Autocar Designer of the Year 2003 Competition in partnership with the Heritage Motor Centre

Autocar has been running the highly successful and well established Young Designer of the Year competition in conjunction with Land Rover and Lego for several years. The competition allows aspiring young designers under the age of 16, to try their hand at designing for themselves. The 2003 challenge is to design a Land Rover sportscar.

Now for the first time the Heritage Motor Centre, Aston Martin and Jaguar have come together with Autocar to create a second stage of this competition for adults. This competition forms an integral part of the Driven by Design exhibition, with some of the entries to be displayed as part of the exhibition.

The Challenge
This competition is open to anyone over the age of sixteen. All they have to do is design an Aston Martin for the year 2050 or a Jaguar SUV. What matters most isn't finished artwork or drawing ability; more important is the creativity, lateral thinking and sense of adventure!

The Prizes
There are 2 great prizes available including a week's placement at Jaguar's design studio in Whitley - an opportunity to impress those at the very highest level. Plus, for the over-25's there's a performance driving day courtesy of Aston Martin, and a behind the scenes tour of the impressive Aston Martin plant. The winners will also attend the 2003 Autocar Awards ceremony in London in November.

For more details and application form telephone Autocar Editorial on 0208 267 5630.

LONDON FASHION DESIGN MEETS CAR STYLING AT THE HERITAGE MOTOR CENTRE

Fashion designer to film and pop stars such as Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Jerry Hall and Lulu, Basia Zarzycka opened the new Driven by Design exhibition at the Heritage Motor Centre on Thursday 17th July.

Birmingham born, Basia is based in Sloane Square, where her client list is almost as extensive and impressive as her creations. Her style is unique, designing everything from feather tiaras and hats, to specially commissioned ornate-beaded corseted evening outfits, complete with matching shoes and hair decorations, from £3,000 to £25,000.

"We are absolutely delighted that Basia Zarzycka has opened our exhibition. Her designs are extremely stylish and individual and exude creativity and life, echoing the design and energy behind many of the cars on display in our exhibition here.

The Driven by Design exhibition examines car design in Britain during the last century and at the same time recognises the mutual influences of fashion, architecture and other social trends. Basia's presence added another element of impressive design to the mix," said Vanessa Markey, Commercial Services Manager at the Heritage Motor Centre.

The Exhibition
The exhibition is a new and exciting venture for the Heritage Motor Centre, illustrating the influences technology, the environment, politics and fashion, have had on car styling in Britain over the last century. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 18 July and continues until Christmas.

For over 100 years automotive design has captured the imagination of the British public. Its influence can be seen in British social trends such as fashion, art, entertainment and architecture. The British motor industry has produced many exceptional designs that have set standards still in evidence today - from the distinctive silhouette of the Jaguar E-Type, the utilitarian look of the Land Rover, to the sleek lines of the Aston Martin Zagato.

Showcasing 16 vehicles, spanning a century of British motoring - from the 1886 Benz motor carriage replica to the latest Range Rover -the Heritage Motor Centre has selected a group of fascinating vehicles to explore the evolution of design. Other highlights include a 1995 McLaren F1 road car and the original classic Mini, first sketched on a restaurant tablecloth by Sir Alec Issigonis in 1958. The exhibition aims to show people why the designs of certain periods came about, and enable them to discover what influenced designers at the time.