In early 2018, Camshaft Software hosted our first-ever official design competition. With twelve categories spanning the entire era covered by Automation, we received hundreds of entries of some absolutely fantastic cars, for the time.
With the growth of Automation over the last four and a half years, plus the imminent public release of LCV 4.2 in the coming weeks, it is the perfect time to showcase Automation once again with a sweeping design competition!
Category A: 1946-1960 People’s car
Put the nation on the road, and put a car in every driveway. The so-called “people’s car” was a vital player in the motorisation of modern society, particularly in countries that were undergoing industrialisation at the time.
Real-world inspirations: Fiat 500, Volkswagen Beetle, Citroen 2CV
Category B: 1955-1970 Luxury GT cars
The golden age of the continent-crossing luxury car. With seating for two or four, GT cars are stylish, extraordinarily fast and supremely comfortable - and supremely expensive. These cars set the standard by which all other cars would be judged in period.
Real-world inspirations: Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 250, Lamborghini Islero
Category C: 1955-1975 American family cars
While the rest of the world struggled with austerity, clogged, tiny roads and expensive fuel, none of these were concerns in the United States. Large, comfortable and with over the top style, these rolling pieces of automotive sculpture could comfortably carry the entire family and all their luggage across the country on the newly built Interstate Highway System.
Real-world inpsirations: Chevrolet Bel-Air, Chevrolet Impala, Ford Fairlane, Dodge Coronet, Rambler American, Nash Ambassador
Category D: 1960-1980 Off-roaders
A confluence of ideas occurred in the early 1960s, where the need for a tough, reliable and spacious work vehicle, capable of conquering even the most difficult terrain, crossed paths with the need for a vehicle that could be driven easily and comfortably on the ever-expanding highway systems of the time; thus was born the modern off-roader.
Real-world inspirations: Ford Bronco, International Scout, Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser, Jeep SJ
Category E: 1965-1985 Race car - Touring, Sports, Prototype or Rally
For a long time, “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” dominated the mentality of sports cars, and the race cars derived from them. In the 1960s though, the cars began to diverge more and more from their road car counterparts; while the basic shape of the cars remained the same, that’s about all that did. Wide fender flares, huge wings and crazy bodywork became the norm; no longer could one walk into a dealer and buy the exact car you saw win your favourite race.
Real-world inspirations: Porsche 917, Audi Quattro, BMW M3, Lancia Stratos, Holden VH Commodore SS
Category F: 1980-2000 JDM sports coupes/sedans
The Land of the Rising Sun showed the world in the 1970s that they knew how to build a good car, but in the 1980s, they showed the world they could build a performance car. Innovative, fast and with unmistakable style, these cars captivated the attention of the motoring public, immortalised in movies and video games alike, and are these days some of the most sought-after cars in the collector markets.
Real-world Inspiration: Nissan Skyline, Toyota Supra, Subaru Impreza WRX, Toyota AE86
Category G: 1946-2020 History of the pickup truck
Over the years, the humble pickup truck has undergone a dramatic transformation; where once it was a very basic, utilitarian work vehicle, today pickup trucks are among the best-selling passenger vehicles in the world, and have become the ubiquitous passenger car in North America. In this category, we explore the history of the pickup truck, from those humble roots to today.
Real-world inspirations: Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-Series, Toyota Hilux, Dodge C-Series, Chevrolet El Camino
Category H: Crazy/Creative
Automation now has the tools to create the wildest, most over-the-top vehicles you can imagine. Anything goes in this category, as long as it’s a land vehicle of some kind…
Category I: Category 2020s Luxury Car Interior
Any fancy car needs an equally fancy and comfortable place to sit. Mixing cutting-edge technology with a wide range of exotic materials, the modern luxury car interior is often far more important than the body it resides within. Let your imagination run wild, there are no limits here!
Category J: 2035 Concept
Yes, Automation’s timeline ends in 2020, but your imagination does not have to! In this category, you are imagining what a car in 2035 would look like. Will designs be familiar, or will they outlandish? Will you make a sleek and efficient family car? Perhaps, or maybe a rugged, industrial-looking pickup truck? Or maybe it’s the kind of car one would buy for weekend fun? It’s entirely up to you!
Category V: Near-Future Hypercar concept
The world of automotive design is going to undertake a seismic shift in the next decade, with new technologies, new materials and new propulsion taking design to new heights, and it will be no more evident than in the hypercar of tomorrow. Show us your vision for what you believe the hypercar of the next decade will look like!
