Stephen Bayley - The Truth At Last

“Motoring journalists have elaborate expectations often at odds with those of the public. They exist in a world of privileged isolation from the humdrum realities of doing the school run or moving a wheelbarrow to Wales. Instead, they jet business class to Andalucia or the Côte d’Azur to test immaculately fettled and valeted, top-specification new cars in ideal conditions between absurdly expensive restaurants.” There. Somebody had to say it and Stephen Bayley just has in The Telegraph.
He decently admitted to having often been a beneficiary of these indulgencies. So have we all. Stephen’s point was not so much a criticism of motoring journalists as the expected announcement of what I suppose we must now call European Car of the Year (COTY). It would like to be called Everywhere Car of the Year but there are now so many of them it can’t. The Range Rover Evoque recently chalked up its fiftieth award, which included Car of the Year in the UK Auto Express New Car Honours, Scottish Car of the Year, US Motor Trend's SUV of the Year, BBC Top Gear's Car of the Year, Car and Driver Spain Car of the Year, the Design Trophy from l'Automobile in France and a host of cars of the year in China.
There was some logic in motoring journalists electing cars of the year simply because they drive everything and can compare. Yet any self-selecting jury has shortcomings. As Stephen points out it can include a minority of hairy-bottomed examples of the caste, who still believe that the true test of a car is its ability to respond to the throttle in the power oversteer of a four-wheel-drift, as exemplified in the tyre-smoking antics of Top Gear presenters.
This blog has dealt with the anomalies of COTY before, and I agree with Stephen on its errors of judgement like the 1979 Chrysler Horizon, and the fact that Rover has won twice and Renault many more times than Porsche deserves scrutiny. “With six accolades, Renault is second only to Fiat, which has nine. In some ways that is fair because Renault has a fine tradition of innovation in design. But the statistic fails to acknowledge that very few people go to sleep at night dreaming One day I will own a Mégane.”
I also agree that last year’s COTY, the electric Nissan Leaf, is a bold, but misfired, experiment. My views on COTY have been challenged on the grounds that I was never a member of the jury. Fred van der Vlugt invited me soon after creating the award in the 1960s. I was British correspondent of his Autovisie magazine for many years when he took the initiative to consolidate the multiple international awards, but it was before I wrote for anything as influential as The Sunday Times, which he wanted. I joined his panel on Car of the Century many years later.
Rumour suggests yet another UKCOTY initiative is mooted. Not wise. The coinage is not wholly debased. But proliferation would reduce it to small change.

Best chance for another Car of the Year; Range Rover Evoque at Eastnor Castle

Scottish Car of the Year

A new award to mark the 50th anniversary of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW), which organises SCOTY, for the most iconic car in the half century since the Association was founded was the E-Type Jaguar.
Founder members of the ASMW in this 1963 group includes (from left) Jimmy Scott (Edinburgh Evening News), Bill Morris (Scottish Daily Record), Alistair Cameron (Scottish Daily Express), Jim McLaren (Glasgow Herald), Eric Dymock (The Motor) holding tankard, Bill Amos (Top Gear), Frank Walker (Scottish Daily Mail) holding wineglass, Peter Easton, of the PR company hosting the party at the Player’s Theatre in London, Alex Bruce (Birmingham Post), and Jack Jellen (The Scotsman).

One of my first tests of an E-type. Jaguar brought a coupe to the Scottish Motor Show in November 1961 following its introduction in March. I drove it to the office of The Hamilton Advertiser along with Jaguar Apprentice Clive Martin (left).
In 2006 I presented the SCOTY Award to Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, together with Dove’s Publishing Director Mike Roberts (left) and Miss Scotland.
2011 Award to Ian Callum (left) for the XKR-S

Jaguar Wins SCOTY

Jaguar nearly always tops the poll in Scottish Car of the Year (SCOTY). In 1999 the S-Type took top prize. In 2001 it was the X-type. In 2003 the XJ was best luxury car and in 2004 X-type estate and S-type won again. In 2005 XJ was best diesel. In 2006 the XKR was best sporting and overall SCOTY. This year the XKR-S was again best sporting and the XF 2.2 best diesel.
Jaguar XJR-S best Scottish sporting car of the year.
This year there was a new award to mark the 50th anniversary of the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW), which organises SCOTY. Members voted the Jaguar E-type the most iconic car in the half century since the Association was founded, making it a joint golden anniversary for both.

