Auto Design Studios Create the 'Ultimate LA Machine' for Los Angeles Auto Show's Design Challenge
LOS ANGELES, October 6 --
- Manufacturer Design Studios to Compete in What May Result in the 'Next Trend'
Los Angeles is a town known for its glitz and glamour, where image is everything. In the automotive industry, LA has the added distinction of being hailed as a leader in creative design and consumer trends -- and home to one of the world's largest concentrations of automobile manufacturers' design studios.
Therefore, it is fitting that the Los Angeles Auto Show recognize Southern California's design talent as part of its 2005 theme -- Design Los Angeles. And what better way to showcase the designers' creativity than by having the studios compete in a design challenge where they will express their concepts of the "Ultimate LA Machine" through 2-D renderings.
Despite competing everyday in the marketplace, the design challenge marks the first time that Southern California's manufacturer design studios will compete among themselves in a design competition.
The participating studios are:
BMW Group/Designworks USA
California Advanced Product Creation (Ford)
Calty Design Research (Toyota)
5350 Industrial Concepts (General Motors)
Honda Research & Development
Hyundai & Kia Design and Technical Center
Mazda Research & Development
Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design of North America
Mitsubishi Research & Design of North America
Pacifica Design Center (DaimlerChrysler)
Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California
The concentration of design studios in Southern California helps automakers tap into the region's trend-setting influence.
According to Joel Piaskowski, chief designer at the Hyundai/Kia Motors Design and Technical Center, Southern California is where the pen meets the pavement.
"LA is the epicenter of automotive design," Piaskowski states. "One of our goals here at the California design studio is to provide concept cars on an annual basis that can provide a hint at the future of the American market, or what we feel is a new market or design trend. The LA Design Challenge provides another way for the professional studios to showcase what may become the next trend."
Freeman Thomas, head of advanced product design at DaimlerChrysler's Pacifica Advanced Design Studio, echoes Piaskowski's sentiments. "The Chrysler Group is constantly thinking of the ever-changing California landscape. California is the cultural mecca of the automobile," Thomas explains. "Creating the Ultimate LA Machine is one of our specialties."
A panel of distinguished judges will select the winner according to criteria that includes LA characteristics and spirit, road presence and brag factor, originality, sex appeal, and function and features. The only firm rule is that each conceptual 2-D rendering be of a road-going vehicle. The winner will be announced on the morning of Jan. 6.
Journalists will receive a CD-ROM that contains images of all the entries, background information on the participating studios and other useful information about design in Los Angeles. Images will also be available to conveniently download from the show's Web site, LAautoshow.com. The entries will be prominently showcased inside the Los Angeles Convention Center during the full run of the auto show.
About Design Los Angeles
Recognizing the global influence of Southern California as an automotive design center, the Los Angeles Auto Show adopted Design Los Angeles as its theme for the 2005 show. The design theme is envisioned to be the beginning of an ongoing program to establish automobile design as an integral part of the LA Auto Show.
An innovative part of Design Los Angeles is the integration of an automobile designers conference within the show's media days. This is the first conference of its kind to be held at an auto show that provides designers with focused meetings, prominent speakers and discussion topics specifically geared toward automobile designers. Some of these sessions will be open to media, thereby providing journalists with access and interaction with designers.
The Art Center College of Design, located in Pasadena, adds to the region's design influence. It is considered to be one of the leading transportation design schools in the world where many of today's top automobile designers began their career. The LA Auto Show will honor Art Center's achievements and help usher in its 75th year of educating tomorrow's designers with a reception for designers and invited guests on Jan. 6. Many Art Center transportation alumni are expected to attend.
Design Los Angeles is being developed in close collaboration with the design community. Chuck Pelly and Joan Gregor of The Design Academy, Inc., serve as conference directors. Pelly is an Art Center graduate and former instructor, and is founder and president emeritus of BMW Group/Designworks USA. Highly regarded throughout the international design field, Pelly has received numerous accolades, including this year's Eyes on Design Lifetime Design Achievement Award.
The Design Academy is working with the auto show's Design Advisory Board in helping establish the framework for the design conference.
The Design Advisory Board is comprised of:
Chris Chapman, director of automotive design for BMW Group/Designworks
USA
Kevin Hunter, vice president of Calty Design Research
Derek Jenkins, chief designer of VW/Audi Design Center California
David Marek, chief designer of Honda Research and Development
Joel Piaskowski, chief designer of Hyundai & Kia Design and Technical
Center
Frank Saucedo, director of design for GM's 5350 Industrial Concepts
Media days for the Los Angeles Auto Show are January 5 and 6. The show will be open daily to the public from January 7 - 16, 2005. For additional information, visit LAautoshow.com.