Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook Youth Competition Encourages Design and Engineering Creativity

Area Middle School Students Could Become Auto Designers of Tomorrow

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich., May 13 -- Most adult car enthusiasts have fond memories of falling in love with cars when, as children, they hand built and designed scale models. Likewise, today's youth are growing up surrounded by a competitive economy which sometimes requires exposure to real world challenges sooner in life to spark interest in a career which seems far off.

Those two scenarios will merge via a unique opportunity for middle school children from Southeastern Michigan to design and create scale model cars for the Junior Concours, a unique competition created by the 2005 Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook. Co-sponsored by DaimlerChrysler and by GM Service and Parts Operations, the Junior Concours will partner school kids with college student mentors from the Center for Creative Studies of Detroit, Mich., and Lawrence Technological University of Southfield, Mich. to build and customize 1:25 scale models of classic cars with only their imagination as a guide. The contest kickoff and model kits distribution took place today at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich. with the final judging taking place at the third annual Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook, Sunday, July 24.

"It's important that young people are encouraged by hands-on projects such as this to consider pursuing a career in design or engineering in the automotive industry," said Ralph Gilles, Director, Interior/Exterior Product Design and Specialty Vehicles, Chrysler Group. "At DaimlerChrysler we strongly believe that we have a duty to show today's youth that design and engineering can be exciting, and it's my hope that this competition will ignite the career of the car designer of the future that will one day design the next blockbuster for DaimlerChrysler."

GM Service and Parts Operations is already heavily involved in classic car events through its Restoration Parts business. "One role of classic car events is to celebrate our great automotive heritage and, by showing great designs of the past, excite people about the future," said Bob Clark, director, Collision Business Line, GM Service and Parts Operations. "The Junior Concours will cultivate a passion for design in the fertile minds and imaginations of the students and inspire them to emulate the achievements of the designers of the past."

Marvin Towns Jr., President, CEO, Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook, echoed those thoughts as he shared why the Junior Concours concept was created.

"The love for the automobile almost always starts at an early age," Towns said. "In developing the only Concours event in the world whose intentional mission is to be diverse and inclusive, we have created a forum to reach the younger generation, exposing and involving them with the wonderful world of the automobile through our Junior Concours model building competition." Joining Gilles in judging the Junior Concours competition will be Michael Burton, General Motors Director of Interior Design.

Five different categories highlight the competition -- Factory Stock Domestic, Factory Stock Foreign, Vintage Sport, Vintage Street Rod and Import Tuner/Low Riders/Tricked Out Customs. The winning middle school team in each category will be awarded a Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook "Best of Class" Trophy. In addition, every student competing in the Junior Concours d'Elegance will be given a certificate of appreciation signed by the Concours Founders and Executive Committee.

Youth representing eight middle schools in the metro Detroit, Mich. area have chosen to take on the creative challenge of the Junior Concours. They are:

   Bates Academy                   Detroit
   Burton International            Detroit
   Lessenger Middle School         Detroit
   Marquette Middle School         Detroit
   East Hills Middle School        Bloomfield Hills
   White Lake Middle School        White Lake
   Mason Middle School             Waterford
   Oak Valley Middle School        Commerce Township

The third annual Concours d'Elegance at Cranbrook, for which General Motors is the presenting sponsor, takes place July 22-24 in the surroundings of the beautiful campus of the Cranbrook Educational Community in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Proceeds from the event benefit three local charities: Michigan Humane Society; the Variety FAR Conservatory of Therapeutic and Performing Arts; and the Women's Survival Center of Oakland County.