Royal college of Art and Alcraft motor Company Project winners announce

Bespoke restyling and engineering business Alcraft Motor Company has announced the winners of a design competition featuring students from the world-renowned Royal College of Art (RCA) Vehicle Design programme. The competition marked the culmination of a joint project exploring British design values and personalised vehicle design.

Students were challenged to develop a personalised design package for Range Rover products. The resulting designs took their influences from the UK’s design icons as well as heritage, and ranged from legendary cars such as the E-Type Jaguar, through to stately home architecture and country sports, and fashion icons such as the Burberry coat.

Jed Sheehan, who describes his style as: “a nod to the past and a big hello to the future”, received a special award for his treatment of the flagship Range Rover model, which has been translated into a design study by Alcraft. Sheehan’s proposal featured clever detailing, including the use of teak on the sills, integrated into a bold but simple design with unfussy lines. In addition the young design student conceived a new design for the Evoque to sit alongside the larger model.

“I’m very happy to be receiving an award for my work on the Alcraft project because I’m a big fan of British brands and British design,” said Jed. “Customisation for me is a must. It's about owning something special and allows you a mode of expression. With a little input from a customer it’s possible create something which can be cherished.”

The panel of judges from Alcraft Motor Company and the RCA also awarded commendations to two other students, Minwoo Hwang and Pierre Andlauer. Minwoo drew his inspiration from the craftsmanship and detailing seen in products as diverse as highly engineered bicycle equipment and crisply tailored suits, resulting in a clean, technical look. Pierre focused on the materials associated with country pursuits, applying leather to the vehicle exteriors, and also integrating a spare wheel into the bodywork in the style of the classic Land Rover Defender rear mounting point.

Matthew Humphries, design consultant to Alcraft Motor Company and also vehicle design tutor at the Royal College of Art, said: “Jed’s clarity of vision and passion for British design heritage in particular shone through. His work nicely combined traditional British design and cutting-edge luxury tastes, and also showed a great understanding of how to create something understated and refined but with impact.”

Humphries was formerly head of design at the Morgan Motor Company, where he was responsible for the Aeromax, Life Car, Plus 8, Eva GT, Aero Supersports, Aero Coupe and the classic Morgan three-wheeler.

Alcraft is working on a classic roadster as well as design packages for Range Rovers, Jaguars and Aston Martins.