Trolly does TATA

Update

2009-08-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Nearly there! I have the design nailed down now thanks to the completion of the chasssis and other such factors. I had to adapt the shape slightly however as the first iteration was based only on a floor plan and people sat on it, purely a styling exercise. The last couple of weeks have been focussing on the details and adapting to altering engineering plans. This, though sometimes slightly annoying is very usful practice and instead of being angry and staunchly "designer" I have come to rather like the fluctuations. It makes the the thing I'm creating seem more tangible and real. If anything I am being too passive and felxible. Martin has, on a couple of occasions, told me stories when at BMW and at Jaguar where the designer has taken exception to the suggestion of an alteration and had various bits of art kit lobbed at him. Apparently this happened with Iain Callum, Martin had wanted to change something and then was hit by a marker thrown by Iain! So apparently I've got to get my polo neck jumper and purple frame glasses on and be more dramatic... can do.

I was able to complete the design in marker and black pencil today and scan it and, since the office was devoid of most of the people, take the whole place apart and clear room around my full size, office equipment made rig. The purpose of this (inc taking down office partitions ;-) was so I could project the scanned image on to the large, blank wall behind the rig, full sized and see if the folk would fit in and if the proportions at this size worked as a whole entity. I feel it does and its very heartening to see a full mockup of the vehicle. I went to hobby craft to buy big sheets of paper to tape to the wall so can draw on the full sized thing. I will then tape and alter accordingly. Its been good so far!

I must do my presentation tomorrow though for Uni on how the placement has been/going. Martin etc are gone tomorrow so will have time. Ciao.

A little update

2009-08-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

Im around halfway through this curent project and It seems to be going rather well. We have a chassis (despite some confusion on the part of Indian friend) and a design of how it looks. I was able to generate an exterior that was popular and I liked rather quickly. I have since been coming up with some interior solutions but this is taking longer as I'm not as experienced in this area. I know what I want it to look like and how it should be executed but its not that easy. It's somewhat frustrating. Long calls and chassis and construction developments have delayed the process of design. Now that we have the base nailed down I'll probably have to re-examine the exterior too.

Its all new and all very interesting though and I see the advantage of working with the engineers and how rare this experience is. However I'm not finding too enlightening in terms of soft skills like being taught things in my own field. I guess that was the italy side of things and this is the other side of the job, working in a team of different professions.

My task now is to draw the interior and start on the features. Coming up with the exterior shape and interior shape with features is a tall order in anyones book though and I've just got to keep going.

New Project Progress

2009-07-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick one... The new project is going well. Its aa very interestingly paced process, there seems to be a week for every phase of this phase of the development, which is rather good, actually. It is nice to have this set deadline every week so there is NO flexibilty in when things get done. There is no "Ill do it over the weekend". By the end offriday Ill have put down how I think it ought to look (a certainty it will change though and quite significantly) and some features I think will be cool, cheap, marketable addditions/features. This is another kicker with this project, there is very little groundwork on which to build. Usually (as with the last one) some packaging phase has been done, marketing has put down a wedge of stipulations and there is a company brief and a theme to help direct your ideas...not so here. Martin who is putting down the engineering concepts and innovations for this project is working very closely with me (I'm doing the ergonomics and styling of interior and exterior) in determining what things look like and how things work. It wouldn't work so well if he wasnt as enthusiastic as he is, there is a respect and interest in design and he will adapt and swap things around to suit my design, which, in turn, I'm finding the engineering so innovative I'm more than happy to adapt my solutions to the increased practicality and uniqueness(?) of the vehicle. It means I'm having to be very flexible in adapting ideas, which is good practice I guess. It also means I'm having a rather large input on how this vehicle gets made from the very start, its a good feeling. Its got pleanty of time to go tits up though yet!

I've got a shape, some features I'm pushing for and a feel I'm rather happy with. Certain areas are far from sorted but all I need for Friday is a shape and a direction. I've got 3 (!) huge whiteboards on which to scrawl too and its ggreat but its attracting too much attention so I reckon I ought to be more secretive!... This is a chhhheeeeeeeeaaaaap car so it wont be the sexyest thing on wheels but Im going to make it as desirable as poss, whilst providing something new... It'll be interesting, thats for sure.

