Everyone here is in some way or another, connected to the basic essence that binds this group of NUTS together.
That essence is the common denominator in our vehicles - the wheels. They not only set the world in motion but are a necessity in today's world. Now that's a different story that they mean a bit more to us NUTS. It's not just a figure of speech when I call ourselves as NUTS. It's more of a metaphoric phrase to represent our extra love for anything with wheels.
We all have our own individual connect with these vehicles that we love. Some of us have grown up with them while others would have a nostalgic value for a certain reason. While not all of us have the money to buy actual vehicles of desire, we all do buy their scale models and have these that can take us down the memory lane every now and then. Ever wondered what goes into the making of these objects of desire which make us fall in love with them, put up their posters on the wall and drool over them?
A sketch is where the whole thing begins. It is just the first step. From a sketch to the final product that you see on the road, it takes a good deal of about 4 years to realize.
Automotive design is a term that most of us have heard of but do we have the right understanding of it? Why is it that you like a certain car over the other? Why is it that a certain vehicle gets you excited in a specific manner? Is it just the looks or is it the proportion? Maybe it is a certain stance the vehicle carries. Maybe it is the belt line or the shoulder.
These are all part of the design that makes a vehicle look like the way it is. We all have a faint idea of what automotive design is because we all talk about these small things knowingly or unknowingly when we explain our love or admiration for any one of these wheeled beauties.
It is not just one person who takes the project through but an entire team which works hard with immense passion and dedication to convert that one sketch to reality. They all fight over that one emotional line to get it right and balanced. They all fight to make the vehicle look as good as possible given the numerous constraints that may or may not work in their favour.
Many a time, the product is not appreciated in the market and it bombs. That doesn't mean it was given any less number of hours or any less passion or dedication. There are multiple reasons which lead to the success or failure of a certain vehicle. While design is a major force in determining that, it surely isn't the only one.
Design is an art optimized to meet objectives, said, an unknown person but it does define the basic purpose of an automobile. For us NUTs, I guess the design defines an absolutely different aspect of the automobile.
At the end of it all, the passion is what drives the whole project through. The passion is what keeps the designers going. The passion is what drives them to make it better and more desirable. It is this very same passion that keeps them hooked that makes us ‘Going NUTS’.
Aashish Chaudhary - Automotive Designer and Co-Founder of Studio34