Car of the Century facts for kids
The Car of the Century (COTC) was a special international award. It was given to the most important car of the 20th century. A group called the Global Automotive Elections Foundation managed the whole process. The winner was the Ford Model T. It was announced at a big event on December 18, 1999, in Las Vegas, USA.

How the Best Car Was Chosen
Choosing the "Car of the Century" involved a detailed plan. It all began in October 1996. A committee offered a list of 700 cars. These cars were suggested by car experts and clubs.
In February 1997, the list was narrowed down to 200 cars. This was announced at a car show in Amsterdam. An honorary group of independent car experts picked these 200 cars.
Next, a jury of 133 professional car journalists from 33 countries took over. They reduced the list to 100 cars. This result was shared at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1997.
The process continued with a public vote online. People chose 10 cars. At the same time, the professional journalists picked 25 cars. Interestingly, 9 of the 10 cars chosen by the public were also on the journalists' list. The AC Cobra was the extra car chosen by the public. So, 26 cars were announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999. These were the nominees for the next round.


The Top Nominees
Here are the 26 cars that were nominated for the award:
Make | Type | Year | Country |
---|---|---|---|
AC | Cobra | 1965–1967 | ![]() |
Alfa Romeo | Giulietta Sprint Coupé | 1954–1968 | ![]() |
Audi | Quattro | 1980–1991 | ![]() |
Austin | Seven | 1922–1939 | ![]() |
BMW | BMW 328 | 1936–1940 | ![]() |
Bugatti | T35 | 1926–1930 | ![]() |
Chevrolet | Corvette Stingray | 1963–1967 | ![]() |
Citroën | Traction Avant | 1934–1957 | ![]() |
Citroën | 2CV | 1948–1990 | ![]() |
Citroën | DS19 | 1955–1975 | ![]() |
Ferrari | 250 GT SWB Berlinetta | 1959–1962 | ![]() |
Fiat | 500 Topolino | 1936–1948 | ![]() |
Ford | Model T | 1908–1927 | ![]() |
Ford | Mustang | 1964–1968 | ![]() |
Jaguar | XK120 | 1948–1954 | ![]() |
Jaguar | E-Type | 1961–1975 | ![]() |
Land Rover | Range Rover | 1970–present | ![]() |
Mercedes-Benz | S/SS/SSK | 1927–1932 | ![]() |
Mercedes-Benz | 300 SL Coupé | 1954–1957 | ![]() |
Morris/Austin | Mini | 1959–2000 | ![]() |
NSU | Ro 80 | 1967–1976 | ![]() |
Porsche | 911 | 1964–present | ![]() |
Renault | Espace | 1984–present | ![]() |
Rolls-Royce | Silver Ghost | 1907–1925 | ![]() |
Volkswagen | Beetle | 1938–2003 | ![]() |
Volkswagen | Golf | 1974–present | ![]() |
Willys | Jeep | 1941–1945 | ![]() |
From these 26 cars, the jury was asked to pick five finalists. These five cars would then go into the very last round of voting. The final nominees were announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1999.
The Winners!
For the final round, each jury member ranked the five cars in their favorite order. Points were given based on their rankings. The car with the most points won! Here are the final results:
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
In Spanish: Automóvil del Siglo para niños
- Car Designer of the Century
- Car Engineer of the Century
- Car Entrepreneur of the Century
- Car Executive of the Century
- List of motor vehicle awards