Friendship Car,” which I chose for the President Akio Toyoda Award, impressed me with its commitment to love and friendship and its idea of running on honesty. This piece conveys the feeling that, even when times are tough, we can overcome difficulties by sharing our strength and uniting in spirit with family and friends
Emmanuel Ukudolo
Tokyo, Japan, August 24, 2016―Toyota Motor Corporation today held an award ceremony for the 10th Toyota Dream Car Art Contest at Mega Web, Toyota’s vehicle experience facility in Tokyo’s Koto Ward where award-winning entries were announced and awards presented.
The Toyota Dream Car Art Contest, which was first conducted in 2004, gives children throughout the world opportunity to cultivate interest in cars and helps them feel the joy and importance of having a dream.
The winners are classified into various categories, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Best Finalist for children in three age categories: 7 and under, 8‒11, and 12‒15) in addition to Special Awards, featuring President Akio Toyoda Award (selected by Toyota President Akio Toyoda), Engineering Inspiration Award (selected by Executive Vice President Mitsuhisa Kato) and Makes Me Smile! Award.
The Engineering Inspiration Award is given to the entry that most inspired Toyota’s automobile production staff and is selected by Executive Vice President Mitsuhisa Kato.
“Based on the original drawing, this entry(Engineering Inspiration Award) was reproduced as a model by our Prototype Production Division, who designed it so that the vehicle’s arms and feet can be moved”, Toyota said.
To mark the contest’s 10th year, the organisation instituted a new prize, the Makes Me Smile! Award, designed to promote the appeal of the artworks by giving a cross-section of the general public the chance to participate in the judging process, through votes cast, using the Toyota official website.
This year, the organizers received 855,371 entries from 81 countries and regions around the world. “Between October 2015 and March 2016, national contests were held around the world, with the winners judged in the World Contest held in April in Japan. Under the guidance of the chairman of the judging panel, President Akio Toyoda, external experts from the fields of art and automotive science judged the entries and selected the award winners”, Toyota noted.
Speaking one of the special award, President Toyota Motors, Akio Toyoda said, “Friendship Car,” which I chose for the President Akio Toyoda Award, impressed me with its commitment to love and friendship and its idea of running on honesty. This piece conveys the feeling that, even when times are tough, we can overcome difficulties by sharing our strength and uniting in spirit with family and friends”, he said.
There are three winners in the gold category. They are Phakwaran Kaewkhao, 7 years from Thailand who designed ‘The Dinosaur Car: Guardian of the Earth’; Jarupitchaya Malakul, 11 years from Thailand with the design, ‘My Car is a New Home to Coral Reefs’ and 15 year old Gabriele Castro de Sousa from Brazil who designed the peace, ‘The Wisdom Tree Metamorphosing The Reality’.
Six other contestants won silver in the event. They are 7 year old Rungthiwa Duangchampa from Thailand who designed ‘The Fluffy Sheep Car’; six year old Dzaky Averil Sholahuddin from Indonesia who designed ‘Mushrooms Savior Car’; Ada Maria Ciontu from Romania(11) with the design ‘Toyota Tsuru-Go for Infinite Kindness’; Nattapol Komalarajun from Thailand(11) with the piece ‘The Rescuer Car’; Lakkana Meepara from Thailand (12) with the work, ‘Garuda, the Protector’ and Anant Wongsin from Thailand(15) with the piece ‘The Car of Rebirth”.
There are 9 winners in the Bronze category. They are Sanjeena Banerji from Qatar (7) with the work ‘Oxy Power Protector’; Thomas Pengyu Chen from Canada (7) with the piece ‘The Book Creator Car’; Lena Maria Huckaby from Poland(6) with the work, ‘Aqua Clearer Car’; Cagin Akay Yazici from Turkey(9) with the work ‘The Song of Peace’; Masaya Tsuruta from Japan (11) with ‘Genetic Car’; Siddhi Prasad from Qatar(11) with ‘Tick Tock Hyper Drive Car’; Rachelle Lok Sze Yau from Canada (15) with the work ‘Toyota Cares’; Xin Ying Lim from Malaysia(15) with the work, ‘Toyota Flying Super Japanese Koi Fish Car’ and Ioana Vallimarescu from Romania (14) with the design ‘Mind Opener Car’.
The Akio Toyoda Award was won by Elinkanika Phat from Cambodia(6) with her model, ‘Friendship Car’.
‘The Rescue Car’ designed by 11 year old Nattapol Komalarajun fromThailand won the Engineering Inspiration Award while ‘The Song of Peace’ designed by 9 year old Cagin Akay Yazici from Turkey won Makes Me Smile! Award.
Twelve winners emerged as best finalists. They are Alison Juliana Wilches(5) from Colombia with the work ‘Hibri Toyota’; Laura Herrero Pena from Spain(5) who designed the ‘Toyota SOS Car’; Seven year old Canh Ngoc Khuc from Viet Nam with ‘Spider Car’; Lok Yin Chow(5) from Hong Kong with the piece, ‘A Tree Cabin Car’; Denisa Alicia Rissa(11) from United Kingdom who designed ‘Camouflaging Car’; Yu Jeong Son(11) from Saipan with the ‘Origami Car’; Aryan Saraf(8) from Nepal with ‘World Enlightening Car’; Nandun Hesala Wijeratne(10) from Sri Lanka with the model, ‘Toyota Blood Making and Donating Car’; Luna Mhya Carrera(15) from Ecuador with the design, ‘Dream and Design’; Alex Dzaghigian(14) from Cyprus who designed ‘Amelioration Octopus’; Raksa Bun(13) from Cambodia who designed ‘Memory Car’ and Putti Kurnia Serfiyani(15) from Indonesia with the design, ‘Cancer Eradicator Car’.
