This paper presents a detailed analysis of global kinetic models for the oxidation of carbon monoxide and propene, in the presence of water, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, excess oxygen and nitrogen. The context is the automotive catalytic converter for a lean burn engine. Experimental results are presented for a commercial platinum diesel oxidation catalyst used in the form of a 400 CPSI washcoated monolith. Models are developed based on the classical LHHW format presented by Voltz et al., Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Res. Dev. 1973; 12: 294. The models are developed stepwise for experiments for each reactant alone and the predictive ability of the results is examined. It is found that it is necessary to use experiments with both reactants present to develop a reliable model.