AutoWeek Magazine and the College for Creative Studies - Teaming up to Recognize a Car's Life: Designed to Entertain

DETROIT, Jan. 11, 2005 -- AutoWeek magazine kicks off the new year by hosting the 12th annual Design Forum event in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show. Why the Detroit Auto Show for such an event? Because Detroit is truly the center of automotive design as major automotive design studios for DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors are located in the Detroit area.

And, just down the street from the AutoWeek office is the College for Creative Studies (CCS), a school that produces top automotive designers. How fitting that AutoWeek and CCS team up at Design Forum. "We wanted to help spotlight CCS with a prominent position at our Design Forum since they are so important in the world of design in North America and beyond. With the "One Concept Car that Must be Built" award, we will let a new generation of CCS designers express what they feel is cool and hip at the auto show from the emerging designers' eyes," says AutoWeek Publisher, Rich Ceppos.

For the first time this year, AutoWeek's Design Forum is being presented in association with CCS, one of the world's leading design institutions and the foremost educator of transportation designers. CCS will present the "One Concept Car that Must be Built" award at the Design Forum event. Six CCS transportation design students will judge the concepts and the criteria for the award is based on exterior and interior aspects such as: Exterior - Impact (first visual impression in terms of innovation and style); Aesthetics (balance of design, form development, proportion of volumes) and Stance (presence on the road, overall impression of overhangs, wheel size, front and rear three-quarter views.) Interior - Impact and Aesthetics as stated above and also materials, spatial arrangements, fit-and-finish.

"CCS is delighted to be partnering with AutoWeek on the Design Forum. The Forum celebrates design and demonstrates the importance of design to the success of the auto industry," stated CCS President Rick Rogers.

What is CCS? The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is one of the nation's leading arts education institutions. A private, fully accredited, four-year college located in Detroit, CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in eight studio majors plus an Art Education program leading to State of Michigan K-12 Teaching Certification. The College provides a dynamic learning environment in which students explore issues of art and design, and the culture in which they exist, while preparing for careers in the professional world. CCS is credited with having one of the world's most recognized programs in transportation design and for placing more graduates in automotive design than any other school.

  Recognize these top automotive designers -- all are graduates of CCS:
  -- Ralph Gilles, 1992 graduate:  Director Product Design, DaimlerChrysler
     responsible for the Chrysler 300C; Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger
     concept;
  -- Brian Nielander, 1998 graduate:  Product Designer, DaimlerChrysler
     (Firepower concept);
  -- Pat Shiavone, 1988 graduate:  Design Director, Ford (Ford F150);
  -- Camilo Pardo, 1985 graduate:  Chief Designer, Ford (Ford GT concept);
  -- Kevin Hunter, 1982 graduate:  Vice President of Design, Toyota (FTX
     Concept);
  -- Peter Boruta, 1996 graduate:  Senior Creative Program Director, GM
     (H3T HUMMER concept);
  -- Joel Piaskowski, 1990 graduate:  Chief Designer, Hyundai (HCD8
     concept).

The day-long Design Forum event held on Wednesday, January 12 is truly a celebration of design and is geared to automotive and also non-automotive professionals and students and features presentations by leading design professionals such as Chris Bangle, BMW; Kip Wasenko, GM; and John Lasseter from Pixar Animation Studios, just to name a few. AutoWeek will also be announcing the Editors' Choice awards recognizing the Best in Show, Most Fun, Most Significant and Best Concept vehicles.

Onsite registration will be available beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 12. Location: Cobo Center/Riverview Ballroom. Cost for the full-day program is $325; dinner only $225.

AutoWeek is the magazine for the ultimate car enthusiast. America's only weekly car magazine, it delivers the latest news plus truck loads of useful information and sparkling insights on new vehicles; vintage cars; motorsports; automotive trends; and the people who make it all happen -- everything about "the automotive lifestyle." Delivered fresh to your doorstep every week. Paid circulation is 350,000. To subscribe, call 1.888.288.6954 or subscribe online at http://www.autoweek.com/ .

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is one of the nation's leading arts education institutions. With the world's most recognized program in transportation design, CCS alumni influence and shape the automotive design industry daily. From innovative exteriors to dynamic interiors, CCS graduates have had a hand in most of the cars seen on the road today. CCS, located in Detroit's Cultural Center, produces leaders in Animation and Digital Media, Art Education, Communication Design, Crafts, Fine Arts, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design and Photography. http://www.ccscad.edu/