Coachlines - April 2025

29.04.25 Assistant Giles Taylor

Insights into the Coachmakers’ automotive design and engineering awards 2025

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Our 2025 award winners were welcomed by the Master, and Assistant Giles Taylor, Chairman of the Automotive Awards Sub-Committee, at the recent Automotive Industry Dinner. All students who attended were extremely enthused by the evening’s events, including the excellent speeches, and they will now be connected to our young Coachmakers’ initiative.

The 2025 Automotive Awards support outstanding students during their final years of studies. Along with highly valued guidance and support from our partner colleges and universities, the committee takes time out each year to meet the shortlisted candidates. As well as providing valuable industry mentoring for each student, taking first steps in finding employment, the committee also works with the colleges directly to identify individuals who would otherwise be unable to access the increasingly costly courses. In this case, we aim to help higher education applicants from all backgrounds reach the educational degree that their enthusiasm and young talent deserves.

True to our Coachmakers’ ethos – an active Livery supporting young people – our committee members are always heartened to make such a positive contribution in the early phase of all our award winners’ careers. We are looking forward to expanding our award base to include more courses and establishments in the coming years.

Thanks to the judging team who presided over the student’s design portfolios prior to final selection at the Royal College in February: Liverymen Ian Callum CBE, Michael Quinn and Jonathan Connolly.

The Motor Centenary Bursary Award – Royal College of Art

This annual bursary enables an outstanding young car designer to advance their studies in the field of automotive design. The competition is open to Intelligent Mobility Masters’ degree students from the Royal College of Art, London and also Transportation Design Masters’ degree students from Coventry University. Each February, a small group of industry designers and specialists adjudicate the short listed design portfolios at the Royal College of Art and select a winning student. The RCA is known for shaping some of the most successful car designers during the past 60 years.

Award winner: Moritz Bunar

“I have a background in product design, having completed my Bachelor’s degree in Germany. I have always been passionate about cars, especially the way they are shaped, and becoming a car designer has always been my dream job. I am particularly interested in creating mobility concepts that reflect cultural identity.

“My first project at the RCA was a concept called “Chatterbox” designed to reduce loneliness in large cities. It provides a space where passengers can collaborate on small tasks during their journey, allowing for organic conversations. The design is inspired by the rich community culture of London pubs, blending functionality with a sense of place and togetherness. I was particularly fascinated by how people gather outside pub facades, creating a lively yet casual social atmosphere – perfect for approaching strangers and making new friends.

“After my Masters, my dream is to lead a design team at a major car company. I am very thankful for the Coachmakers’ support, which will help me take my first steps toward this goal.”

Award runner-up: Edward Johnson

“I used my time at the RCA to explore ideas around the societal role of mobility, the nature of sustainability, and the potential of mobility design to inspire solutions to wider issues than simply getting from A to B.

“My latest project, Headspace, examines future opportunities for emotional durability in automotive design, with the aim of creating an engaging relationship with one vehicle over a user’s lifetime. In it I study the potential benefits of autonomy for the private user, and challenge the assumption that purpose built autonomous vehicles should be intrinsically linked to shared mobility models – infinitely flexible and moldable by the user’s specific preferences thus reframing autonomy as an opportunity for greater rather than lesser control of an automobile.

“My industry aim is to create new automotive experiences that respond more sensitively to human needs – I believe this is where the opportunity lies for change that meets environmental imperatives and enrich the lives of individuals and communities.”

Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award – Coventry University

Since recent inception in 2022, the award is offered with the generous support of the Sir William Lyons Charitable Heritage Trust. It enables outstanding automotive design talent to advance in their final years of studies before their next steps towards industry. BA Transportation Design students at Coventry University are invited to submit a portfolio of work to the Coachmakers’ expert judging panel and a winner is duly selected. Coventry University is one of the few institutions in the world to offer a dedicated undergraduate design course and has a reputation for nurturing some of the finest automotive talent during the past 40 years.

Award winner: Harvey Leeds

“I am currently in my second year of a bachelor’s degree. My NorthFace branded project Avalanche reimagines the off-road SUV through the lens of adventure and product design. At its core, the vehicle embraces the carabiner as its defining structural element –an iconic symbol of resilience and exploration that delves deeper into the understanding of the brand. The bold carabiner frame not only enhances durability but also creates a distinctive, sculptural silhouette. Rugged yet refined, the SUV merges functionality with artistry. The tyre system is inspired by ‘twist to tighten’ shoelaces found in hiking boots, an adaptive system either for the road or extreme outdoor conditions. Every curve and contour speak to the spirit of the outdoors – it’s a tool to ‘Never Stop Exploring.’

“I aspire to keep producing new and exciting work that stays honest to my personality and ever improving standards. I have a devoted passion for exterior design and hope to break into industry soon.”

Advanced Automotive Engineering Research Bursary – Brunel University

The annual Research Bursary is awarded to a second year undergraduate student studying for a BEng Degree at Brunel University. Students from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering are eligible to apply and the award provides the successful student with funds to carry out their own on-campus automotive research project. This takes place using the dedicated Brunel University research laboratories.

Award winner: Weronika Lupikasza

“I’m currently in my third year of an MEng Automotive Engineering degree at Brunel University London. Thanks to the Coachmakers’ Scholarship, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Brunel’s Formula Student AI team on developing a simulation evaluating the performance of a driverless car. This car will compete in the annual IMechE Formula Student AI Competition. Computer code mimicks the actions and responses of a human driver, ideally performing even better.

“I worked on integrating various algorithms that enable the car to determine its real-time position on the racetrack into the car’s operating system. This allows the car’s computer system to understand its location, analyse data collected from sensors to identify objects in its path, and plan the car’s route. The insight and skills, combined with the excitement from delivering results, have given me an advantage as I complete my degree and progress in my career – I hope to pursue a career as a motorsport performance engineer.”