Sponsored by Renfrewshire Bridge of Weir Leather firm, the award was presented by CEO Jonathan Muirhead to Ken McConomy, Jaguar’s Global PR Director.
Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar Cars, said: “The 50th anniversary of the E-type is truly special - as has been the reaction throughout the year from owners and enthusiasts, many of whom weren't even born in 1961. We're honoured that the Association should present such an important award to the E-type; testament to the incredible talents of the design and engineers teams that created the car - talent, I'm happy to say, that lives on today in a new generation.”
Now the sole UK supplier of hides to the motor industry, Bridge of Weir Leather’s sponsorship was appropriate. It supplies leather for the XJ and Range Rover as well as concept show cars, including the DC100, a potential Defender replacement and C-X16sports car shown at Frankfurt.

Not A Car of the Year

Not a Car of the YearAnother Not a Car of the Year
There’s a FIFA flavour about Car of the Year voting. Clear winners don’t get prizes. In 20 years COTY has never elected a Jaguar, Range Rover or Land Rover. It can’t be anti-Englishness. Munich doesn’t come off well either. There has been no BMW. A range that goes from Rolls-Royce to Mini has never met COTY criteria. The 57-strong jury that elected the electric Nissan may be environmentally aware, yet it doesn’t do safety. Volvo and Saab have never featured. Engineering excellence? Bentley has never made it despite the W12’s technological mastery. Production quality? There have been no Hondas. Value for money? No Skodas or Seats.

Still Not a Car of the Year
Not only have these exemplary makes never won top award, they have never made the first three. Mercedes-Benz did once, a lowly third in 1994. Korean makes have been excluded so strong sellers with long warranties, it seems, don’t count. There has never been a Porsche or an Aston Martin.

Unworthy as a Car of the Year, any year
I have long had qualms about COTY. Judge the jury’s deliberations since my Sunday Times column covered the 1991 Car of the Year.

Right click to enlarge copy
1992: VW Golf, Vauxhall/Opel Astra, Citroën ZX 1993: Nissan Micra, Fiat Cinquecento, Renault Safrane 1994: Ford Mondeo, Citroën Xantia, Mercedes-Benz C-class 1995: Fiat Punto, VW Polo, Vauxhall/Opel Omega 1996: Fiat Bravo, Peugeot 406, Audi A4 1997: Renault Mégane Scénic, Ford Ka, VW Passat 1998: Alfa Romeo 156, VW Golf, Audi A6 1999: Ford Focus, Vauxhall/Opel Astra, Peugeot 206 2000: Toyota Yaris, Fiat Multipla, Vauxhall/Opel Zafira 2001: Alfa Romeo 147, Ford Mondeo, Toyota Prius 2002: Peugeot 307, Renault Laguna, Fiat Stilo 2003: Renault Mégane, Mazda 6, Citroën C3 2004 Fiat Panda, Mazda 3, VW Golf 2005 Toyota Prius, Citroën C4, Ford Focus 2006 Renault Clio, VW Passat, Alfa Romeo 159 2007: Ford S-Max, VauxhallOpel Corsa, Citroën C4 Picasso 2008: Fiat 500, Mazda 2, Ford Mondeo 2009: Vauxhall/Opel Insignia, Ford Fiesta, VW Golf 2010: VW Polo, Toyota IQ, Vauxhall/Opel Astra 2011 Nissan Leaf, Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Vauxhall/Opel Meriva.

That makes eight Vauxhall/Opels, eight VWs, eight Fords, seven Fiats, five Renaults, five Citroëns, four Toyotas, four Alfa Romeos, three Peugeots, three Mazdas, two Nissans and two Audis.

