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Judging & Awards

Judging System

By Jeffrey I. Godshall, Head Judge

With its emphasis on automotive design, past, present and future, EyesOn Design is the only show of its kind in the world. Unlike other shows where cars are judged on restoration and / or authenticity, the exterior of each vehicle at EyesOn Design is judged using professional design criteria: emotional appeal, execution, artistic excellence, and design character and continuity.

Additionally, a vehicle’s interior design is also carefully evaluated. Judging criteria include appearance, functionality, use of color and materials, and compatibility with the vehicle’s exterior.

For the majority of awards, judging will be accomplished by individual automotive designers and/or teams of active and retired exterior and interior designers from leading automotive and supplier companies. Driven by a passion for automotive design, these distinguished men and women have generously volunteered their services to EyesOn Design for the benefit of the Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology.

Award Categories Judged by Designer Teams

Designers Choice Awards

Selected by active and/or retired automotive designers and automotive-related professionals, one vehicle in each class will receive this award recognizing an outstanding combination of innovative design and expressive functionality.

Design of Distinction Awards

Additionally, the designer-judges will, in each class, select two vehicles to receive these awards recognizing stylish appearance and uniqueness of design.

Bridgestone Interiors Award

Selected this year from Collector’s Circle, this award celebrates the most expressive interior among the automobiles on display.

Bridgestone Rolling Sculpture Award

Reviewing closely the vehicles in the Classic Era class, distinguished designers and automotive-related professionals will select the outstanding example of the automobile viewed as hollow rolling sculpture as celebrated by New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Design of Exceptional Merit Award

Nissan Design and Toyota/CALTYDesign Research,Inc. representatives, will each choose one vehicle to receive this award, based on their own criteria for creative and expressive design.

Bridgestone Honorary Chairman’s Award

Mr Bill Warner, Founder & Co-Chairman, Amelia Island Concours
d’ Elegance, EyesOn Design Honorary Chairman, will personally select a vehicle of outstanding design and engineering achievement demonstrating this year’s theme of The Evolution of an Automobile Design.

Bridgestone Preserving the Vision Award

The award, this year honoring Don Sommer, President, American Arrow Corporation, is given to a museum or individual who preserves and/or restores historic and stylistically significant examples of the designer’s art.

Bridgestone Visionaries Award

“Seeing” the vehicles with their hands, a team of visually-impaired adults will select a vehicle based on their “hands-on” perception of the most interesting sculptural shape from a class whose vehicles are selected for their three-dimensional sculptural qualities.