Opel Celebrates Europe's Most Prestigious New Car Accolade

R?¼sselsheim - Cairo - Dubai /

While the Opel managers where receiving the prestigious European Car of the Year Award, the amazing-looking Opel Insignia shined through absence at the Opel stands at the Cairo International Motor-Show and other motor-shows in the UAE and the Middle East.

And now it’s official: The coveted “European Car of the Yearâ€? title belongs to Opel and Vauxhall for the next year. An international jury, composed of 59 of the most important motor journalists from 23 countries, presented the marble and coloured metals trophy for the new Insignia today in the place where the successful model is built: In the modern Opel plant in R?¼sselsheim.

As more than 500 employees proudly looked on, jury chairman Ray Hutton awarded the prize to GME President Carl-Peter Forster. Steve Cropley, editor-in-chief of the British trade journal “Autocar,� which also initiated the award, Opel Managing Director Hans Demant and Opel Works Council Chairman Klaus Franz also attended the ceremony.

Many “Car of the Year� journalists came to congratulate the whole team on the most prestigious international prize a car can win. “The standard set by this year’s contenders was higher than ever, and the decision was one of the most difficult I can remember,� Cropley said. “We very much hope that buyers will continue to recognize the Insignia’s market-leading strengths, as we did.�

The Opel/Vauxhall team was particularly pleased with the jury’s special praise for their work. “We congratulate you further on the fine quality standards you have been achieving right across the GM Europe range,� Cropley added.

Carl-Peter Forster thanked and commended all team members for their exceptional dedication to the Insignia project. He also pointed to extremely tough competition that allows no time to bask in this success: “In an intensely competitive market, we have pulled out just ahead of the pack. This of course also means that even a little less effort on our part would have led to a very different result.� In winning this title, the Insignia had to demonstrate its superiority over 37 contenders in the categories design, safety, handling and performance.

We hope to see this car soon in Egypt and the Middle East as this unique Insignia has true chances to compete successfully with the Mercedes and BMW models.