2009-07-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

Well... its only a week and a half late but its here! My trip to the French riviera. Like the Italian Riviera but along a bit. The plan as we set off (myself Nigel again, and John) was to get into France through the southernmost alps through the pass above Cuneo and then who knows. The pass didnt really finish until you hit the sea at Ventimilleia (?). Well then it was obvious what to do. Just a short hop into Menton and then in to Monaco. I was a bit excited as its somewhere I have never been and I really enjoy ticking off countries and seeing new places. The first pics are of Monaco from the coast road and the ones after are of the harbour (where we parked easily surprisingly, it was v quiet for a warm Sunday). Obviously had a look around the harbour for nice yachts but my attention was distracted by cars as usual. Infact I think the best yachts I saw during my stay were in Verazze if you want to dig through my old posts . I had lunch there and it was a very nice nicoise salad and I paid as I wanted to expense a bill that had Monaco on it! Oh that yacht 3rd pic in was amazing. A gold star to whoever can tell me what it was. I particularly like the pic I took of the Jag 120 infront of the harbour.

The Beach pic wasn't taken by me though. It was taken by Nigel who, when reaching Cap Jean Ferraud, decided it would be the best thing to go for a paddle. There is no space on the Riviera, not even for a Panda and we just abandoned the car in a car park, inconsiderately. I, being 21 and the most responsible it seems, decided to look after the car and make excuses if we got in bother. Sure enough as soon as Nigel and John disappeared around the corner, a very disgruntled and very very old woman started talking to me in a less than pleasant tone. Ok, I speak enough French to get by no probs but could I understand a word this woman was saying??!! Hells no. The only bit I got was when I asked if I could do a 360 in the forecourt of the business ahead she said yes (I reckon) then when I pulled forward she called me a crazy bastard (I got that bit). Anyway I made some token gestures to make it look like I was trying, made some very unkind comments about her to her face in my finest Etonian accent and saw Nigel laughing his head off watching this happen as he walked back. Grrr.

We continued to Nice but only as far as the view point as you enter said "ain't that nice" and turned round again as we had heard the traffic get biblical later on Sundays. On the way back we took the bigger roads above the coast and we got to the 70's hotel above Monaco and some of the best views I've ever seen, what a view spot (these are the last pics). Despite setting off early we still ran into what is the most impressive migration in the animal kingdom after those Wildebeest in the Seringhetti. Every Italian in Piemonte/Lombardia coming back from a weekend by the sea. You have never seen traffic like it. We decided I was nowhere near worth the pain on the Autostrada so we headed for the B roads. Turns out we wern't the only folk to think of this and it was just as bad. Going the other way was a huge queue up a hill to get into the main jam! The smell of clutch was choking. So we got to Spotorno and bunkered in, deciding to let the traffic go. We had a meal in the town, had a wander and dicussed how daft you would have to be to do that to your self every summer weekend, getting wilfully stuck in a 4 hour jam. By 9.30 (arrived at 6) the traffic had gone enough to set off. What a hassle, why doesnt everyone just hang fire until later, its common sense!

In conclusion Its a very pretty part of the world... but there are too many folk and not enough room. It go mad if I had to stop for any period of time. Too many people know how nice it is! I'm glad I went but I won't be rushing back.

Stage one done and dusted...

2009-07-26T04:05:00.000-07:00

Right that is the Italian Leg of the internship done. I have been in a meeting with Kevin and Martin on friday afternoon for a debrief for the last project and the briefing for the next one. The location aint as special as the last one but I can say that the project is by far and a way more interesting and important. I will be doing most of the stuff in the Coventry office in aa quiet and ssecreted corner of the building as this is totally hush hush. I have mooted the idea of Kevin sending me to India for whatever reason and he hasnt ruled it out, in fact it remains a distict possiblity. I certainly hope it comes off.

