A talented 10-year-old boy from Dallas was selected as the Texas winner of the Rolls-Royce Young Designer Competition. Launched in April as a way for kids age 16 and under to express their creativity in the midst of the pandemic, the international competition attracted over 5,000 entries from more than 80 countries.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas selected Elijah Machado, 10, of Dallas from all the Texas entries submitted. Elijah described his vision of a Rolls-Royce as a vehicle that can go 800 mph and would last 5.9 million miles. “The car has rocket boosters that make the car go 1,000 mph,” Elijah said in his entry. “The car will have an auto pilot and an eject button. It will have TVs behind the seats with video games and remotes. When my car is on and parked, it hovers. When my car is off, it lands slowly to the ground. My car will stretch out so that more people can fit in it. My car will have a clear shield to protect it. Anything that hits the car shield will bounce back. In my car, you will never get bored.”
Automotive artist Stephen Selzler collaborated with Elijah on four original pieces of art based on his entry. Elijah also received the opportunity to explore the Avondale Premier Collection dealership, enjoy his first ride in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, and meet the team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas.
“When kids were forced to stay home earlier this year as a result of the global pandemic, Rolls-Royce launched this competition to encourage and inspire the next generation,” said Heath Strayhan, general manager of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas. “It was thrilling to see kids around the world participate, especially from right here in Texas.”
Launched as lockdown conditions were imposed across the globe, the competition proved an instant success. Asked only to design their ‘dream Rolls-Royce of the future’ children had complete creative freedom, allowing them to develop ideas of astonishing scope, complexity and vision far beyond the realms of automotive design.
With no rules or specific judging criteria to constrain them, children were able to let their imagination run free, creating designs of extraordinary richness, creativity and diversity.
“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,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “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.”
Avondale Group is an innovative automotive business led by a team of professionals with decades of experience. Avondale Dealerships operate Mercedes-Benz of Grapevine, Porsche Grapevine, Sprinter Grapevine, Aston Martin Dallas, Bentley Dallas, Koenigsegg, McLaren Dallas, Maserati Dallas, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas. In addition, the company manages Avondale Collision & Repair, and Avondale Select, a subscription service for luxury vehicles. For more information, visit avondale.com.