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Motorshow 2000 SHOW REPORT THURSDAY 26TH OCTOBER Defender Design Challenge
Vehicle designers of the future are being challenged to design a successor to one of Britain's favourite motoring icons, the Land Rover Defender. Entrants to the Autocar Young Designer of the Year 2001 will be given a set of four LEGO Technic wheels and asked to create a scale concept model for the next generation of Defenders around them, using whatever materials they can find. The winner will be given a week's tuition with the company's design department and a £2,000 Land Rover mountain bike. And many of the entrants could ultimately follow the fine tradition of British vehicle design, according to Autocar deputy editor Hugo Andreae. He said: "There were over 1,000 entrants in the last competition and judging from the quality of those designs we're going to see some terrific concepts. "There's a strong tradition in British vehicle design and the competition is a great way to encourage young people to bring their skills and ideas forward while having plenty of fun. "The Defender also has a great tradition and I think this year's design challenge is going to appeal to even more people." Ian Jones, product manager for the Defender, said: "The Defender is one of that small number of vehicles with the iconic strength to capture the public's imagination where ever it is. "Many people can identify with it while going back to their childhood and it always looks at home, whether being parachuted out of a plane, ploughing a field or skipping through the water at Newquay beach." Land Rover design boss and competition judge Geoff Upex said: "What we are looking for is a modern creative solution that captures the character of the Defender without being constrained by it." Motor Show Visitors In Spending Spree Car manufacturers' large and small are reaping the reward from their efforts at this year’s International Motor Show... with visitors digging deep in a massive spending spree. Peugeot hailed the Show a "great success" after its 206 cabriolet coupe cc was voted Car of the Show at an industry awards ceremony last week. Jim Roy, Customer Relations manager for the Coventry-based manufacturer, said the 206cc had been the star of the Show, with thousands of inquiries having been received and passed on to local dealerships across the country. He said: "This is the biggest ever stand we have had which has really pulled in the customers who have been seriously interested in the cars. We have had lots of inquiries on the stand which we believe local dealerships will turn into firm orders." There was good news too for Ford, who took the rare decision of joining its sister firms - Jaguar, Mazda, Aston Martin, and Land Rover - in the same hall and benefited with "thousands of genuine inquiries". "We have definitely been busier than we were two years ago," said a spokesman for the company. "The Mondeo has undoubtedly been the star of the stand for us, there have been thousands of genuine inquiries made by visitors to the Show." The new MINI was also a roaring success, with 55 pre-orders on the first public day and at least 40-50 throughout the rest of the week. Rolls Royce and Bentley decided to change their approach to the Show, unlocking its cars and allowing the general public to experience the feeling of sitting behind the wheel of "their dream car". "We have had 39,000 people walk onto this stand and to get those numbers onto the stand is good going," said Martin Corlett-Moss, marketing manager. "This is a very different departure from the company’s previous show’s where the cars have been locked and only our customers have been allowed onto the stand. "But this time we wanted to expose the brand to as many people as we could. For most of them this is their dream car so we wanted to let them dream," he added. One of the biggest success stories of the Show has been the Holland-made Spyker C8, generating 19 orders within days of receiving its world debut on Press Day, including one from car-mad pop star Jay Kay. The Jamiroquai singer is now set to splash out £150,000 on the gleaming sports car, adding to the already huge fleet of motors he owns. Also on its debut appearance at the Show the company received wide- ranging acclaim from the car industry, winning Best Specialist Low Volume Manufacturer at the awards dinner. Other specialist sports car manufacturers including Morgan, Paradine, and Trident reported excellent progress at the Show. Sheffield-based firm Ginetta received orders from all over the world for its new S4c model, only available on the internet, which was given its UK debut at the Show. Kerry Bevan, sales director for Trident, said: "We have received 12 orders at least, with about 85 test drives coming up in February and that’s only the serious customers. We anticipate another 50 deposits from them and that’s a generous conversion rate." And with three days still to go, many of the manufacturers' do not want this year’s Motor Show to end. Noble Design
