Spring 2025
Industrial Design
A rolling Dodge Challenger model made from stock forms, balancing a recognisable silhouette with efficient material use.
Stock Form Car
overview
The brief was to recreate a recognisable car using stock forms, wasting as little material as possible and making the model roll as freely as possible. I chose the Dodge Challenger, focusing on the features that give it its identity rather than reproducing every detail.
The project brought together visual judgement and practical construction. The long body, low roofline and raised bonnet detail had to read clearly as the original car, while the available stock shapes and the wheel assembly informed how the model could be made. The photographs follow its development from the unfinished body to the assembled car.
deliverables
Model Making
Stock Form Construction
Material Efficiency
Mechanical Assembly
01 — Recognisable Form
Identifying the proportions and details that make the Dodge Challenger recognisable.
about
I used reference imagery and early sketches to break the car down into its main visual features: the long, low body, the relationship between the roof and bonnet, and the raised engine detail. These became the starting points for a simplified model.
The challenge was deciding which features to retain and which could be reduced. The side profile provided a useful comparison as the stock forms were arranged into a body that needed to communicate the original car with relatively few parts.
02 — Stock & Construction
Building the body around available stock shapes while aiming to minimise offcuts and unnecessary material removal.
about
The stock material was a starting point for the design, rather than simply something to cut the final shape from. I worked with its existing geometry to form the main body, cabin and bonnet detail, aiming to make each piece contribute to the finished outline.
The unfinished model shows how those simple forms combine to establish the car’s proportions. Developing the body as a physical object helped me judge the height of the cabin, the length of the bonnet and how the separate components read together before finishing and assembly.
03 — Assembly & Rolling
Bringing the body and wheels together into a finished model designed to roll freely.
about
Rolling performance was part of the brief alongside appearance and material use. The wheel and axle assembly needed to support the body while allowing the wheels to turn freely, making alignment and clearance important considerations in the completed model.
The black finish and contrasting cabin detail bring the simplified forms together and reinforce the connection to the reference car. The final model balances three aims: a recognisable Dodge Challenger, economical use of stock material and a working rolling assembly.
nicholas elton
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