Road & Travel Magazine (RTM) is an on-line publication focusing on automotive, travel and personal safety needs for upscale consumers with a slant towards women.

History

Road & Travel Magazine was founded in 1989 by Courtney Caldwell under the name American Woman Motorscene. AWM was the first magazine to address the women’s automotive market. Pursuing a connection between auto and travel, editors began adding travel content to expand the magazine’s audience. In 2000, AWM converted from print to online only and changed the name to American Woman Road & Travel to more accurately reflect the magazine’s editorial content. Further, to avoid alienation of non-US and male readership, American Woman was dropped from the title, finally resuting in Road & Travel Magazine, a title that more accurately defined its content to worldwide audiences with an interest in automotive and luxury travel topics.

Editorial direction

Road & Travel's primary target audience is women between 25 and 59. Caldwell's editorial vision for RTM was an automotive magazine for the average consumer, one that was not geared toward car enthusiasts, therefore making it the rare lifestyle magazine that targets everyday "in-market" consumers—those looking for information on purchasing autos, trip planning, and safety on the road.

Awards

International Car of the Year Awards

In 1997, Road & Travel Magazine launched its annual International Car of the Year Awards

International Car of the Year

The International Car of the Year awards are one of several annual "car of the year" awards around the world for new automobile models judged to be the best of their generation. This one is presented by the United States magazine Road & Travel Magazine. Awards are given under ten different...

 (ICOTY) honoring ten new vehicles in ten categories for the upcoming new model year. ICOTY awards became the first awards to honor new vehicles from a theme that reflected lifestyle and life stage; focusing on the emotionally compelling experience consumers have during car buying and ownership. The categories that make up the ICOTY awards are:

• International Car of the Year
• International Truck of the Year
• SUV of the Year - Most Resourceful
• Sedan of the Year - Most Dependable
• Luxury Car of the Year - Most Respected
• Pick Up Truck of the Year - Most Athletic
• Crossover of the Year - Most Versatile
• Sports Car of the Year - Most Sex Appeal
• Minivan of the Year - Most Compatible
• Entry-Level Car of the Year - Most Spirited

Qualifications include vehicles manufactured by American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese, Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n and Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 automakers but are sold in America. In order to achieve a balanced perspective on voting that reflects all consumers, not just one gender, RTM engages a diverse group of 12 men and women renowned automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in the voting process. This jury of respected writers represents such publications as the Robb Report

Robb Report

The Robb Report is an American, English-language, luxury-lifestyle magazine featuring products — including automobiles, real estate and watches — for affluent connoisseurs.-History:...

, Edmunds.com, Winding Road, MSN Autos, AutoWeek, NY Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

, and Autoline Detroit. J.D. Power and Associates

J.D. Power and Associates

J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm founded in 1968 by James David Power III. The firm conducts surveys of customer satisfaction, product quality, and buyer behavior for industries ranging from cars to marketing and advertising firms. The firm is best known for...

 tabulates votes to ensure credibility and validity. The annual event takes place in Detroit at the onset of press week for the North American International Auto Show

North American International Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...

 (NAIAS). The event is televised by the local CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 affiliate, WWJ-TV

WWJ-TV

WWJ-TV, virtual channel 62 , is the CBS-owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan. It is co-owned with Detroit's CW station, WKBD-TV , and the two stations share a studio in Southfield, Michigan, a Detroit suburb....

 and is presented as a TV special on opening weekend of the NAIAS to consumers.

Lifetime Achievement Award

In 2004, Road & Travel Magazine introduced an award to honor automotive journalists who have achieved a lifetime of contributions to the automotive industry. The award was designed to acknowledge the talents of those journalists whose lifetime of contributions have helped enrich the world of automobiles. Past recipients include: Denise McCluggage, Jerry Flint

Jerry Flint

Jerry Flint was a senior automotive editor for Forbes Magazine, continuing as a columnist long after his official retirement in 1996....

, David E. Davis, Jr. and Jim Dunne. (In 1958, McCluggage appeared as a guest challenger on the TV panel show "To Tell The Truth".)