Writers judge BMW 5 Series Car of Year

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 37

Writers judge BMW 5 Series Car of Year

PA Wellington Motoring writers have voted the imported BMW 5series car as New Zealand’s Car of the Year.

The Motoring Writers’ Guild Car of the Year award was voted on by the men and women who test new cars for most newspapers and magazines published in New Zealand.

The guild’s award is the only one which encompasses the independent views of most motoring journalists. The group each year tests virtually every new car released on the market, and voting is based on comparisons resulting from up to a week’s evaluation of each vehicle.

A total of 19 cars qualified and each was judged on 17 criteria, including value for money, accommodation and comfort, performance of engine, transmission, brakes and steering, and qualities such as body styling and finish.

Both imported and locally assembled cars were elig-

ible. While the West Germanbuilt BMW took the premier award, the Toyota Corolla was the highest points-scorer among cars which have local assembly operations. Included among cars in the awards were the BMW 750iL Vl2, the Audi 90, the Ford Telstar and Falcon cars, the Mitsubishi Galant and the Peugeot 309, the new Honda Civic, the Mitsubishi V3OOO, the Pontiac le Mans and the Mazda 626.

The winning 5-Series was released on the New Zealand market in June. Presentation of a trophy — a specially imported Italianmade wood-and-alloy steering wheel designed for classic cars — will be made before the end of the year to the managing director of BMW New Zealand, Ltd, Geoff Fletcher. A commemorative certificate featuring a photographic study of the winning car will be.presented at a later date, ‘as a permanent reminder of the win.