A talented 10-year-old boy from Dallas was selected as the American winner of the Rolls-Royce Young Designer Competition for children ages 16 and under. Launched in April as a way for kids to express their creativity amid the pandemic, the international Rolls-Royce Young Designer Competition attracted more than 5,000 entries from more than 80 countries.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas selected Elijah Machado, 10, of Dallas from all the North American entries submitted. Elijah described his 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,” said Elijah Machado. “The car will have an auto pilot button and an eject button. The car will have TVs behind the seats with video games and remotes.”
Automotive artist Stephen Selzer surprised Elijah with a custom piece of art based on his entry to the competition. Elijah also received a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the luxury dealership, enjoy his first ride in a Rolls-Royce and meet with the team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dallas who helped him design his dream Rolls-Royce.
“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 in April as lockdown conditions were imposed across the globe, the competition proved an instant success; so much so, the original deadline for entries was extended. 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 specified 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.”
