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Car of the Century facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

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.

Oldtimer Ford T
1st place: Ford Model T

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.

Morris Mini-Minor 1967
2nd place: Mini
Citroën DS 20, Bj. 1974 (Foto Sp 2016-06-05)
3rd place: Citroën DS
Vw kaefer ovali v sst
4th place: Volkswagen Beetle
Porsche 911 Carrera RS, Bj. 1972-73, Front (2016-07-02 02 Sp)
5th place: Porsche 911

The Top Nominees

Here are the 26 cars that were nominated for the award:

The 26 nominees
Make Type Year Country
AC Cobra 1965–1967 United KingdomUK/US
Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupé 1954–1968 ItalyItaly
Audi Quattro 1980–1991 GermanyGermany
Austin Seven 1922–1939 United KingdomUK
BMW BMW 328 1936–1940 GermanyGermany
Bugatti T35 1926–1930 FranceFrance
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 1963–1967 United StatesUS
Citroën Traction Avant 1934–1957 FranceFrance
Citroën 2CV 1948–1990 FranceFrance
Citroën DS19 1955–1975 FranceFrance
Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta 1959–1962 ItalyItaly
Fiat 500 Topolino 1936–1948 ItalyItaly
Ford Model T 1908–1927 United StatesUS
Ford Mustang 1964–1968 United StatesUS
Jaguar XK120 1948–1954 United KingdomUK
Jaguar E-Type 1961–1975 United KingdomUK
Land Rover Range Rover 1970–present United KingdomUK
Mercedes-Benz S/SS/SSK 1927–1932 GermanyGermany
Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupé 1954–1957 GermanyGermany
Morris/Austin Mini 1959–2000 United KingdomUK
NSU Ro 80 1967–1976 GermanyGermany
Porsche 911 1964–present GermanyGermany
Renault Espace 1984–present FranceFrance
Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 1907–1925 United KingdomUK
Volkswagen Beetle 1938–2003 GermanyGermany
Volkswagen Golf 1974–present GermanyGermany
Willys Jeep 1941–1945 United StatesUS

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

Kids robot.svg 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
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