Man dreaming of road trip before he loses eyesight, wins Hyundai Hands-On Contest
After enduring five nights and six days of nearly constant physical contact with the 2017 Hyundai Tucson SE during the Washington Auto Showês Hands-on Contest sponsored by Hyundai, George Abbott planned to stay in close quarters with the vehicle.
The 44-year-old DC area federal civil servant suffers from an eye condition that will eventually keep him from driving. But before that happens, he will take the Tucson for a cross-country road trip with his father, to whom he will hand the keys at the tripês end and gift the vehicle.
Abbott has been attending the Washington Auto Show with his father since the 1990s.
The Contest, a longtime Washington Auto Show tradition that Hyundai began sponsoring several years ago, began at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and ended at 12 noon on Sunday, Feb. 5. Among the hundreds of applicants, Washington Auto Show staff selected 10 contestants, who were stationed at random around the vehicle and required to stay in physical touch with the Hyundai at all times, except for sanctioned breaks. Four contestants remained at the end who drew keys to see which lucky pick would start the engine.
The win for George Abbott exemplifies why Washington loves this contest and why the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers are so proud to sponsor this annual event, said Kevin Reilly, president of Alexandria Hyundai and Auto Show organizer. It quite literally puts Washingtonians in touch with the dream of a new car and helps them realize that dream for the greater good.
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