The award goes back to Holden's VT Commodore in 1997, with the prize remaining at Port Melbourne with the Astra the following year.
The Germans claimed its first Carsguide gong - and the first of the new millenium with its C-Class sedan.
The prize went to one of the most-demanded machines ever to roll out of the Elizabeth factory in 2001 - the resurrected Holden Monaro.
Ford introduced its new BA Falcon - a $500 million investment by Ford Australia which removed the unloved look of the AU-Series - and scored a Carsguide COTY prize in 2002.
The ancestor of a 2011 finalist took the prize in 2004 - Ford's locally-developed Territory SUV won the award, before it went back to a Japanese brand.
The 2006 title went to Holden again, this time the local carmaker's VE "billion-dollar baby" the VE Calais V V8.
A Korean diesel took the top spot in 2007 - the Hyundai i30 CRDi turbodiesel hatch suprised many with five top spot votes from a possible nine.
Broadmeadows was the home of the trophy for 2008, with the Ford Falcon G6E Turbo scoring 77 out of a possible 80.
The sixth incarnation of the Golf was the first VW to win the Carsguide award in 2009 and its smaller Polo sibling sat in its tyre tracks the following year.
Carsguide COTY Hall of Fame
2010 Volkswagen Polo
2009 Volkswagen Golf
2008 Ford Falcon G6E Turbo
2007 Hyundai i30 CRDi
2006 Holden Commodore V8 Calais V
2005 Suzuki Swift
2004 Ford Territory
2003 Honda Accord Euro
2002 Ford Falcon BA
2001 Holden Monaro
2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan
1999 Toyota Echo
1998 Holden Astra
1997 Holden Commodore VT.
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