We’ve always been a big-tent operation at MotorTrend, particularly for our longest running, most important editorial programs: Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year.
In the ’70s, it wasn’t uncommon to find non-staffers on the jury that decided Car of the Year. Famous interlopers included Dan Gurney, Peter Brock, and even the big boss, Robert Petersen (owner of Petersen Publishing and founder of MotorTrend), took part in selecting COTY.
More than a dozen years ago, my predecessor, Angus MacKenzie, renewed the tradition of involving outsiders in our signature program. The first guest judge of our modern era was Jim Hall: a human encyclopedia, automotive expert, and veteran of the auto industry wars. Hall was with us for three COTY programs, during which time we added our second guest judge, Tom Gale, former head of Chrysler design and father of vehicles as varied as the Lamborghini Diablo, Dodge Viper, and Plymouth Prowler.
Read about Car, SUV, and Truck of the Year contenders HERE.
After Hall was offered a job at General Motors, Chris Theodore joined our COTY panel. Theodore, an “engineer’s engineer” and veteran executive of both Ford and Chrysler, is credited for the mechanical bits of both the Ford GT and Dodge Viper. Together, Gale and Theodore have graced us with their wisdom for over a decade now, with the exception of 2013, when super substitute Wayne Cherry, former head of design at General Motors, stepped in due to a conflict in Gale’s schedule.
To address the sharp increase in SUV and truck sales, we similarly bolstered our other Of The Year programs with experts in the field. To past SUV of the Year panels, we have added Mike Accavitti, former Acura and Dodge boss, followed by Mazda and Kia engineering ace Gordon Dickie.
After searching high and low for the right expert to bolster our truck testing regimen, our former colleague Mark Williams became available. We leaped at the opportunity to have him back to lead our TOTY program and fill out our truck understanding.
This year, conflicting schedules and changing career paths allowed us to add a pair of sharp-eyed and quick-witted former executives to our other judging panels. Johan de Nysschen—former head of Audi of America, Infiniti Motor Co., and Cadillac division—was able to join us at SUVOTY, alongside Tom Gale (who switched over from judging COTY).
To fill the Tom Gale-sized gap in our design understanding at COTY, we invited Ian Callum, who recently retired from a 20-year career leading Jaguar design. He graciously agreed to cross the Atlantic for several long, hot days in the California desert, alongside Theodore.
I often tell people that Tom Gale gave the MotorTrend team new eyes to see. From him we have begun to grasp concepts like gesture, stance, grain, and gloss. Adding another world-class designer like Callum is like seeing the automotive world through tinted spectacles. The shapes may be the same, but the light and shade can be completely different.
With their backgrounds in running car companies and pressure-testing business cases, Theodore and de Nysschen provide insights into what goes on under the sheetmetal. Critically, they know why certain product decisions are made and how much they cost—not just in dollars but in terms of quality and reputation. Unfortunately for us, de Nysschen’s expertise proved to be in high demand; one month after helping us select our 2020 SUV of the Year, VW of America hired him as chief operating officer.
We are grateful to our guest judges, both new and established, for the time and knowledge they give our team and the additional credibility they lend to our signature awards. Please enjoy our 2020 Car, SUV, and Truck of the Year coverage.
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