With over 100 jurors sharing their opinions and accolades, the World Car Awards are among the most coveted awards in the world.
For the esteemed World Car Person of the Year Award 2024, C V Raman, the Chief Technology Officer of Maruti Suzuki India, has been shortlisted as a finalist.
The potential nominees’ contributions to the global automotive industry determine their eligibility for the World Car Person of the Year Award. A noteworthy impact on their business or brand, a noteworthy technical advancement in safety engineering design, or another noteworthy benefit for the customer could all be considered contributions.
One of the most sought-after awards programs in the world, the World Car Awards invite more than 100 jurors to share their opinions and accolades.
The World Car Person of the Year Award’s top five finalists for 2024 are as follows:
BMW Group SVP of Connected Company Development, Stephan Durach. The innovative “BMW Panoramic Vision” head-up display in the BMW i Vision Dee vehicle, which was unveiled at CES in 2023, as well as the introduction of the AirConsole gaming platform in the new BMW 5 series were all accomplished by him and his team. Known as “Panoramic Vision,” it will be available in BMW Neue Klasse vehicles starting in 2025 and will span the whole width of the windshield, making it visible to every passenger in the car.
Red Bull Racing’s Chief Technical Officer, Adrian Newey The most dominant race car in Formula One history, the RB19, is the creation of its designer and driver. It won 21 of 22 races in 2023, setting the standard for most of its rivals to follow and paving the way for Red Bull’s sixth and Max Verstappen’s third World Championships. With over 200 victories for his designed cars and 35 years in Formula 1, Newey is at the pinnacle of an incredible career.
Porsche GT Andreas Preuninger He is most known for being Mr. GT and has been in charge of Porsche’s GT vehicles since 2000. He unveiled the 718 Spyder RS and the 911 S/T, two radically different GT vehicles to the world of autos in 2023, with a shared emphasis on optimal driving enjoyment.
Even lighter than its coupe sibling, the 718 Spyder is an open version of the track-tool 718 Cayman GT4 RS that was not designed for the racetrack. According to the renowned Walter Rohrl, the 911 S/T is the lightest 911 of the 992 generation and the official anniversary car for the 60-year history of the Porsche 911. It is the best road car ever made.
CTO of Maruti Suzuki India, C. V. Raman After working at Maruti-Suzuki for four decades, Ramam oversees the development of global models. He has now built internal teams and capability in India after years of transferring engineering and technology developed in Japan to the Indian operation.
The 5-door Jimny, which he oversaw throughout its complete redesign and reengineering, and the new Fronx subcompact crossover model line—which was created and produced in India but for the global market—were the fruits of that effort in 2023. With these cars, he has contributed significantly to the first-ever public recognition of Suzuki’s India operations.
Lisa Reeves, Volvo Cars’ head of interior design Some of the most creative interior designs of the year have been created by her. Sustainability and human-centricity are essential components of the Swedish company’s ideology. Lisa embodies these principles with a deft mix of refinement and playfulness, all the while incorporating the idea of form follows function. The Volvo EX30, which is intended to have the least carbon footprint of any Volvo vehicle to date, is one example of this better than any other. The EX30 has a novel storage strategy and makes use of recycled and natural materials.
Remarkably, Raman has been shortlisted among the top finalists for the World Car Person of the Year Award, making him the second Indian to do so after Pratap Bose.
Pratap Bose, Tata Motors’ Head of Design at the time, was a candidate for the award in 2021 because of the noteworthy advancements and connections the business had made thanks to its new design language.
Hakan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Car Group, took home the inaugural World Car of the Year Award in 2018, the year it was first presented. 2019 saw the award being given to Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA, Chairman of CNH Industrial, and Chairman and CEO of Ferrari.
The winners were Akio Toyoda, President & CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation in 2021, Luc Donckerwolke, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Hyundai Motor Group in 2022, and SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center Hyundai Motor Company in 2023. Following Carlos Tavares, CEO of PSA Group in 2020.
