On Black Friday of this year, the cable TV channel formerly known as Velocity officially changed its name to the MotorTrend Channel, a move we had long telegraphed but finally made official. With this change, we add 73 million homes and 17 million passionate automotive television viewers to an audience that already spans print, web, social media, and video on demand. Our goal is to continue to “super serve” the car-lovin’ tribes across all of these distinct media platforms, so keep an eye out as we define and develop exciting new car stories and ways to tell them.
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Three days later came Golden Monday, our annual MotorTrend Of The Year Awards, in which we celebrate the winners of Car, Truck, SUV, and Person of the Year. This annual tradition had an extra bit of shine to it as we kicked off the celebration of 70 years of MotorTrend. Our winners reflected the sense of occasion. In the Wrangler, our 2019 SUV of the Year, we have a winner that honors its American heritage while looking boldly to the future. Our Truck of the Year, the Ram 1500, encapsulates the now as a near-perfect example of everything the modern truck buyer wants and needs. Neither of these wins could have been possible, however, without the strong hand and guidance of our 2019 Person of the Year, the late Sergio Marchionne.
I can’t think of a vehicle that better encapsulates the future of cars than the Genesis G70, our 2019 Car of the Year. For a 3-year-old brand to win in its first attempt in the premium sport sedan space—and become the first Korean OTY winner ever—speaks volumes about how quickly times are changing. Congratulations to our winners—and to 70 more years.