Category X: Best Picture
Use Automation to create automotive art! Make an ad for your favourite Automation car, or show us your creation in action, using the new prop system to create an unforgettable scene!
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All entries must be submitted through the Official Design Competition Form, found here. Entries will not be accepted by email, direct messaging or other means.
- A valid email address is required to enter this competition, as we will be using it to contact prize winners for shipping information, or to re-submit screenshots of their entries for the purpose of this competition only. Camshaft Software LTD will NOT use submitted e-mail addresses for any other purposes.
- Competition entries open right away, and will be closed at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, October 5th. Refer here for the deadline in your local time.
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Entrants must provide one 1920x1080 resolution, in-game screenshot of each of their entries that they feel best showcases their creation, plus the .car file.
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All screenshots must be named as follows: ODC Category (Challenge Category) - (Your chosen nickname)
Example: ODC Category A - YourNickname
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All .car files must be named as follows - the in-game car model name must be “ODC (Challenge Category) - (Your chosen nickname)”; all other fields are free.
Example: ODC Category A - YourNickname, Trim 1, Family 1, Variant 1
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Entrants are allowed to enter a maximum of SIX times, plus once in Category X.
- There is no restriction on where you place your entries; if you wish to enter six different cars into one category, that’s fine!
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Photoshop of screenshot submissions is allowed for colour corrections and compositing other Automation scenes, props, etc., but compositing screenshots with real-world photographs or elements is not permitted.
- Use of HDRi photo spheres is allowed, but only if they are free to use and do not infringe copyrighted material. Excessive amounts of real-world branding are problematic for us to share on social media and also for promotional use, so think twice before putting your car in a photo sphere of Times Square in New York City!
- Use of HDRi photo spheres is allowed, but only if they are free to use and do not infringe copyrighted material. Excessive amounts of real-world branding are problematic for us to share on social media and also for promotional use, so think twice before putting your car in a photo sphere of Times Square in New York City!
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Collaborative entries are allowed, but must be submitted by only ONE member of the design team, who will be the sole recipient of any prizes.
- NOTE: If you need someone to help you take photographs of your entries, we strongly encourage you to do so!
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Entrants provide the car with the understanding that:
- Your entry may be discussed in the context of the competition with or without specific mention of the entrant as the creator, and
- Your entry may be used by us for future marketing material with or without specific mention of the entrant as the creator.
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Use of submitted entries by Camshaft Software is non-exclusive; entrants may continue to use their competition entries as they see fit.
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Entries that obviously infringe on copyrighted material will be disqualified; this especially pertains to the use of real-world automotive branding or entertainment media. Inspiration from real-world intellectual property is allowed, just don’t make a complete copy of it!
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Interiors help with the exterior aesthetics of your cars; it is recommended that a presentable interior (a minimum of dash, seats, steering wheel, etc) be present in your challenge entry, and strongly suggested that a full interior be present if your design is open-roof.
All entries will be pre-judged by Camshaft staff from the images that you submit with your challenge entry.
It is imperative that you make your submission photo as good as you can, with the car standing out properly against the background, and showcasing the features you think make it stand out the best!
The highest-scoring entries from the pre-judging will then proceed to the final judging process, which will be posted on the Automation YouTube channel shortly after the pre-judging process is complete. Only the top 10 to 15 entries will make the final video.
Entries will be scored in the final according to this rubric:
| Points | Criteria |
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| 20 Points | Overall appearance: How appealing is the design? Is it era-appropriate? Does it have the “wow” factor? |
| 10 Points | Design consistency: Does the design look harmonious from front to rear? If not, do the choices complement each other? Is the car’s design more than the sum of its parts? |
| 10 Points | Attention to detail: Is the design crafted carefully and neatly? Do the paint colours and material/texture choices work? |
| 10 Points | Creativity: Is the design a unique (in a positive way) take on the design brief? |
Engineering will not be scored in this challenge. However, we will be distributing finalists to various content creators, so at least some attention should be paid to it, if only to ensure that your entry will be somewhat realistic for the category!
There are a number of prizes for this challenge. In each category, there will be:
- Category winner - The winners in each category will receive unique, one-of-one print of their winning entry, suitable for hanging on their wall, plus a $50CAD Steam Digital Wallet Code.
- First runner-up - The first runner-up in each category will receive a $50 CAD Steam Digital Wallet Code.
- Second runner-up - The second runner-up in each category will receive a $25 CAD Steam Digital Wallet Code.