In another piece of good news, I pitched the collaboration idea with TATA for my degree project at Kevin and he seemed to really go for it, and why shouldn't he, its your classic win/win situation. This should make for a more credible, rounded and significant study for the project next year and really pay dividends in the end. It also lets me stay in regular contact with them so they don't forget about me and raises other opportunities.

Right thats that update...again I'm very sorry The Monaco pics aint here, my feet havnt really touched the ground since I have arrived back in the Uk and have covered a great deal of miles. Friday was Manchester to Cov, Cov to Kendal and then Kendal to York. With a business meeting and working lunch inbetween!!! Sigh, And it aint gorna get easier. But there is a nice new apartment in th near future!

Last Car of the Day...

2009-07-21T08:17:00.000-07:00

Right I know you get these in the UK, but this is lovely, I'd have one, and in thiss colour. Amazing what you can do with plastic and glue. Innit nice...

Lets wrap this month up...

2009-07-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Ok then its alll over... I will be climbing onto a coach this evening at 7 pm for two hours to Milan Malpensa stopping in a hotel and then getting on my flight to Gatwick just before 11.

The Project stage has come to a close and I have mothing really significant to do at the moment except for writing about about it!

Mr Tata arrived about 4 hours ago and has just left. It was a bit of a disappointment actually. The Project I, Kasra and Justyn have been focusing our efforts on has not been included in the itinerary for today and will not be reviewed in any significant way. The excecs who came yesterday and Tata design chief Pierre had a look over it and picked out a few things that they liked and didnot. But honestly it was just cursorary and, for a designer, a very frustrating affair. We like being told definates otherwise your plans and ideas become shappeless and undirected/informed and leads to frustartion and bad language. I imaging this was good experience though... that this may often happen. Anywhoos, it was my first proper (ie outside university, sorry DB) pin up and present presentaions. I had developed two styling variation on my frame and I had rendered them in a style I had picked up late the week before. Thank you Kasra, you life saver. This, oddly has been one of the best things about the month. the two days where I picked up a new skill, to do rapid and realistic represtations of vehicles in 3D style. It will be immensly useful doubtless. However these will not see the light of day until the car becomes made/homologated and that is planned in 2 years time (so you must read as 3 at least...damn slow these indians...damn slow.) I will have to do some more and keep practicing.

Summary... I done good. I was slow to start with, not being familiar with the project and the package and crucially the design process, I had not done anything like that before. The first week and a bits work was scrapped essentailly with the emergange of new variations. Bad for loss of effort but good as I gained some responsibility. I improved rapidly, though, towards the end learning and applying my new skills. The end results I am very happy with indeed and I am not sorry they are not better as I learned and finished them in 7 days and the results were still good enough to be allowed to be presented to a global head of design. Result!

Right less of that nonsense. I will be posting the best pics yet as soon as I'm able so dont forget about this just yet. My trip to the French riviera, you cant affort to miss it. Just think, If I had gone on Friday I'd not have got to go to Monaco. Close one.

Whats going on?...

2009-07-15T23:25:00.000-07:00

Phew! This last week has been utterly mental. It kicked off late friday with Andrea (project manager Trilix) saying that he wanted all the renderings/proposals to look as similar as possible. This was bad news as I had already started on mine in a style I was more comfortable with. This was after believing I was right to make mine different as Nigel said to make my work (as a member of the Tata Technologies team) stand out more. Sigh. I am now currently in the processs of making 6 of my drawings look as good as they can in a style and a process I've never used before. But this is all good in terms of learning new things. I have completed one car and have to do a couple of perspective renders of the other now. I think they are of a good quality for a first timer (as does Kasra) but perhaps they are a touch heavy looking...

The plane load of Executives comes in on Sunday for the review and Nigel is back out this evening. Kevin Fisher is one of the VPs coming on Sunday. They will see the stuff on Monday and make some final suggestions before the big old boss comes on Tuesday, Mr Rattan Tata himself and his Indian compatriots. oooeeerrr.

I was supposed to be leaving before hand (would have had to have left 9.30ish tonight infact!) and get the 7.40 flight to Gatwick on friday but, thankfully, Nigel has let me stay on until Wednesday!!!! Wohoooo! If I'm fortunate enough ill get to see the presentation, ask about projects, fly home at a civilised hour AND get to see ma Louise, fate willing.

