Without wanting to sound too much like Jenson button in that shampoo ad (or possibly Charlie Sheen), PH has been doing its own bit of 'winning'.
For our (no doubt plentiful) sins, we've been named by annual motoring awards experts headlineauto as 'best automotive website of the year 2011'.
Apparently, the judges liked our "strong mix of historical, sporting, international coverage" (were they really reading PH? - Ed) with one adding that it was "irreverent yet relevant" and noting that the press officer "who underestimates its influence is missing a trick. And if you haven't lost a few hours of your life wandering through its Classifieds section, then you're obviously not into cars."
We quite agree, headlineauto, but it isn't the PHHQ team that makes PistonHeads what it is - it's you lot. Which is why we asked you to tell the headlineauto peeps, via this thread, why (or indeed whether) PH is deserving of an award.
The judging panel were impressed by the fact that you reckoned PH should win because of "how it can feel like being down the pub, without the hangover in the morning." Or that "a website can be an information resource, a communications channel or sometimes both, and in the automotive world no website combines the two better than Pistonheads."
It must be said, though, that we are less grateful to the PHer (you know who you are) who commented that "it certainly shouldn't be for spelling, punctuation or grammar", however true that may be. Mind you, he did redeem himself by going on to say that PH is "probably the largest gathering of grumpy old car enthusiasts", a definite compliment albeit a backhanded one.
So thank you (as they say at the Oscars), this award is really yours, not ours... although we will be hanging it on the PH office wall. We'll only charge a small fee for private viewings of it, as well...