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I was thrilled to bits when award winning motoring journalist, Sandy Myhre, invited me to be the UK judge of the Women's World Car Of The Year in 2009. What an honour!
Now we're into the second year of this award, we have three more UK judges, and the awards are gaining strength. The criteria for choosing the Women's Car Of The Year is pretty simple - fourteen women judges from around the world are asked to vote according to the criteria women use when buying a car, from sex appeal to safety and environmental footprint. The winner may not reach 0-100 mph in less than six seconds, but it will be a car that appeals to women.
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So close was the voting this year that the supreme award produced a dead heat - the BMW 5 Series and the Citroen DS3.
A special further award this year recognised the 'Green Car' - which does not qualify for the overall supreme award because some models are not sold in the requisite 10 countries worldwide. The Women's World Car of the Year 2011 Green Car is the Audi A1 with the Honda CRZ a close second.
Why a women's world car?
One thing I wasn't aware of was that in 2007 the World Car Of The Year was tested, voted for and chosen by men. Not one woman journalist, writer or driver was asked her opinion. Women buy cars too, don't we?!
Something else that personally hadn't appreciated, was that a lot of women don't apparently buy motoring magazines when they come to buy a car. Men pore over Autocar, What Car and the like, devouring statistics and comparing torque before they make their decision, but women? Hmmm. Where do we go for advice?
This got me thinking about this award, and how it could help give women a heads-up of what cars are out there, and which we thought were the best.
Until recently, it has been openly acknowledged that women make the final decision in the majority of all private car purchases, but what about corporate sales? The Economist suggested women will make the final decision in as much as 85% of all company cars in the future.
I am very proud to be part of this world-wide, 2010 World Women's Car Of The Year Award. Not only was it great fun testing the cars - my thanks to all those manufacturers who supported us - but really satisfying seeing the amount of publicity we have generated. I very much hope these awards give women a starting point when they contemplate buying a new car.
www.womensworldcoty.com
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