Instituto Europeo di Design exhibition: 'City Car and Off Road Show'

May 21, 2003 - From March 5-16 the Museo dell’Automobile in Turin, Italy hosted the “City Car and Off Road Show: innovative solutions grounded in strong traditions”, organised by the Istituto Europeo di Design. The exhibition presented the results of two projects developed by the third year students on the three year course in Transportation Design, the first project organised in collaboration with Automobilismo magazine, the second commissioned by Mitsubishi Europe.

The first section of the exhibition was dedicated to projects in which the IED students have 'revisited' the epic Fiat 500, the car that stands for the 50s, “the car for people who couldn’t afford anything else and those who wanted it because they could afford everything”, for all occasions, for all types of customer. The projects outlined new ways of envisaging one of the most versatile cars ever built, the small all-purpose city car: racing car, off road vehicle, custom-built car, record breaking car, 'fun' car.

The exhibition also provided a summary of vehicle development: a roundup of the great cars of different periods that offered a stimulating context against which one could analyse and interpret the new proposals.

The second section of the exhibition was dedicated to off-road cars: taking as their starting point the Mitsubishi Motors experience in off road vehicles, third year students developed the off-road concept to cover a wider range of uses – the off road vehicle seen as more than just an element of integration between man and his environment. Innovative solutions were explored with regard to both styling and functionality, that allow the user to come closer to his surroundings and enter into a more harmonious relationship with them.

The Istituto Europeo di Design, founded 35 years ago, is one of the leading Italian private institutes for the training of professionals in the fields of Design, Fashion and Visual Art Disciplines. Present today in Turin, Milan, Rome, Madrid and Barcelona, each seat has its own personality, strongly influenced by their geographical location and surrounding environment.

Many industry partners support the course, taking the role of the real customers of the projects: the students are involved in research pathways in order to develop project design competencies and autonomy in simulated professional practice.

Instituti Europeo di Design website: www.ied.it

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