DESIGN Q
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
ANNUAL SHOWCASE 2020 081
1. A MOCKUP OF THE GLOBAL 7000 CABIN,
CREATED IN-HOUSE AT DESIGN Q
2. THE DESIGN Q AND ECURIE ECOSSE
TEAMS PROUDLY UNVEILING THE LM69
One of Design Q’s first large-scale
mock-ups was for Virgin Atlantic at the
beginning of the Upper Class programme,
before any suppliers were involved. The
pictures of the mock-up were used for
10 years in advertising Virgin Atlantic’s
service – quite remarkable when you think
that three months before the photograph
was taken, nothing existed of the design.
More recently, one of Design Q’s most
significant jobs to date is the Global 7500
marketing prototype, a full-size 110ft,
58-ton mockup, complete with the
proposed interior. This mockup was
created five years before production of the
aircraft began, and when it was shown in
2014 at EBACE, it was realistic enough to
convince the first customer to purchase
two aircraft within seven minutes of its
unveiling, for US$140 million. That’s a
jaw-dropping US$20 million per minute!
Unusually for a design consultancy,
Design Q has space in its facility to build
anything up to a full-size Global. Over its
23-year history the studio has designed
and built many cabin mock-ups, seating
prototypes and interesting modes of
transport. The difference between
Thunderbirds and Design Q is that all
of Design Q’s concepts have become
a reality and make their customers
a lot of money. Design Q reimagines
the future for customers worldwide.
3. ECURIE ECOSSE MEANS ‘SCOTLAND
STABLE’ IN FRENCH, AND THE TARTAN
TRIM HIGHLIGHTS REINFORCE THE
MARQUE’S SCOTTISH HERITAGE
The most recent project undertaken at
Design Q is a car, and unusually it has not
been driven by a brief from a customer or
a corporation – rather the story and the
product have been entirely conceived from
within Design Q. The brief was to design
a road-going car that could have raced 50
years ago at Le Mans. The renderings of
Design Q’s evolution were exciting and
convincing, but once the design team
started to build a prototype, the energy
and the presence of the new car
catapulted the programme into reality and
captured the hearts and minds of everyone
involved. It is a car that could have been –
not a replica or a continuation of a classic.
The car is derived from a prototype.
The Jaguar XJ13 was designed in the early
1960s with the intention of racing at Le
Mans, but the plans were scrapped before
the car had the opportunity to race. The
XJ13 pushed the boundaries of innovation
and design at the time. Design Q has
picked up where the original team finished
and fast-forwarded the story by three
years to 1969. By evolving the chassis, the
bodywork and the way the car is built, yet
remaining true to the period and faithful to
technology of the day, Design Q designed –
and is making – 25 cars (which was the
qualification to be able to race at Le Mans
in 1969). This new (but old) LM69 is
branded Ecurie Ecosse, and is a remarkable
project for the famous Scottish racing
team that ,back in 1950s, had already
won Le Mans twice and continues to race
contemporary race cars around Europe
today. The Ecurie Ecosse LM69 will be
ready for the road in 2020.
Just over six months ago this car did
not exist, but there was a compelling story
and a firm belief that made anything
possible, and that dream of what could
have been is now real. We will continue to
do what we do best: turning dreams into
reality and reimagining the future.
3
“ ALL DESIGN Q’S CONCEPTS HAVE
BECOME REALITY AND MAKE
CUSTOMERS A LOT OF MONEY”
FREE READER ENQUIRY SERVICE
To request more details from Design Q,
visit www.magupdate.co.uk/paii
Design Q’s
broad client base
includes Airbus,
Bombardier, BAE
Systems, Ferrari and
Cathay Pacific
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