Motor Trend Car of the Year Motor Trend Car of the Year The "Motor Trend" Car of the Year (COTY) is an annual award given by "Motor Trend" magazine to recognize the best new or significantly refreshed car in a given model year. "Motor Trend", which debuted in 1949, was the first publication to name a Car of the Year. The inaugural "Motor Trend" Car of the Year award recognized Cadillac's V8 engine in 1949. The earliest awards were given to the manufacturer or division, not for a specific vehicle. The 1958 Ford Thunderbird became the first single model to be selected. In 1970, the Ford
Ford Thunderbird Sunset Strip. A vinyl-roofed Landau option with simulated S-bars was added to the Thunderbird for 1962 as was a "Sports Roadster" package for convertible models. The Sports Roadster included 48-spoke Kelsey-Hayes designed wire wheels and a special fiberglass tonneau cover for the rear seats which gave the car the appearance of a two-seat roadster like the original Thunderbird. The Sports Roadster package was slow-selling due the high price of the package and complexity of the tonneau cover, resulting in few Thunderbirds being equipped with it. Newly optional for 1962 was an upgraded version of the V8 called the "M-Code" (a