International Car of the Year Awards Announce Inaugural EARTH ANGEL Award to Celebrate Most Environmentally Friendly Automaker

DETROIT — As gas prices fluctuate and global warming concerns grow, the International Car of the Year Awards (ICOTY) will debut its EARTH ANGEL Award, recognizing the automaker making the most significant strides on environmental issues and initiatives.

“Global warming is top-of-mind for everyone these days,” said Courtney Caldwell, ICOTY creator and producer. “The EARTH ANGEL Award is designed to recognize the automaker who takes environmental issues from top-of-mind to top-of-action from organizational improvements to vehicle lines to alternative fuels.”

”Automakers are too often criticized for environmental insensitivity when the reality is that they’re making enormous strides on a global level to improve the earth’s environment,” Caldwell said. “Our goal is to shed light on these many positive accomplishments, especially those not known to the general public or media."

All automakers were invited to participate in the inaugural award by answering a series of six questions related to their environmental initiatives. Of the automakers contacted, BMW, Daimler Motor Company, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Subaru and Toyota responded.

The recipient of the EARTH ANGEL Award will be selected by a jury of 12 respected automotive journalists. Factors to be considered for the award include present and future environmental initiatives established, sponsored or supported by the automaker; current hybrid electric, diesel and flex-fuel vehicles available to the public; and the automaker’s company position and mission on global warming.

The EARTH ANGEL Award will be presented on January 12, 2008 at the 12th Annual ICOTY Awards, and is one of many highlights at the night’s glitzy, black-tie affair held at the all-new MGM Grand Detroit on the eve of press week for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Bridgestone Tire will be sponsoring the inaugural award.

About the ICOTY AWARDS:
Launched in 1996, the ICOTY Awards honor automakers in ten categories for outstanding products in each new model year based on the emotional connection between car and consumer. Coined the Academy of Cars, the event also honors a veteran automotive journalist with a lifetime achievement award. The annual HEART STRING Award will also be awarded to an automaker and its agency for the most emotionally compelling car commercial that ran on national television. J.D. Power and Associates is the official auditor of jury ballots. Courtney Caldwell, creator of the ICOTY Awards, is the event’s executive producer and primary host. She is also founder and editor in chief of ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine, the first publication to target women’s automotive issues.