Never made it into first three as Car of the Year
COTY jurists’ integrity is beyond reproach. They must believe the Nissan Leaf is worthy, never mind what this blog thinks, nor Christopher Booker in The Sunday Telegraph: “Even with a taxpayer subsidy of £20.7 million, to allow the price of each of these supposedly planet-saving vehicles to be brought down to £23,000, this will only enable the lucky purchaser to drive quite slowly for 100miles…”
Yet another Not a Car of the Year

Environmental Car of the Year

Car of the Year jurists have, not for the first time, devalued their award. The Nissan Leaf may well be Car of the Year 2013, when it will be in production, but climbing aboard environmental zealots’ bandwagon makes 57 “leading” motoring journalists who voted look opportunist. For the first time in its 47 year history the award it has gone to an all-electric battery car. It is also the first time it has ever gone to a car you can’t buy.

“The world’s first mass-marketed, affordable, zero-emission vehicle for the global market beat 40 contenders to win motoring’s most important accolade,” trills the COTY announcement. Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, Opel/Vauxhall and Volvo, who were the leading contenders must feel bemused. “The jury acknowledged that the Nissan LEAF is a breakthrough for electric cars. Nissan LEAF is the first EV that can match conventional cars in many respects,” said Håkan Matson, President of the Jury, Car of the Year.

No wonder he said, “…in many respects.” By the same token in many respects it does nothing of the kind. It has a range of only a hundred miles before it needs an electric top-up of several hours. They might as well award the title to a golf trolley. This blog has highlighted the doubts over all-electric cars before. The head of research at Mercedes-Benz told the Fleet Street Group that the only viable electric cars were only satisfactory for cities. Everybody would need a second car to drive anywhere else. Until batteries develop in a way we still cannot see, such zero-emission cars will be zero-practical.

The Leaf will have regenerative braking, air conditioning, satellite navigation, parking camera and IT and telematics systems. What it calls “Innovative connectivity will allow owners to set charging functions to monitor the current (sic) state of charge and the remaining battery capacity, as well as to heat or cool the interior remotely via mobile phone or computer.” Just don’t try all these at once in winter, or the thing will never start. COTY jurists should really get out more.

SCOTY

It is odd, is it not, how the official international Car of the Year (COTY) website makes you look up individual years, rather than publish a full list of winners. It cannot be because of its less auspicious choices such as the Austin 1800 (1964), Simca 1307 (1975), Rover 3500 (1977) or Chrysler Horizon (1979). It has learned some sense since then - less of a Eurovision Song Contest perhaps. This year’s short-list is Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Citroën C3, Dacia Duster, Ford C-Max, Nissan Leaf, Vauxhall Meriva and Volvo S-60.

Journalists’ juries tend to go for racy handling or a classy image. What hacks think about cars is not the same as real buyers paying real money although you can get obsessed with what cars cost. COTY was so embarrassed after electing the Porsche 928 a worthy winner in 1978, that it introduced a stringent price element and hasn’t elected a decent fast car since.

Last week the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) made the Kia Sportage Scottish Car of the Year (SCOTY), a mature judgement reflecting the distinctive Scottish market view of Kia’s seven year unlimited mileage warranty. There are Crossover cars with just as strong claims, including Nissan Qashqai, BMW X1 and Ford Kuga but the Kia is stylish, competitively priced and won the day, much to the delight of Korean executives prsent, for whom this was the first major award for a car only introduced at Geneva. Communications Director Steve Kitson felt confident enough to turn out plenty of management to enjoy the presentation.

John Murdoch, ASMW President, had a busy evening handing out gongs to deserving winners including the splendid Skoda Superb Estate (qv blog) and the Audi R8 Spyder. Executive Car of the Year was the COTY shortlisted Volvo S60. I was surprised not to see the VW Scirocco among the sporty-class winners. The SEAT Leon Cupra R was worthy enough, yet perhaps less deserving of an accolade than the SEAT Leon E Ecomotive, elected Eco Car of the Year.

There has been golf at St Andrews for 600 years. Scottish Car of the Year has been running barely a decade yet it has made its home at the prestige Fairmont, overlooking the ancient city, and its own rolling coastal links. The presentation was professional save for some over-optimism expecting the hotel’s smoke sensors to ignore the indoor (and perfectly safe) pyrotechnics.