2013 Tesla Model S inducted to Motor Trend’s ‘Ultimate Car of the Year’ hall of fame

Yes, the 6 year old Tesla Model S is still scoring awards and this is probably the biggest one from Motor Trend — in the 70 year history of the Motor Trend Car of the Year award, the 2013 Tesla Model S is the ‘Ultimate’ car of the year, that’s truly an achievement by Elon Musk and his team at Tesla.

The launch of the Tesla Model S was the pinnacle for both Tesla and the entire automotive industry in the 21st century, the failure of the Model S would have jeopardized the entire electric vehicle movement, but Tesla had hit all aces be it innovation, safety, design or engineering.

Motor Trend compared the best car of the year from every decade since their first magazine issue came out in Sep 1949, the list of these legendary cars is as follows:

• 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette
• 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
• 1968 Pontiac GTO
• 1972 Citroen SM
• 1986 Mazda RX-7
• 1996 Dodge Caravan
• 2004 Toyota Prius
• 2013 Tesla Model S

Motor Trend states the following about the selection of cars in this list on their Model S Ultimate Car of the Year honors article:

Every car here was selected because it’s the best representative of the decade when it won, and still the Model S stands apart. In our 70 years of identifying a Car of the Year, none is more deserving than the 2013 Tesla Model S.

It’s indeed an honor to be selected as the ultimate car of the past 70 years by one of the oldest and most credible car news and opinions outlet, Motor Trend was an authority even when there was no internet, Tesla and Elon Musk should be proud and the rest of the leaders of the industry should acknowledge and follow.

In 2013, Motor Trend published the following head 2 head comparison review of the then recently launched Tesla Model S with the iconic 1956 Citroën DS-19 to determine the most innovative car between the two, interesting and worth watching.

The following description of the video clearly summarizes the intent, although the Citroen won their hearts 6 years ago but ultimately Tesla made it to the final countdown!

It’s a once in lifetime match up as Jonny Lieberman pits the classic 1956 Citroën DS-19 against the ultra modern 2013 Tesla Model S. Innovation is the name of the game as conventional combustion collides with bleeding edge tech. Will the upstart American electric disrupt the tried & true French four-cylinder? Which of these two contenders will go down in automotive history as the true revolutionary?