Rigged Voting May Lead ADAC To Scrap Annual Award

TTAC Staff
by TTAC Staff

German auto club Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club e.V., or ADAC, may no longer bestow their annual Yellow Angel Award after the club admitted to vote rigging.

Automotive News reports that ADAC’s communications director, Michael Ramstetter, resigned from his post after confessing he manipulated the results of the Yellow Angel Award — given to what the auto club considers as Germany’s favorite car, providing a boost in sales to the winner — to favor the Volkswagen Golf. Through Ramstetter’s actions, the Golf received 34,299 votes to take the prize; the hatch actually received 3,409 votes from the club’s 18 million members.

Club president Peter Meyer said the Yellow Angel has no future, leading to speculation that the annual prize may be scrapped. The rigging also has critics calling into question the validity of ADAC’s car safety testing, and the club’s overall credibility.

TTAC Staff
TTAC Staff

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  • Landcrusher Landcrusher on Jan 24, 2014

    What car came in second, and was that rigged as well?

  • Gardiner Westbound Gardiner Westbound on Jan 24, 2014

    A rigged Car of the Year award! Tell me it isn't so.

  • Fred Fred on Jan 24, 2014

    I don't know who ADAC is but in general all these "Car of the Year" awards are not that important to buyers and the general public. Maybe to magazines advertising budget but that's about it.

    • Pch101 Pch101 on Jan 24, 2014

      ADAC is an auto club, equivalent to AAA in the US. (If you are a AAA member visiting Germany, ADAC and the other German auto clubs will honor your membership. Bring your card if you have one.)

  • TonyJZX TonyJZX on Jan 24, 2014

    adac must have a lot of money as they also conduct ncap testing which as far as i know, isnt common with roadside assist organisations

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