PS... Sorry about the last post I was hot and crotchety and I have been informed by people (very tall, red haired, female people, who shall remain namless) that it is over dramatic. Sorry. But I thought the pic was a good likeness, don't you?

Any questions you know what to do...and I'm not taking spelling advice here either! I have 10 mins before work to do this and life is too short.

Grrrrrr... stooopid weather.

2009-07-13T01:26:00.000-07:00

...Today is bloody humid. And I mean really bloody energy sapping, put Paul in a bad mood, curly haired, choking, not fun, clammy humid. And it doesnt even have the good decency to be sunny with it. I hate humidity. I can juuuust about tolerate harsh dry heat but this is stupid. ive gotten used to it over the weeks but I gotta say I do suit the cool, wet weather of England. Im like a computer, I work faster and better the cooler it is... To sum up, Im not happy... here is an artists (my) impression of my mood...

Weekend report.

2009-07-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

My aim on Saturday was to go and see the Car Museum in Turin...but the fates conspired against me and it was closed for building work...damn. I would have love to have seen some of the things there and find out about manufacturing and design. Oh I found out that Guigairo(?) is based in a place on the edge of Turin...might go for a nosey. Anyway, I have a bit of a cut on ankle from being clumsy and I went to get some stuff to clean it with. Luckly anti-septic is the same in Italian, but with an A on the end. I then suggested to John that we might find the famous Egypitan musem interesting. He wasnt keen. I was about to go on my own and he then decided to come. Its a big old spot in the Science academy in the middle of town. All the stuff there has been bought legally so there is no fruore about it being rightfully Egyptian, unlike the effectivly nicked stuff in the British Museum...Chumps. Its very good but you know egyptian stuff, dusty, broken and old with eyes and birds painted on everything. Dont get me wrong its great but after an hour or two it starts looking the same. And yes there were mummys there. Cool.

If afraid I just worked on Sunday, weather was a bit naff so just stayed in. Sigh.

Last Weekend, more views (my 12 yo self would be ashamed of me)

2009-07-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes I know its late but Iv'e been busy! Right, brass tacks. This was last Saturday's exploration, we had done the sea and the lakes the only logical remaining geographical feature left was the mountains. Conveniently, there is a very nice circuit that takes one round some of the nicest areas of the alps in Italy (the SS24 & SS23). Starting out was the hardest part as the sign posting and the bewildering knot of autostradas is incomprehensibly complicated and poorly thought out. Kind of sums up a lot of Italy, great quality and excitement but the frustration and formalities often dont seem worth it! (applies to cars too!) After going through 1/2 largish towns we found the SS24 to Susa. There is only one exit out of Turin to the Northeast as its a steep valley and only one road all the way. Saw this monastry thing on the hillside (below) and it looked damned impressive so we tried to go for a nosey. It went about as badly as could be expected (charged straight at it up the hill, direct is best right? Anyway, ended up in someone's garden, but lets not dwell on that). The Pics in the town are of Susa at the top of the Vally di Susa. Its an important place but its tiny really, there is nothing else out there, but it was quite beautiful. After Susa the alps really kick in and you take a pass out of the valley (fun). This takes you over the top and onto ace mountain roads. In Exilles I spotted this castle and I went for a nosey, angry thing huh? This road eventually takes you very close to the French border and I wanted to go for the sake of it! I'm glad I did as the STEEP roads up to the border were amazing. the town at the top (Montegenevre) is right on the border. The pic of the reservoir and me on the fence are here. Drove a little further and turned round again. Back in Italy we headed for Sestiere which is a big skiing town on top of the world. You stay very high up until Pinerolo and back down to Turin. It's a great drive. it like to do it in a Lotus Exige or a Caterham some time!
Any questions just ask.

Crikey...

2009-07-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

Just met Pierre, the head of Tata design global. Nice enough guy, he wanted to see some of my work, so I ran downstairs to get my stuff. He seemed to like it but said it was rigid and not very free. Thankfully Justyn put him right mentioning that it was supposed to be like that and it was for scanning perposes. Anyway, he wants to see some sketchy sketches, got some but need more. I really want him to think I'm worth bothering with as he will be important to win over if I'm going to get myself to India and further on in this placement.

