How Students Make Their Dream Car

A unique car, the MOUNTIAQ, has been built in Mladá Boleslav, the home of ŠKODA, by a team of select apprentices from the local vocational college. This vehicle is all their own work, from the initial design down to the last detail.

27. 5. 2019 CONCEPTS

It all started at the end of last year, when apprentices involved in the sixth annual student concept car Azubi Car Project met to create a unique vehicle, the likes of which had never been seen before. They decided to use the ŠKODA KODIAQ as a base and transform it into a pick-up on massive wheels.

“We wanted the car to stand out instantly from all the other Azubi Cars there had been, so we opted to build a large truck that could cope with unpaved services and expeditions. The range of equipment will include a winch. We were the first project team to devise our own logo, which will even be stitched into the seats,” say the logistics team’s Melanie Grmolenská and Adéla Karvánková.

The vehicle development itself begins with sketches. The team then get together to consult all the sketches and incorporate features from each design into the final form of the car. This year, ŠKODA chief designer Oliver Stefani helped the apprentices to deal with this stage. The youngsters then pitched the resulting design to the ŠKODA Board of Directors. This means that, right from the beginning, apprentices learn the important skill of being able to sell and defend their ideas. Once they get the green light, they can take the design off the paper and into the workshop.

Apprentices studying various fields worked together on the project. They included car mechanics, car electricians, body builders and painters. Nor was the important role of logistics overlooked. The apprentices ’ participation is entirely voluntary, and their acceptance into the team is viewed as a major achievement. Let’s see how well this year’s team performed.

The logistics team was responsible for the dates of meetings and consultations, and kept an eye on all deadlines. “It is our responsibility to schedule meetings and ensure that everyone comes along. We need to check that the plan is being followed. During our pitch, members of the Board of Directors explained that keeping to the schedule and deadlines is of paramount importance. When the car is finished, it is up to us to showcase it to the public,” explain the logistics unit’s Adéla and Melanie.

An integral role is played by the team of teachers, who ensure the quality and smooth progress of the work. In the body shop, Tomáš and the others were able to draw on the expertise of supervisor David Bernard. “I try to encourage pupils to do as much work as they can themselves. But they still need guidance to build the car to the highest quality we expect. It’s no easy task, but, speaking for the body builders, I think we’ve all done a great job,” says Bernard as he praises the work.

At the same time as further work was being carried out in the paint shop, the functionality of accessories such as the winch was tested in the mechanics’ workshop. “What you see here is just a model that we can run all the tests on. As soon as the car comes out of the paint shop ready, we will install the accessories we have tested,” explains teacher Aleš Zíta. Massive wheels were ready and waiting to be mounted in in the workshop. This is where they ultimately breathed life into the car by installing all its features. They also worked hard on the electrical wiring here.

ŠKODA SUNROQ, 2018

The fifth Azubi Car fuses the popularity of SUVs and the sense of freedom you get from driving with the top down. You can almost smell the sea and feel the sun and beach every time you look at it. Welcome to the SUNROQ, the student-built convertible based on the KAROQ.

The SUNROQ keeps to the KAROQ’s length, width and wheelbase and even retains the powerful four-cylinder 1.5 TSI engine. The body, however, has been transformed almost beyond recognition. The students not only removed the roof, adjusted the doors and redesigned the A and B pillars, but also