Swedish designer wins Anglo-American Emeritus Design Competition

The winner was announced at a special presentation on Monday 26 October at the Pall Mall clubhouse, by Peter Read, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Committee.

The exhibition showcased fifteen design concepts created by first-year students studying at the Royal College of Art Vehicle Design faculty.

The event was attended by representatives from Jaguar Land Rover, Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren and Sebastian Conran.

Winner Pontus Merkel, an ex-industrial design student from Umeå, Sweden said ‘This is my first trophy and to receive it from the Royal Automobile Club is quite an honour. This gives me a great deal of confidence; I am humbled and thankful for this award.’

The Royal Automobile Club and Royal College of Art had tasked the students to design an eco-friendly future car version of one of the British or American veteran cars due to take part in this year’s Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, for an imagined 2025 Brighton-London return run.

The annual event on Sunday 1 November is a major motoring spectacle, when the earliest (pre-1905) cars remind us of how Britain’s roads used to look over a century ago.

Students were encouraged to develop their own concepts, drawing from the history of car design, including the pioneering stylists who defined the early vehicle design profession, while also identifying potential new design methodologies.

The project included research into future materials, equipment, markets and above all, users and their needs, and marry the nature of the original design with the key elements of that future to produce a number of interior as well as exterior vehicle sketches.

Peter Read said: ‘The club has a close association with the Royal College of Art Vehicle Design Faculty. This latest award and exhibition emphasises the essential link between the young designers of today and the cars of tomorrow. The skills and genius of these students will be essential to achieve the developments in motor vehicle technology necessary for a sustainable future. We are grateful for the industry support.’

(Source: RAC/RCA)