Speaking of which im doing my photoshopping of sketches, its going ok, but its not the way i do things and therefore have not made my sketches for this perpose and arent top noch because of it. Id usually do far more by hand then scan, but hey ho. Ill see what comes out of this and if i dont like ill start over. Will be a kick in the proverbials if I don't meet my demands!

Progress Report.

2009-07-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

Right, some boring stuff. Nigel came over last week to oversee the progress being made at Trilix (NIgel being the bloke who is helping run the show from Detriot and is my point of contact with Kevin Fisher). We reviewed the various chassis configurations and also the various styling themes to go on the differing chassis, the styling being easily tranferable between chassis with minor tweaks. Finaly, we came up with the definative list. The good news to come from this is that Nigel followed through on the possibility of me taking command of a small part of the proceedings. I have been given the remit to come up with a styling direction of my own and adapt it to one of the chassis (got to choose its name too!). The chassis isn't the best one in my opinion but, hey, I am the upstart student! Unfortunately, I'm a little reticent to go into anymore details on this. Styling wise I've generated two good, solid directions that are fairly similar, same shilouette and basic volumes but with very different lamps fromt and back and side characteristics. I've taken the decision to be a bit more brave and experimental than the other guys as I have nothing to lose I guess. The plan is I'll propose the more conceptual ideas and at least I'll get some attention and it will be better for my portfolio eventually, and if it gets chosen I'd be over the moon, obvioiusly. The review is with Mr Rattan Tata himself in 3 weeks time. Just got to render and present my designs nicely now...

Points of view

2009-06-30T01:32:00.000-07:00

Here are two special views... the pics are of the sunset over Dolomites after a storm taken from my room window. Not a bad vista huh?This video was taken on the hill above Como. It was a hazy day Im afraid... But just behind the town on the other side is Swizerland...we were avoiding the border all day!

Trolly's car of the day...3

2009-06-29T04:13:00.001-07:00

Another Lancia...this time an Ypsilon. (I found out that it isn't pronounced Lanseea, but Lanchia because ci is ch in Italian, something I was aware of but never put two and two together). These things are everywhere and very similar to another Lancia, the Musa. The musa won't be on here as its not as pretty and its a Fiat Idea really. It has the all the classic Lancia DNA, the long, stepped back lights, large grille and long downwards swooping line on the flanks. Many of them are this tidy two tone colour. I think its smart and stylish and the Piemontese drivethem in their thousands. They do one in a sporty bright orange body and matt black roof number, a bit loud for most though. Bring Lancia to Britain!

2009-06-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

......Right did you enjoy those?...Do you hate me a little bit?...Do I care?! The plan for yesterday was head Northish and a bit east and see what we hit. We knew what we wanted to see but it was just getting there. I've always wanted to see the Italian lakes and Yesterday I did and it didn't diss appoint in the slightest. First off is Lago Maggiori, The largest and some say the less pretty (but thats like saying Jessica Alba isn't as nice as Charleize Theron or Noemi Lenoir...anyway what I'm trying to say is its a damn fine bit of lake. We initialy went up the west side to the town at the start of the pics. (Arona, just had to look it up). We were gonna go round the top and accross but we saw a map and bleeding Swizerland turns up. We didn't have our documants so we had a change of . Back the way we came, up the other side and round to a small town called Laveno. The pics through the arch and the two above are Laveno. There I saw a veeery expensive little boat (the wooden one) its a Riva Aquarama Super. Built on Lake Garda and the best speedboat evermade. After that little stop off and a shared pizza and a beer, we drove to Varese, a town between Maggiore and Como and headed for Como city itself. Now i've learnt that Italian sign posts are frigging useless as it they took us such a long way round it was untrue. We made it, had a recovery icecream and ran into a classics rally, now this is my 3rd one in 3 and a half weeks, i'm attracting them, not that im bothered! Wandered round the waterfront until Nigel suggested we go up the grand Fenacular Railway that goes up the hill above Como. Turns out it was a great idea. It was beautiful up there and it was very steep as you can tell, the town looks right underneath us, shame it was a bit of a hazy day. From up there I could see George Cloony's house (fourth one up from this text, the square one right on the lake front facing towards you. has a small boat just going past infront of it) and Ville d'est which is a huge hose on the lake side with a big lawn and hosts the best Concourse d'elegance (dead posh car show) in the world. Up there there were amazing houses that must be worth a bob or two. Some pics ive pposted but there are more on request. Then back down the railway and home again to watch the footie finals, and a good match it was too. What a day that one was.

