This year’s car of the year contest began nearly 11 months ago on a snowy night in downtown Detroit.

Within a few minutes of each other, at a pair of swanky invitation-only events, new versions of the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Corvette were introduced to the world.

This kicked off a year of gamesmanship, complete with lots of nostalgia for the two leading icons of American automaking.

Chrysler introduced the 300 sedan (and, most famously, the 300C when it carries a Hemi V-8 engine). Suddenly, the two-horse race turned into something more interesting.

One of America’s big automakers, which collectively produce great trucks, sturdy sport utility vehicles and fun cars like the Mustang and Corvette, had finally produced a family sedan that rose far above the ordinary.

Ford has not done it since the original Taurus, and its new Five Hundred is earning lukewarm endorsements, at best. General Motors has offered a string of so-what mobiles (Chevy Malibu, Pontiac G6, Buick LaCrosse) for many years.

But the 300C with its brash, bad-boy styling turned heads. The car became hot and hip. Some compared its styling to a baby Bentley. It was a trendy choice of athletes and entertainers.

No wonder Snoop Dogg, the rapper-actor who also coaches his son’s youth football team, called and left a message for Chrysler Group Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche, personally looking to get one. He got one, and he used it in one of his videos.

Picking the best car of the year is not rocket science, but it is a messy, complicated, very biased business.

The North American Car and Truck of the Year panel includes 50 auto journalists from the United States and Canada. Some work for major newspapers such as The Washington Post, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and the San Jose Mercury News. Others represent magazines such as Car and Driver and Popular Mechanics. Some are freelancers while others work on the Web (Edmunds.com) and on TV (PBS’ “Motor Week”).

This year’s candidates represent the diversity of vehicles available to American buyers. Early in the fall, we pare down a list of every new or substantially changed car to a short list of potential winners.

That list includes: Acura RL, Audi A6, BMW 6-Series, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac STS, Chevrolet Corvette, Chrysler 300/300C, Dodge Magnum, Ford Five Hundred, Ford Mustang, Honda Accord Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Pontiac G6, Porsche 911, Scion tC, Subaru Legacy and Volvo S40/V50.

We pick cars that top their segment, and consider innovation and affordability among other factors.

The awards kick off the Detroit auto show each January.

From that list, I was very impressed with tech-savvy Acura RL, the much-improved Cadillac STS, the funky Dodge Magnum, the still-great Honda Odyssey, the stunning Porsche 911, the good-value Scion tC and the appealing Volvo V50 wagon.

But, in the end, the decision comes down to Mustang vs. Corvette vs. 300C.

Here is a bit more about each:

Ford Mustang

The Mustang first arrived in 1964 and quickly became the car that sold the most units in its first year on the market. An industry veteran who worked for Ford Motor back then told me recently the mantra from Lee Iacocca was “417 by 4/17” – 417,000 Mustangs sold by April 17, 1965, exactly one year after the car went on sale.

And that is just what Ford dealers accomplished.

This was a car that matched the times, and, some suggest, the first good thing to happen in America after the Kennedy assassination.

Over the past 40 years, Ford has sold an amazing 8 million Mustangs.

Perhaps even more amazing was the original pony car continued as a bestseller even though it lacked modern refinement and has used the same platform since 1978 – until now.

The new one is stunning in how well it matches the look of a late 1960s Mustang, while greatly improving the car’s overall driving experience.

A coupe is here now. A convertible comes soon. The V-6 version helps keep the price below $20,000 but it is the model with the 300-horsepower V-8 and five-speed manual that’s the real performance-value model at $25,000.

Chevrolet Corvette

The original Corvette arrived more than 10 years before the Mustang. Six months after being shown at the GM Motorama in New York, the first of 300 Corvettes rolled off a makeshift assembly line in Flint, Mich., in June 1953.

All were painted polo white with red interiors.

The 2005 model marks the sixth-generation Corvette – C6 to enthusiasts.

It now makes 400 horsepower from its V-8 engine, and manages to offer both cutting-edge performance and comfortable driving.

Chrysler 300

History is a bit murkier here. Chrysler had 300 Series cars from 1955 to 1965. They won NASCAR races and earned kudos for their styling.

The name was revived in 1999, with the 300M, which was an attractive car, but still only a V-6 sedan that was little changed from the Dodge Intrepid.

But the 2005 300 changes the game. It shares its rear-wheel-drive platform with the Dodge Magnum wagon. It does offer two V-6 engines, which means that the starting price is below $24,000.

But it is the 300C, with its whopping Hemi V-8 that makes 340 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque, that is the top-dog model. It has a base price of $33,495.

It has a huge grille and belt line (a line that flows around the car) that is significantly higher than most other cars.

In 2002, Chrysler dealers sold about 64,000 300Ms and Concordes. Through October of this year, dealers had sold nearly 88,000 of the new 300 and 300C models.

In the end, I will give points to all three cars.

I love the Corvette, but it is pretty evolutionary from a very good C5 model. It finished No.3 on my list.

The 300C was a revelation for me. I hated it when I first saw it. I loved it when I first drove it. And now I still turn my head every time I see one. It finished second on my list.

Yes, the new Mustang mimics the past so well it possibly insults all the designers who are creating new cars. And, yes, it retains a solid rear axle vs. an independent rear suspension, and gets a five-speed shifter vs. a six.

But, darn it, the new Mustang is great. You smile when you drive it, and that is the best endorsement of all.