DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co.'s restyled Lincoln Town Car will receive Motor Trend magazine's Car of the Year award for 1990, marking the first time a large luxury sedan has won the highly coveted prize, United Press International learned Thursday.
Although the announcement will not be officially made until early January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, sources told UPI Ford already had been notified by the monthly car enthusiast publication that its newest luxury sedan, priced at about $28,000, topped all other domestic competition for the prize.
Ford cars, including the Taurus and Thunderbird, have snared the award every year since 1986 except for 1988, when General Motors Corp.'s newly restyled Pontiac Grand Prix coupe won.
The Car of the Year award is one of the best known and widely publicized prizes in the industry and worth millions of dollars in advertising and publicity for the winning automaker.
'These awards have also been a major quality story for us,' a Ford insider told UPI, adding that 'word is buzzing through the company that we won again.'
For 1990, the Town Car received its first major restyling since 1979 but remains one of the largest and most luxurious American sedans offered.
A spokesman for Motor Trend, published by Petersen Publishing Co. in Los Angeles, would not comment on the results other than to say testing had been completed for the award.
'We will not release the name of the winner until the Detroit auto show in January,' said Steve Flemion, of Motor Trend's Detroit office, adding that the list of nominees will be published in the magazine's January issue that goes on sale Dec. 10.
Each year, Motor Trend evaluates new or substantially redesigned cars for ride, handling, style, comfort, quality and value. They compete against similar cars in their class, but the car with the highest overall rating wins.
The award has been bestowed by Motor Trend nearly every year since 1949. In 1976, the magazine started an Import Car of the Year award because of the proliferation of new models.
Starting next year, Motor Trend will present its first Truck of the Year award.
Sources said competition for the domestic car award for 1990 was between GM and Ford only. A spokesman for third-ranked Chrysler Corp. said its new Imperial luxury sedan was not entered because it did not have a production car ready.
But it was learned that Chrysler also did not believe a luxury sedan could win the award, which traditionally has been won by sporty models.
A Ford spokesman confirmed that the company's Lincoln brand has not traditionally done any advertising in Motor Trend magazine.