Lingotto - Was Fiat, now mall.

2009-06-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

Before I get started, the first Picture is of NEEEERRRRRDDDDSSSS. There was a hoofing great World of Warcraft convention with card "battles" and computers with pale and unwell Italians having great fun. Anyway This is the famous Lingotto Fiat plant just 2 miles down the road from me and is best known for its test track on the roof that featured in the escape section of the Italian Job. Its a very impressive, quite vast art deco building...that is now a Marriot and a massive shopping mall with a cinema at the end...and a Juventus shop. Shame in a way but thats the way it goes, totally unfit for modern car building. Fact time. Its name has otto in it (eight in english) referring to the floors it has. Each floor was a different stage in building from forging chassis from iron in the basement through piant, trim, powertrain, body etc until the finished car was tested on the roof. Cool huh? I dont want you to think I wasn't learning. The bridge with the red loop is huge, it was built for a winter olympics and spans a big chunk of downtown, pointlessly!

Fireworks on the Po

2009-06-24T23:45:00.000-07:00

I know it's never the same if you weren't there, but this was the best set of bangs and flashes I've ever seen that wasn't a thunderstrom. I would have liked to have shown you how many people were there but lack of light prevented that. Imaging Westminster Bridge packed with people, climbing on the statues and lampposts looking over the river and thats the kind of thing. The atmosphere was great. The occasion was Turin's parton saint's day and like continental European country it was another excuse to have a day off work for religious reasons! Lazy...

I have more vids and pics but they ain't great so I'll not bother this time. Available on request.

Trolly's car of the day...2

2009-06-23T23:36:00.001-07:00

One of the worst pieces of news I recieved last year was that todays car would not be sold in England, after they said that they would... Its not cheap for a golf sized car (its, mechanically, a FIAT Bravo) but its better looking, more stylish, great detailing and is just way cooler than aything else. It looks even more expensive than it is. I want one, this colour too...I dare you to disagree with me. (in Louise's case, disagree again)

P.S. I want one.

Education...

2009-06-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

Have been taliking with Justyn Norek (Head Designer, ex deputy director @ IDEA Institute) quite a lot today and it has been very elightening. It was mostly non aesthetics stuff, for expale where the door appertures should go in relation to the people and where the hinges will hang and glass drops etc. This is the kind of stuff you kinda think you know but you don't really. These lessons are down to the process of design being undertaken. We have nearly the exact chassis, ergonomics and engine decided as well as some hard points and common parts. This means we are simply doing a clothing job, which is cool but is restrictive creatively in many ways. The points I've been learning are things I know I'll need in the future though and it's good to learn now. Some aesthetic tricks ive learnt, to keep the essence of a sketch and improve it without the shape disappearing through constant copying, have been useful too. You grab a sheet of tracing paper and just do the key lines and then do the rest around it as these will always be altered at some point. Also do the key lines quickly as this will mean you keep the energy without labouring them and loosing its "sparkle". Keep turning the paper so you see the other side, its the same (obviously) but looks whheeey different cuz you get used to seeing it all day. This alllows you to see any exaggerations in the shape you would never see....

(I know this was boring (not for me!) but I gotta keep a record of my work experience, it can't all be crazy lizzidz and fat faced cars, sorry!)

Lizzidz and Lunch.

