CDOTY awards presented at Auto Design Night Geneva

Car Design News, in partnership with Interior Motives magazine, hosted the fourth annual Auto Design Night event at La Sip nightclub in Geneva last night. With more than 300 attendees reading like a who's who in automotive design, designers were able to reconnect with old friends and make new acquaintances in a comfortable and inviting environment. 

One of the highlights of the evening's festivities included the presentation of the fourth annual Car Design News Car Design of the Year Awards (CDOTY), recognizing the most publicly acclaimed concept and production car designs of 2008. Car Design News Editor Eric Gallina presented the award to BMW Group Design in the Concept Car category and General Motors Design for the Production Design category.

Accepting the award for the Best Concept Car Design of 2008 was Chris Bangle, former BMW Group Design Director, and his successor Adrian van Hooydonk. Both accepted the award on behalf of the entire design team that worked on the innovative GINA concept car, which earned 35 percent of readers' votes in our online poll.

This is the second year in a row BMW has won the CDN Concept Car Design of the Year award. Last year, Adrian van Hooydonk accepted the award for the BMW CS concept unveiled in Shanghai in 2007.

Having completed the GINA in February 2001, Chris Bangle commented on how the structural shape, covered by a revolutionary flexible textile cover, opened up new possibilities for the future potential of automotive design. Adrian van Hooydonk also acknowledged the extreme freedom the new material offers designers, adding that the award meant a great deal to the team.

Dave Lyon of General Motors Design in Michigan, USA, accepted the award for the Chevrolet Camaro, which won the Best Production Design of 2008, acquiring 26 percent of readers' votes. Lyon commented about a classic Camaro he had once owned and spoke about how the new model, which he now currently drives, brought back fond memories of its iconic ancestor. He acknowledged the team in GM Design North America and Australia that worked hard to keep the production design faithful to the concept car unveiled at the NAIAS in 2006.

The next Car Design News designer night event, called Car Designer Night, will take place during Auto Shanghai 2009 at the I Bar in Shanghai's Intercontinental Hotel this April. The venue will also play host to this year's Interior Motives China Conference.

To register for these events follow the links below:
Car Design Night
Interior Motives China Conference

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