Have you ever wondered what is happening right before the premiere of a new car or concept? The Czech carmaker Škoda is now revealing what such a performance looks like from the point of view of transport.
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The team for supporting design presentations from the Design Modeling and Digitization Department in the Mladá Boleslav company is in charge of transporting cars, which are usually still waiting to be revealed to the public. It was established in 2004 and from the beginning Michal Morávek has been leading it as the coordinator of the preparation of presentations.
His group distinguishes mainly three types of model presentations. The first are top secret, intended exclusively for approval of the appearance by the management of the car manufacturer or the concern.
“Design presentations for the approval of the car before management are one of the final stages of the design preparation process for us, and this is probably the most critical phase. How the presentation takes place will fundamentally affect the fate of the car, ie whether the management approves it, “emphasizes the importance of preparations for the presentation Martin Bogner, Head of Design Modeling and Digitization.
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Then there are the public premieres, whether at car shows or in digital form. And the third type are car exhibitions, which often take place in unusual places so that the car attracts the public even in combination with the space.
Morávek’s team is in charge of transporting all types of models to all types of presentations. This means that they must be able to transport clay models, so-called “hard models” made of solid materials and, of course, mobile presentation models, which already look like a finished car.
“We usually handle unique pieces of incalculable value, which are irreplaceable for the presentation, but which are also quite prone to damage. It’s a huge responsibility, “says Michal Morávek.
How to pack a unique?
Thorough packaging usually takes place at the beginning of each transport, the method of which must minimize the risk of possible damage. This is one of the reasons why some parts, such as handles and mirrors, are packed separately and others are secured in place with tapes and protective films.
The models are then loaded for transport, usually in special trucks with air-conditioned transport space. If the car travels outside Europe for presentation and will therefore be transported by air, a special air-conditioned container is provided.
“The models require a constant temperature between 20 and 22 degrees Celsius. There are about three forwarding companies in the world that are able to provide such transport, “says Morávek. Even in this case, someone from the design presentation support team oversees everything. “At the airport, we make sure that the transfer from the check-in area to the plane is as short as possible,” explains the team leader.
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After the delivery arrives at its destination, the team must, of course, reassemble the car. But it is not as simple as it sounds, such assembly includes, for example, the commissioning of lighting or the correct adjustment of the ground clearance. And if the presentation is to include some manipulation or even a short ride, it is necessary to test that everything works as it should.
However, the model presentation support team also ensures, for example, manipulation of the models during the presentation, whether it is the control of a popular “turntable” or a possible driving choreography.
A piece of the wall had to go
The challenge is public presentations of models taking place in unusual places that are not ready for a car show. “For example, we exhibited in the Mánes exhibition hall in Prague, but also in the building of the former bank at a design event,” says Morávek.
“We have to get the cars there, of course, but that’s the icing on the cake. Sometimes it is necessary to completely figure out how the car will be presented at a given place and how we will actually get it there, “Morávek describes. In the building of the former bank in the center of Prague, for example, it was necessary to demolish and subsequently restore the part of the entrance portal where the cars drove inside after the end of the exhibition.
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These are often centimeters. Therefore, in such cases, the driver of the model (whether sitting inside or controlling the car remotely) does not manipulate the car himself, he also has other colleagues available to help him. “There is often a bad view of the models, they do not have cameras and other equipment, moreover, their proportions are always new to us,” Morávek explains why “driving” with the presented cars is so demanding.
In addition to car showrooms, company and group presentations and possible other public exhibitions (for example in the Škoda Museum), the team for the support of design presentations also ensures the possible casting of design models of Škoda cars in films and series. “If you see the Škoda brand concept in action on the screen, someone from us is running it,” concludes Morávek.
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