Winning an award is great, whether it’s a school art trophy, a Blue Peter badge or a medal for bravery.
Receiving an award gives us a well-earned sense of pride and it’s an achievement that stays with us for life.
The car industry has started its cycle of award ceremonies for the best in all sorts of categories from design to economy, and the winning manufacturers have already begun to crow about their crowns.
Being an award-winner is a huge bonus for any product, whether it’s on the supermarket shelf or in a showroom, and with the current semiconductor shortage needed to build a brand new car, awards are essential in making them as attractive as possible and worth the long wait.
But what makes a car the best in the world? For me, I don’t really mind what it looks like as long as it has great performance and handles brilliantly.
But you might prefer something that’s hugely reliable or incredibly comfortable?
Putting together the perfect car
On a recent Zoom call with some fellow car nuts, we tried to create the world’s best car using our favourite parts from any car ever made.
Our suggestions included the rear whale tale from a Ford Escort Cosworth, the short gear lever from a Honda S2000, the door handles from a Mk1 Mazda MX-5, all sprayed in the colour of a lime green Lamborghini and sitting on a set of gold racing wheels.
Individually, these items are unquestionably fabulous but, as my non-award-winning drawing shows, put them all together and they’re a recipe that’s best avoided.
Grey tops UK’s favourite vehicle colours
There was a car colour that nobody bought in Scotland at all last year – maroon. Only a dozen people actually bought a car in that shade of red in the whole of the UK in 2021, which was the lowest number for that shade in almost 25 years.
This week the UK’s favourite car colours were announced and, disappointingly, grey topped the charts for the fourth year running. This is followed by black and white, with the first burst of colour coming in at number four, and that’s blue.
To keep boredom at bay sometimes when we’re on the road, the kids and I play “spot the yellow car” where the first one to do so gets a prize. Well, for our next trip to Scotland I’m definitely upgrading this to a maroon car.
And if I bend the rules for the colour to be matched to Scotland’s current Car of the Year, the all-electric Skoda Enyag, then I’ll have to make the prize the best award the game has ever seen – a huge poster of my drawing, of course!
You Tube: The CAR Girl Vicki Butler-Henderson
Twitter: @vb_h
Instagram: vickibutlerhenderson