The Noble M12 GTO a hand built design by Lee Noble and built at Noble Moy Automotive Ltd., premises at Barwell in Leicestershire, on show at the British International Motor Show, NEC Birmingham. (Photo Martyn Hayhow) Leicester-based sports car specialist Noble has confirmed it will be building an M12 GT race car for the GTO category of the British GT championships within two years. Noble's Tony Moy said: "We've had three or four different teams from the GT championship expressing an interest in whether we are building a Noble M12 GT race car. "We'd love to do it immediately but having evaluated the project we have decided to put it aside for next season. "However, we will be building a race car for the 2002 season and it may appear towards the end of next year." Motor Show Gears Up For Racing Stars The International Motor Show is on the grid and the revs are building as it gears up for a two-day motor sports event boasting the stars and the cars of Formula One, touring cars and rallying. Britain’s latest F1 star Jenson Button is sure to be in popular demand when he turns up on Saturday alongside a BMW Williams F1 show stopper. Button, who has signed a two-year deal with Benetton for next season, will be available to sign autographs for fans on the BMW stand at 11.15am and at 3.45pm. BMW stand manager John Marchant said: "Jenson has had a fantastic first season in Formula One and we’re delighted to have him on the stand." Button will also be interviewed by Porsche Cup racing driver Tim Harvey and this will be beamed up to the giant screen at the stand. "I’m sure the visitors’ reaction will be one of excitement and anticipation and I don’t think they will be disappointed with the opportunity they will get to see him on Saturday," Mr Marchant added. Button’s fellow F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa will be among the first off the motor sports starting line when he takes part in the Daily Telegraph Scalextric Grand Prix showdown at 11am on Friday. Visitors to the stand will also be able to see OrangeArrows’ two seater car, the OrangeArrows F1 showcar and an interactive F1 steering wheel. ITV’s F1 pundit Tony Jardine will be at the show on Friday when he visits Global Garage Doors. On the Ford grid is British Touring Car champion Alain Menu, along with his Ford Team Mondeo colleagues, Anthony Reid and Rickard Rydell with their championship-winning cars. The three will be on the Ford stand on Friday and Saturday. Ford will also show a host of other motor sports cars including the Ford Focus World Rally car. Ford spokesman Tom Malcolm said: "The touring car team had a great season. Not only did we win the manufacturers’ championship, but we came 1,2,3 in the drivers’ championship "The entire team did a tremendous job and their success was a fitting tribute to the Mondeo." British Touring Car Championship driver Jason Plato will be on the Vauxhall stand on boith days, after winning races in his BTCC Vectra at Brands Hatch and the night race at Snetterton. Mark Higgins, who helped Vauxhall to the manufacturers’ title of the British Rally Championship and missed out on the drivers’ prize by just one point, will also be on the stand. Vauxhall’s Rachel Ingham said: "Jason and Mark will be signing autographs and meeting visitors on the stand. They have both had a great season and their fans will now have the chance to say hello." British National Rally champion Marco Ipatti will be on the Mitsubishi stand alongside his Evolution 6 RalliArt car during Friday and Saturday. The UK driver for the US Le Mans series will be announced at the Autotrader stand on Friday, where Channel Four Motor Sports presenter Amanda Stretton will be making an appearance. On Friday and Saturday, TVR Tuscan Challenge winner Michael Caine will be appearing with his car on the stand, along with TVR’s British GT championship drivers Ian McKellar Jnr and Bobby Verdon-Roe. Chris Walker from Team Suzuki and Mark Higgins from the Nissan Rally team will be launching Clarion’s in-car navigation system on the company’s stand at 11.30 on Friday, while visitors to the Ginetta stand may catch a glimpse of the marque’s celebrity racers. Ginetta director Martin Phaff said: "We are expecting a lot of drivers and hopefully Shane Lynch, Vicky Butler-Henderson and Tony Jardine will be popping by, along with other less well known drivers." Among the other highlights over both days are: Jaguar’s Formula One show model R1; Subaru’s new World Rally Championship car; Suzuki’s new Ignis Rally car; and Volvo’s Land Speed record-breaking S60. Race Hots Up For Charity Prize Mitsubishi is racing head-to-head with Ford in one of the keenest-fought races to the finish during Saturday's motor sports day at the British International Motor Show. The two carmakers are leading the chase to raise money for the industry's charity BEN. "With the large number of people expected to turn up from now until the show finishes it could be anyone's race," said BEN's John Skillicorn-Aston. BEN is the occupational charity for employees and former employees and their families from the motoring industry and all associated trades. "The Motor Show exhibitors are all encouraging the public to donate money to BEN using collection boxes on their stand and people have been very generous. "With the traditional busy weekend ahead we hope to be able to surpass last year's total of £30,000," said Skillicorn-Aston. The exhibitor with the best total for the day receives a bottle
of champagne while the best fundraiser up to Saturday will be presented
with a case of champagne. "So far Mitsubishi have raised about £3,150
and yesterday they were just 46p short of £1,000. "Ford brought in about
£928 yesterday and with a running total of about £2,800 they're just
keeping up, with Alfa Romeo and Peugeot not far behind." The 'race'
is just part of BEN's efforts at the Show to raise money. On Sunday
a grand draw in aid of BEN will be made by television's Nicky Campell,
with the winner driving away a brand new burned yellow Peugeot 206 Gti.
"Our BEN volunteers have also been doing a great job collecting and
selling items around the show and the Star Studio is drawing more and
more celebrities willing to offer their car designs for auction." "The
success of these efforts prove that there is a fellowship within the
industry and that BEN is at the heart of it. "That means one in ten
of the UK population can call on BEN for support, and in industry heartlands
like the West Midlands that figure becomes one in four." If you wish to contact us either : PHONE 0121 444
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