Celebrating automotive awards

The Motor Centenary Award

In 1979 Coachmakers’ Company class awards were presented for the first time at a Coachmakers’ weekend at Beaulieu National Motor Museum. In 1985 Past Master Richard Dallimore, in his year as Master, launched an appeal to establish a Motor Car Centenary Fund to provide an annual bursary to enable an outstanding designer with the opportunity to advance their career in the field of automotive design. The competition is open to second year vehicle design students at The Royal College of Art and an eminent group of motor enthusiasts adjudicate the presented work and make recommendations to the Court.

Motor Centenary Bursary winner Daniel Kwon

Winner of the Motor Centenary Award 2022: Daniel Kwon
After completing his Bachelor’s studies at Coventry University with first class honours, Daniel continues his education studying for a Master’s Degree in Intelligent Mobility at the Royal College of Art. He is looking forward to pursuing his career as an automotive exterior designer but is also interested in the interior design sector. For his final year project, he is looking into the transition of automotive design and the interaction between the user and vehicle, how autonomous technologies could impact the interior and exterior design without the soullessness in an electrified world. Daniel intends to enrich his critical and conceptual thinking surrounding transportation and vehicles that could be more beneficial and meaningful to future generations.

Daniel Kwon’s award winning work

Runners-up

Motor Centenary Bursary runner up Jan-Frederik Nieuhes

Jan-Frederik Nieuhes
Jan is studying for a Master’s Degree in Intelligent Mobility at the Royal College of Art. He believes that designers should take a leading role to shape the future of mobility. This can only be accomplished with truly innovative design concepts. What does that mean? For Jan, design innovation is not just about aesthetic provocation – it is about taking risks, it is about using new methods such as VR design, and ultimately it is about creating a real vision to guide us all: designers, managers, engineers, and beyond. A real vision is attainable yet barely out of reach. For Jan, a real vision is disruptive yet also grounded in a deep respect for our history and traditions.

Motor Centenary Bursary runner up Benjamin Miller

Benjamin Miller
Benjamin is a Canadian automotive designer who loves radical ideas made beautifully. In his career he wishes to create products that evoke desire and believes that vehicles which are beloved will ultimately last longer. After completing his Bachelor’s studies at Carleton University in Ottawa he spent time working for consultancy as well as in-house product design studios. This is where his passion for transportation spurred. Ben loves cycling and the outdoors and has a fascination with the social, playful and utility elements mobility has to offer. For his final year major project at the Royal College of Art, Intelligent Mobility Master’s Degree course, he will seek to further investigate these topics.

Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award
This is the inaugural year for the Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award. Initiated by Liveryman Michael Quinn, the award has been set up in conjunction with the Sir William Lyons Charitable Trust which provides the bursary funding in support of outstanding undergraduate design talent. This year, students from Coventry University were invited to apply, which is particularly apt as the birthplace of Jaguar Motorcars. Coventry University is one of the few institutions in the world to offer a dedicated automotive design course and has a reputation for nurturing some of the finest automotive talent during the past 40 years.

Winner of the Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award, Jonathon Allen

Winner of the Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award 2022: Jonathon Allen
Jonathon is currently in his final year studying for a Bachelor of Art Degree in Automotive Design at Coventry University. He aspires to become an exterior designer at a British OEM in the future. In his final year project, Jonathon has been creating an immersive user focused vehicle to aid in the future colonisation of Mars. This has allowed him to apply all the skills he has learnt including colour material finish, interiors, exteriors, luggage, and graphic design; all whilst creating a vehicle that can be sustainable even in the hostile environment of Mars.

Jonathon’s award winning work

Runner up of the Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award Subham Koohblall

Runner-up: Subham Koohblall
Subham is currently in his final year studying for a Bachelor of Art Degree in automotive design at Coventry University. His BA thesis was inspired by the extreme-e racing series. The three core pillars within his final year project are sustainability, a portable living space and a tough endurance racer. During his placement year he interned at Quarterre Studio and SAIC’s Advanced Design studio in London. The internship was a dream come true and offered a great insight into what the industry is like. Going forward he would like to specialise as an automotive interior designer.

Subham’s award winning work