Six decades of Super Bowl MVPs and their cars

There is more than one layer of competition at the Super Bowl. There’s the obvious battle between the two teams, but on the player level there is the pursuit of the coveted title of MVP, Most Valuable Player

Declaring the MVP has been a tradition since the dawn of the Super Bowl. It can be a career-defining title that — until recently — came with the gift of a new car, courtesy of the NFL’s corporate sponsor at the time.

General Motors was the official corporate sponsor of the NFL for decades, so MVPs were leaving the Super Bowl in brand new Corvettes, Cadillacs and Trans Ams.

Here are  Super Bowl MVP cars from each decade:

Bart Starr – 1967 Corvette

Bart Starr’s record-setting career as quarterback for the Green Bay Packers earned him the MVP award at the first Super Bowl in 1967. It also put him behind the wheel of a new 1967 Corvette.

Fred Biletnikoff – 1977 Mustang

1977 was a unique year for the NFL. It was a historic Super Bowl win for the Oakland Raiders, and it was one of the few years that General Motors was not sponsoring, so Raiders wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff drove home in a Mustang.

Joe Montana – 1982 Pontiac Trans Am

Three-time Super Bowl MVP Joe Montana was awarded enough free cars to fill a garage. In 1982 he drove away in a Pontiac Trans Am. 

Steve Young – 1995 Buick Century

Steve Young was hesitant to accept his Super Bowl MVP award in 1995 because the tame Buick Century might “ruin his image.” He eventually exchanged it for an unspecified “big, black truck.”

Peyton Manning – 2007 Cadillac Escalade

Peyton Manning is one of the most recognized quarterbacks in NFL history, either for his records or his parody videos. Driving new Cadillac Escalade as his Super Bowl MVP award in 2007 surely added to his recognition.

Tom Brady – 2015 Chevy Colorado

Considered to be the greatest player of all time, Tom Brady has won five Super Bowls and three MVP awards as the Patriots’ quarterback. In 2015 he gifted his MVP award to fellow teammate Malcolm Butler, who didn’t own a car before joining the team. 

Who is your NFL MVP?
What would be your MVP car?