 Carrera RS, Bj. 1972-73, Front (2016-07-02 02 Sp).JPG
5th place: Porsche 911
The 26 nominees
Make Type Year Country
AC Cobra 1965–1967 Template:FlagiconUK/US
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupé 1954–1968 Template:FlagiconItaly
Audi Quattro 1980–1991 Template:FlagiconGermany
Austin Seven 1922–1939 Template:FlagiconUK
BMW BMW 328 1936–1940 Template:FlagiconGermany
Bugatti T35 1926–1930 Template:FlagiconFrance
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 1963–1967 Template:FlagiconUS
Citroën Traction Avant 1934–1957 Template:FlagiconFrance
2CV 1948–1990 Template:FlagiconFrance
DS19 1955–1975 Template:FlagiconFrance
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 1959–1962 Template:FlagiconItaly
Fiat 500 Topolino 1936–1948 Template:FlagiconItaly
Ford Model T 1908–1927 Template:FlagiconUS
Mustang 1964–1968 Template:FlagiconUS
Jaguar XK120 1948–1954 Template:FlagiconUK
E-Type 1961–1975 Template:FlagiconUK
Land Rover Range Rover 1970–present Template:FlagiconUK
Mercedes-Benz S/SS/SSK 1927–1932 Template:FlagiconGermany
300 SL Coupé 1954–1957 Template:FlagiconGermany
Morris/Austin Mini 1959–2000 Template:FlagiconUK
NSU Ro 80 1967–1976 Template:FlagiconGermany
Porsche 911 1964–present Template:FlagiconGermany
Renault Espace 1984–present Template:FlagiconFrance
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 1907–1925 Template:FlagiconUK
Volkswagen Beetle 1938–2003 Template:FlagiconGermany
Golf 1974–present Template:FlagiconGermany
Willys Jeep 1941–1945 Template:FlagiconUS

From the 26, the jury were asked to nominate five finalists which would go through to the last round of voting, using a points system. The final nominees were announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, 1999.[11]

The final results

The jury each ranked the five cars in their preferred order, and the results were combined with a points system. The final results are:[12]

Position Car model Points
1 Ford Model T 742
2 Mini 617
3 Citroën DS 567
4 Volkswagen Beetle 521
5 Porsche 911 303

See also

References

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  10. "Car of the century voting narrows", Tim Dornin, AAP General News, March 15, 1999
  11. "Car of the Century?" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Wired, December 17, 1999
  12. "This Just In: Model T Gets Award", James G. Cobb, The New York Times, December 24, 1999

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