Rolls-Royce Declares UK Winner Of 2020 Young Designer Competition

Last April, British carmaker Rolls-Royce launched the Young Designer Competition for kids and teenagers 16 and below. This friendly contest is an extension of the Rolls-Royce Family Day Celebration held annually at the company HQ in Goodwood. Most recently, the carmaker has declared the UK winner for its 2020 Young Designer Competition along with the global winners across four different categories.

However, the UK winner came up with a vehicle that struck a chord within the design and engineering team at Rolls-Royce.

"We were practically drawn to Bumblebee 5000 because it's all about sociability, having fun, sharing good times, and enjoying the finer things in life, which is exactly what Rolls-Royce is all about, too," said Gavin Hartley, Head of Bespoke Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. "It also reflected our own interest as a company in the natural world and bees in particular: we have a resident colony of 250,000 English honeybees at Goodwood, who diligently produce the 'Rolls-Royce of Honey' for us every year."

The UK winner of Rolls-Royce's Young Designer Competition is Sofia, a bubbly 11-year-old who created a brilliant rendition of a honeybee-inspired Rolls, complete with wings. "You will never see something like it," quipped Sofia. "With comfortable tables and chairs, a disco ball, the best surround sound system, WIFI, GPS, driverless, a hook for luggage, and much more, it makes it the best option in the automobile market."

And how about that magnificent paint job? "It changes color depending on the occasion or season of your choice," she added. Sofia's original rendition of Bumblebee 5000 was transformed into a realistic digital illustration by the Rolls-Royce Design Team using the same software when creating a real-life, production Rolls-Royce motorcar, which is part of the many prizes Sofia gets for winning the Young Designer Competition.

She also wins a chauffeur-driven ride to school with her best friend in a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Also, her school will receive a complete Greenpower electric car kit courtesy of Rolls-Royce.

"On behalf of myself and everyone at Rolls-Royce, I would like to congratulate Sofia on her winning entry. Her design includes wonderfully creative ideas, is beautifully thought out, and redraws the boundaries of what's possible in a motor car – just like a real Rolls-Royce," said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

Rolls-Royce has also announced the global winners of the Young Designer Competition. Choosing from over 5,000 entries from over 80 countries, the four category winners are Chenyang, age 13 from China for the Technology category; Saya, age 6 from Japan for the Environment category; Florian, age 16 from France for the Fantasy category; and Lena, age 11 from Hungary for the Fun category. All the winners will also receive a chauffeur-driven ride to school in a Rolls-Royce Phantom.

"The most important thing I've learned from this competition is that whatever our circumstances, we have the power to create amazing things because our imagination is always free to fly," concluded Müller-Ötvös. "I hope the children who took part will recognize this too, and that it will be something positive they can take from their pandemic experience."