The Automotive Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) has announced the winners for its 49th annual Automotive Innovation Awards Competition, the oldest and largest recognition event in the automotive and plastics industries. The Awards Gala was held November 6, 2019 at the Burton Manor in Livonia, Michigan. Dozens of teams made up of OEMs, tier suppliers and polymer producers submitted nominations describing their parts, systems, or complete vehicles and why their entries merited the claim as the Year’s Most Innovative Use of Plastics.

This year’s winners included these special awards. The Vehicle Team Engineering Award was earned by the composites-intensive 2020 model year Chevrolet Corvette Stingray sports car from General Motors Co. (Detroit). The Hall of Fame Award was given for the first Plastic-Metal Hybrid front end structure, used on the 1999 C170 Ford Focus GOR from Ford Motor Company. And the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Michael J. Whitens, retired former Global Director for Ford’s Vehicle and Enterprise Sciences at Ford’s Research and Innovation Center.

SPE also presented awards in the following categories: Additive Manufacturing, Aftermarket and Limited Edition/Specialty Vehicles, Grand Award & Body Exterior, Body Interior, Chassis/Hardware, Environmental, Materials, Powertrain, and Process/Assembly/Enabling Technologies.

For more information about the competition, award winners and gala, visit www.speautomotive.com. For more information about the Society of Plastics Engineers, visit www.4spe.org.