Summer 2009
Food for Thought
I’m particularly taken by the ‘Modula’ concept of David Seesing, 25, from Germany, which enables future customers to go online and actively take part in the creation of their vehicle.
“The customer can define their vehicle and number of passengers. Body panels can be selected from a toolbox, representing engine, luggage space and wheels, and arrange them around the cabin. All parts are made from recyclable materials – if the customer wants to change the vehicle, old parts are returned to Vauxhall and either recycled or reintroduced into the system. That way, the service provides a growing toolbox for customers to choose from and a steadily changing source of inspiration for the company itself,” Seesing says.
I’m reminded of something else said by Anthony Lo. “The concept of mobility 40 years ago is decidedly different from what you see today. What hasn’t changed is the need and desire to innovate through design.”
Feeling inspired, I leave the exhibition and step out of the London Transport Museum into the heart of Covent Garden. I must look like a tourist, as almost immediately a fleet of bicycle rickshaws zoom over to offer me a ride. Suddenly 2049 seems further away than ever.
Design sketches show the interior of Augustin Barbot's 'Darwin 2049'
THE WINNERAUGUSTIN BARBOT, 25, FROM FRANCE
Augustin calls his concept ‘Darwin 2049’ – a new breed of vehicle which has no wheels and moves ten centimetres above the ground by electro-magnetic power, or in the sea like a submarine. It has three turbines, two at the front and one at the back, and there’s no need for body panels as its aluminium frame is covered by a semi-flexible, clear waterproof resin.
“I took my inspiration from futuristic films and cartoons where there are many spaceships and planes. With Darwin 2049, I imagined a new kind of transport that blends cars and spaceships. It is an evolution,” he explains.
“The most difficult challenge for me was to create a vehicle completely different, something you’ve never seen before but with automotive style, flow and elegance.”
For his prize, Augustin will spend three months working at the GM European Design Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, to gain valuable work experience and insight through hands-on experience with future technologies such as electric vehicles. Explaining the judges’ decision, Anthony Lo said, “Augustin really did interpret the brief from a Vauxhall perspective, building on our commitment to electric vehicles and anticipating tomorrow’s mobility needs.”