2009-06-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

Lunch tiiime! And it can only mean one thing... To the sarnie shack! Obviously in Italian it sounds whaey better (eg Villa de panini caldi. Doesnt that sound awsome? But its just sarnie shack, honest). It doesnt look like anything from the outside but, like most buildings here its actually great. The food is amazing, yesterday I had minced meat and roasted pepper on ciabatta and today I had a frittata ina bun with lettuce. All home made. The pic below is the view, not a bad one, hot in the foreground, cold in the background. On the walk I go past a huge hedge and trilix's front lawn...it FILLED with these lizard blighters that run under your feet and make yo jump! The bottom pic is an example of one of them...

Cool parts of Turin...not just an industrial metropolis.

2009-06-22T00:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes I am working here but I also wnna see whats going on OK? Don't judge me for being a big fat tourist, I'm getting out of my system all at once so here goes (deep breath)... The Pic below is the main station and its ver nice I think. Then there is the royal Chapel. A grand building in the Piazza Castello. The Royal Place. The river Po going through the town. A wedding, theres always a bleeding wedding going on in Italy, they are mad for them. Piazza Catello again, big huh? The Castello that gives the Piazza its name, Its just this huge castle in the middle of a huge square, bizzare but cool. Some pretty, nice old building. Ditto. The main sqaure and fountains in the sqaure. Not bad huh? Some info on the Mole... its 95meters high and is the biggest brick built/supported building in the world. Oh I think im missing a nice pic of the square, if I find it ill post it. Ciao!

Moley-moley-moley-moley-moley!

2009-06-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday was being a tourist day! Torino's biggest (literally and figuratively) landmark is the Mole Antoniella. It isn't huge, but niether is the rest of the city so it stands out and you get a great view. There is only a lift up and it only takes 9 people at a time. The scary bit is it goes right up the middle of its huge cavernous dome and there is no lift shaft like you find on any other lift...oh and the lift car was all glass. Being pulled up the biggest building in Turin in what felt like a glass basket was interesting...to say the least. The view was great, its flat as a pancake on the Piemontese plain and its great to see the entire city stretching out. The two odd pics are jjust some things I found funny. PS I should appologise for the finger in the pics. John's camera has a corner apperture and I'm not used to it!

The Italian Riviera- Its better if you have a boat.

2009-06-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Saturday and John and I decided to go and check out the Italian Riviera. We took the A6 south to Savona. Didn't know what was there, just went for it. A lot of the bigger places are not too pretty but Savona had some nice bits. A long beach and a biiiiig castle. Italians are very economical with their beaches...every sqaure inch is used by folk and umbrellas, not nice if you ask me. The Castle was big and castle like on the sea. Y'know, a castle. Stone, walls, angry looking building? After that we drove along the coast road which was nice. Arrived at a town called Varazza which was flash and we pulled into a big marina. Pics below. Some mega SCHWEEEET yachts and the water front had a load of v nice bars and restaurants and gelaterias. Got a nice lunch of garlic, prawn, and tomato linguini. I enjoyed it loads, as you can imagine...got an icecream too. Hehehe. Continied along the coast road nearly to Genova and headed north again via Alessandria and Asti. After that we turned off the auto strada to get a bit lost, which we duely did. Buy this time the mother of all thunderstorms set in and we headed back to Torino and beer, a fair bit of it actually. Look at the pics and enjoy.

Trolly's car of the day...1

2009-06-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

This will become a more regular feature of this blog. I have seen sooo many fantastic cars that don't seem to get a look in elsewhere in the world, including Inglaterra and I think they are great! They just look right here... So number 1 is the FIAT Qubo. It's soo cool, its a van, but its cool.

The Hotel and Work at Trilix!

2009-06-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Well , Ive finished the first week of my internship at Trilix. Yhea, Ok it was a short week but dont rain on my parade please! Im settling in to my hotel, which has a more than flash lobby. See the pics. Its small but well designed and cool, kinda sums up a lot of Italian things. Oh how cool are the stools?!

The big factory thing is an old Bertone ffactory and design studio. I believe there is still some activity going on inside but no manufacturing obviously. The bridge is for completed cars to go over to the trim/paint shop on the other side of the road.

