Design a Cross-Country Vehicle for Mitsubishi

Have you ever wished you could design your own vehicle and show it to an automaker? If so, you should take part in the 4th Mitsubishi Motors International Design Competition. Sponsored by the Japan Industrial Designers’ Association and Mitsubishi Design Associates, the theme for the competition is ‘Next Generation Mitsubishi Cross-Country Vehicles’. Entries are required to propose the value and the genre of the new cross-country vehicles, taking ecology into consideration, and “which bubbles with the ideas to enjoy our earth”, according to a press statement by the company.

In judging the entries, the criteria applied will include Relevance to the theme, Quality of the design, Originality, Ecological consideration or awareness”, Respect for Universal design, Safety, and Development potential.

Anyone, amateur or professional, interested in design and possesses skills in any type of graphic arts (drawing, drafting, photography, computer graphics, etc) can take part and there is no age nor nationality restriction.

Total prize money is ¥1.6 million (about RM48,000) and if an entrant manages to win both the Grand Prize and Internet Prize, he or she will be able to receive up to ¥1 million(approximately RM30,000).

“We expect to receive many entries filled with new ideas from all over the world,” said Olivier Boulay, chairman of the competition’s screening committee and chief of the MMC’s Design Division since April (prior to this position, he was General manager of the Daimler Chrysler AG Advanced Design Centre).

“We have used the Internet to announce and publicize the prize entries for past competitions, and this time, we dare to promote the Popularity Poll and the screening on the web site by all people who access our web site. We hope it will lead more expanded competition,” he added. In the past three competitions, the total number of entries exceeded 600 from some 50 countries around the world.

The competition is one of the Informational Culture Activities promoted by the company’s Tama Design Centre in Tokyo, Japan. This facility was established in 1996 as a base of futuristic design research and new model development for motorshows. It serves as communication interface between ordinary people and design developers.

All entries must be submitted by November 20th 2001 and the results will be announced in March 2002. For more information and entry documents, write to the organizers at:

“The 4th Mitsubishi Motors International Design Competitions” Division
c/o Rivet Ltd., Sanai Building,
Take-kan 101, 2-15-24 Takanawa,
Minato-ku,
Tokyo 108-0074
Japan
Tel:+81-3-5413-7979/Fax:+81-3-5488-1613
E-mail: m-net@rivet.co.jp
Website: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/DESIGN/