The chap sporting the moustache is Mr John Taylor, and the car is our little Panda which is great in the little city streets...most of which we have driven down! The building is the Trilix Building...I will get a better picture I promise.

As far as work goes, I am proposing ideas, first in profile and then in 3quarter views over a chassis package drawing...Its a lot of fun, but I've never done a car in that order before, its not a bad way to do it though.

I'm here!!!

2009-06-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

HOORAY!! It was tough but im here. My plane was late in which gave me little time to go and find John, (who isn't American as it turns out). I waited for one Amsterdam flight to get in...not that one, so I had to run over to terminal 1 on a hot bus full of school children to find him...This terminal seemed to be another country to the other one and 50 times larger... anyway I found him! Then we rented a Panda and set off for Turin. I have never driven on that side of the road and John hasnt driven a stick in 25 years...It was a jerky little journey.

We proceeded to Turin...and to get massivley lost. I was not very relaxed at this point to say the least. After buying a map, two sets of asking directions and 2 hours we made the studio and the meeting on time at 3pm. Then we had to check into the hotel, which was back into town, and we took a wrong turn again but no biggy. The hotel aint big but it is cool...Pics to follow. Its called the hotel Lancaster (funny). After a needed shower and an un-packing we went out exploring (what we hadnt already seen by driving around for 2 hours) had a beer or two then went for a pizza, very nice it was too. I then had to snooze I'd had 3.5 hours sleep in around 40! Plus I was fuuuullll of pizza!

Update for first day coming later today.

A small change of plan...

2009-06-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, not going out on the Monday, but now Wednesday. It's due to the American chap, CAD engineer/designer, can't make Monday. It's not all bad, my return date has been pushed back 4/5 days...extra drawing time is gooood. The fights are a mess though. 7.20am from GATWICK to MILAN! Wrong city btw. And I've gotta wait for John, the American, at the other end. For some reason Nigel wants us to travel in together and arrive in Milan at the same time-ish...but I gotta wait two hours. Weak. At least its free...

First day...

2009-06-10T08:08:00.000-07:00

Y'know how first days are. Meeting one hundred people at once and remembering only three of the names and most of the next week you are trying to steer the conversation into finding out without asking directly... its such a nightmare, but I'm doing the best I can. I did the boring stuff today, sorting out bank details, NI Numbers and contacts etc etc. But there was a definate highlight today, I participated in a conference call with Kevin, the guy who took me on, Nigel, an English guy heading up Detriot and 4 other people, (thats quite exciting but I'm not done yet). The good news was in exactly one week I would be going to ITALY! I will be working on a new vehicle with some top design people for 4 weeks pitching ideas and learning some stuff, doubtless.

The person who is heading up the team is an ex-IDEA designer and co creator of the soon to be massive Nano (pun not intended). I cant wait. But there is the small logistical matter of moving house and cleaning up to tackle...

A little background information...

2009-06-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

How did I get here?

You wait ages for a placement and then two come along at once. Nothing was coming up and I was hearing nothing from the companies I had sent applications to over the last 2/3 months. I had managed to secure a Uni placement in the Bugatti building working on the projects in there. It was interesting but it was not anything to be too excited about.

Then SAIC came along and wanted 2 people. I was confident, my work was looking good and I had done some good sketches for a car I thought they would like. I spoke well and articulated in a good manner...and then they chose 4 people who werent me! Ouch.

I was feeling fairly dispondant, then an e-mail from someone from TATA caught me by surprise. I had been given a contact through the International Officer in GS Building to a chap who was high up in TATA. I thought why not and sent a cover letter and a portfolio in hope rather than expectation. A Mr Kevin Fisher wanted to speak to me in person and look at my work. Meanwhile Design Q were coming in and I had had contact with them before. The review was on the same day as the meeting with TATA.

The meeting went better than I could ever have hoped for. He said they would take me on a couple of conditions and alluded to places I might go. But nothing was confirmed. Design Q called me back and I went to the interview the following Tuesday and it went well. When I got in there was an email waiting offically giving me the spot at TATA. Great! I had to turn down Design Q, who eventually offered me the spot, and upset one of the other lads in the process. And the rest is the future.